Gas holder: Kamilla Alekseeva

The heroine of our new interview is the senior bartender of the Gazgolder club Kamilla Alekseeva.

Camilla told us about her path in the profession and how work influences musical tastes and life in general.

Camilla, tell us how you first got behind the bar?

I worked as a waitress initially, it seems to me that it was like this for everyone - you first work as a waitress, you realize that you have already grown out of carrying trays, and the bar becomes interesting. At first you just sneak a peek there, look at these handsome boys standing behind the counter, and want to replace them :)

That’s basically how I came - I thought for a year, two, and stayed late because there was always real money - I came, I was not yet 17 years old, but there was money in business, that’s why I stayed.

What is your motivation to still work as a bartender?

Well, I definitely won’t make the world a better place... Yes, there is no longer any motivation as such - I strive for something more, I no longer just stand behind the bar, but in organizational moments I leave. That is, making an event or festival is much more interesting to me than just standing at the bar and pouring a drink - that comes with time. But Gas is the only place where I’m left and I’m standing behind the counter.

Do you have a favorite bar instrument ?

Yes, there is my jigger - he is always with me, and my favorite scoop - I don’t know why, I always come with them :) These are my favorite tools, I’ve been working with them for over 8 years for sure, and when I go somewhere without them, I'm just like naked. They are already like talismans for me, they have accumulated energy, and without them it can be difficult.

What is your greatest achievement in your profession?

The fact that they began to call me to organize various events - from hip-hop to techno. And working at Red Bull - I help them organize events - from Flygtag to Red Bull Music Festival, I really like it.

Tell me, how did you start working here?

Gas was always a closed format, when it opened its doors, the first party was, in my opinion, “Meduza”, bar manager Alexander Pustovoit called me, and since then I have stayed like that - I’ve been working here for 4 years.

Is it difficult to work in a men's team?

Very. I worked - I had up to 30 boys under my command, and it was very difficult - everything feminine in you completely disappears, you become a boy yourself, because either you are them, or they are you. In recent years, it seems to me that I myself have in many ways begun to think like a boy, even outside of work.

In general, a bartender is a genderless profession, like a barber and many others - where there are many boys in the team, it is difficult for girls to work; the fact that you are a girl does not give you any discounts.

For those in the tank: what is the trick of the Gas Holder?

The gas tank is, firstly, a creative association - it is both a label and the parties that take place here. Here they didn’t just “come and make a party” - they are creative in everything - changing the scenery, music...

Since we're on the subject of music, what kind of music do you listen to, and does work influence your preferences?

Yes, it does. When I came to work in techno, of course, I began to listen to techno, I came to Gas - when I came here, for me Basta and Noggano were two different people - I began to listen to khopchik, there was a lot of such music in my playlist.

Do you have a favorite artist in Gaza?

Local? Scary question! Among the local ones, probably Mark and Levan, better known as Levandovsky, and their duet, their tandem - they look very cool as artists, they write and play very cool music. A man from hop and a man from techno have teamed up and are doing something unusual, I think so.

What generally inspires you in your work?

The people who come inspire me, the music, the DJs... And in the organizational part, I am inspired by the fact that everything is always different - I don’t like to sit in one place for a long time, I like a change of people, a change of environment, and this is probably what inspires me most of all .

Guests can be capricious, what were the most frequent and memorable whims you had in your work?

If we don’t take organizational issues, but take guest-bartender situations, then people had a lot of whims. One day a guest comes and says: can I have a red label, only black? You’re trying to explain something to him, but... They often ask off-topic questions: what’s the lineup, and what’s the Wi-Fi password, and if you can’t answer, then he starts snorting at you: “what kind of bartender are you, if Don’t you know this?”

One day one of the artists asked for tequila 62 years old - I searched all over Moscow for it, found it somewhere in the States, sent it - 15 thousand ticket... Then through word of mouth they found it in Moscowfrom some collector, apparently, and he, surprised by the eighth call that day about this, decided that this tequila had some value, and wanted to sell it for three times more than he had planned. This was probably the most unusual request.

Does it ever happen that you have to refuse guests?

Very often: a guest comes and says: make me some kind of “snow woman”, you ask, “What is this?”, and he answers: “Don’t you know?!” and lists a set of specific ingredients that we don’t have in the bar.

What drink do you like?

I love Hennessy and Red Bull. These are two separate products, but I mix them and I really like it. I have already reached the age when I can drink cognac :) Previously, I drank gin and tonic, shots and did not understand my mother, who sips this cognac while snacking on a lemon and chocolate. And now I’ve tried it myself, and of all the cognacs I prefer Hennessy VS, for me it is the softest and most pleasant.

Is it difficult not to impose your opinion on a guest if you are sure that what you offer will be much tastier?

We often come across this, but sometimes it’s better to do as the guest asks. Now, for some reason, old cocktails, old servings, old decorations have begun to come back into fashion - guests have become more pleased to see cocktails in this format than modern twists. It’s very difficult to argue, especially at night - we’re in a club, the music is blaring, and you’re trying to offer something of your own, but the guest insists on his own, and there’s no point in getting into an argument.

Sometimes guests start asking strange things, and I have a special “weapon”: I ask the guest “are you baptized or not?” This is confusing, the guest is distracted from the topic that is unnecessary for us and begins to remember :)

Do you believe in God? Do you think being a bartender and religion are compatible?

I was baptized by my parents, and if I take my conscious age, then I am more likely to be a Protestant. But I don't think religion has anything to do with the bar, to be honest.

What about the power of thoughts, the power of words?

Yes, I believe it very much. I believe in the power of words, especially if a person has strong energy. I have experienced it myself - sometimes you say something in your hearts, and it all comes true. I don’t know what example from the profession I can give here - I haven’t tested it on guests, but in my personal life it works the same way, but mainly in conflicts.

Tell us about your participation in the “School of Psychics”?

Now all the bartenders who know me will start to be afraid of me :)

I won’t go into details of the family tree, but it seems to me that I have a certain predisposition to this.

In general, I think that such abilities are something immense, and of course, if people have them, then it is not at all like what is shown in the films. Everyone works in their own way, I work with cards, for example.

In general, I wanted to test myself. I made it to the second round, everything was fair, without staging. We were given envelopes, we had to tell what was there - I told them, and I was invited to the second round. There I felt some pressure, because I got to one mentor, and another showed interest, he tried to help me, but at that time it was unnecessary. As a result, I was confused and made the wrong decision, but I was very close - the difference was literally one digit.

I fit their type, but as the director later told me, I myself did not fit this type. Just because I have such a freaky style doesn’t mean I’ll fly on a broom like they thought. This year I want to try again.

Returning to the topic of the bar – what can’t you imagine your day without? What must be in your work routine?

Red bull. I don’t get up at all without three cans. And at work - without the guys, I can’t imagine a good job at all: when you come, chat with everyone, get in the mood - there’s no way without it. This hour before work, preparing the bar plays a very important role for me. When I go home, it’s probably the same.

What advice would you give to aspiring bartenders?

Don't go there)) Just kidding. Don't chase money, but chase knowledge. Either you focus on knowledge, become known for your ideas and what you can give to the community, or you just make money. In addition, this knowledge will be useful not only in creativity, but also in communication with guests - they are sometimes more knowledgeable than bartenders.

In a word, when there is knowledge, there will be money.