Hundreds Attend McCrobie’s Girls Gone Wild Party Without Film Crew
Hundreds flocked to downtown Rome Saturday night for McCrobie’s Girls Gone Wild (GGW) party only to find that the GGW film crew had been barred from participating in the event.
The highly publicized and sometimes criticized event was scheduled to begin at 8 p.m.
As more than 300 people crowded along Broad Street awaiting entry into the nightclub, others kept themselves at a reasonable distance as they carried signs and passed out leaflets, opposing the event.
Although the GGW bus was no longer part of the venue , it was parked within the same city block as McCrobie’s, near the intersection of Broad Street and Fourth Ave.
By 9 p.m., the crowd had moved into the nightclub, where hired security officers kept an eye on club activities while strongly enforcing the club’s strict rules against nudity.
More than 400 people turned out for the somewhat controversial event, while dozens protested outside during the first couple of hours of the event.
As the night progressed, several patrons said that the event seemed no different than any other event sponsored by the club. Once it was disclosed that the GGW film crew was not going to appear at the nightclub, many of the event’s attendees were displeased.
Establishment owner Brent McCrobie recently asked city officials if the GGW film crew could film inside the nightclub in search of “America’s Hottest Girl.” He was told that it would not be permitted under the establishment’s current entertainment license.
“The city said no, so I told the film crew that they were not allowed inside to film,” McCrobie told RomeNewswire Saturday night.
Rome’s Alcohol Ordinance contains several City Codes, including one that prohibits certain types of conduct at establishments that are licensed to sell, serve or dispense alcoholic beverages.
Another City Code under that Alcohol Ordinance states that any establishment that allows deviation from the “standard” entertainment is required to get prior approval by the city’s Alcohol Control Commission (ACC).
On Sept. 28, the ACC denied a special events permit for McCrobie’s scheduled GGW Party.
However, David Guldenschuh, legal counsel for McCrobie’s, contended that no special permit was required, because the level of the entertainment planned for the GGW party was very similar to that of concert events previously hosted by the nightclub.
If McCrobie had continued with the event as planned, including participation of the GGW film crew, he would have been risking the chance of possibly losing his entertainment and/or alcohol license.
As it stands now, the ACC will be the final local determinant of McCrobie’s adherance to local laws and ordinances.
If the establishment is found to be in violation of any laws, the ACC may choose to take action against the popular downtown nightclub, located at 325 Broad Street.
Rome’s Alcohol Control Commission meets Monday, Oct. 26, at 5 p.m. at City Hall on Broad Street.
