It’s finally the weekend and you’ve been building up to a big night out all week, only to reach your club destination of choice and find you’re either not on the list or it’s mysteriously ‘full.’

Here’s how to avoid being left in the cold this weekend:

01 Get on the guest list

Sure, it might seem like an obvious and out-of-reach solution but most people never even bother trying to get on the coveted guest list to begin with. Try calling or emailing the club beforehand and ask to be put on the list. 

The club can only say no, so it’s always worth a try. And if they do say no, it at least gives you an idea of what to expect later on.

Pro-tip: Having a good story can increase your chances of them listening to you. Back when he was at uni, one FHM staffer would call nightclubs in advance claiming to be from a fictional indie record label. He’d tell them he was with one of the hottest new bands in town and, ‘could they show them a good night?’ Nobody ever had a problem and they usually got a few free rounds thrown in too…

02 Dress to impress

Club bouncers are essentially hired to keep out the riff-raff and in turn, make the venue look good by cramming in as many cool-looking people as possible. For some of the more ‘elite’ clubs out there, the chances are that the doormen will have already made their mind up before you even speak based upon your threads. 

Put in the effort and make sure you look smart before you turn up at the door, and not only that, but make sure you’re dressed right for the club. Don’t turn up in trainers if it’s a shirt and tie place or alternatively don’t rock up in a shirt and tie if everyone else is in jeans.

03 Walk the walk

Confidence is everything and when you turn up at the front of the club you need to look and act like you were made to be there. Don’t dawdle and act desperate, be polite and make eye contact. 

Doormen and promoters work long hours and deal with a lot of idiots over the course of a night, if they can see that you’re not one they’ll be more likely to let you in.

Pro-tip: If you have serious balls of steel and the right kind of swagger you could always walk straight to the front and make a beeline for the promoter, shake their hand and make out you’re a big shot. If you’re good enough, they’ll probably let you in.

Downsides are that if you’re not you’ll have to do the walk of shame to the back of the queue.

04 Bring girls

We’re not entirely sure why, ok (ok, we are..) but girls, and more specifically, good looking girls always seem to have a better chance at getting in than you and your bearded mates. So, if all else fails you could just surround yourself with loads of beautiful woman and just ride in on their coattails…