While Arnie and Franco were muscling it out at Venice ‘Muscle’ Beach once in a while, working it out at Gold’s Gym in Venice, and going to their once-a-week tough Venice ‘Paradiso’ CrossFit sessions, they happened to do some DJing at a few exclusive Venice Beach nightclubs.
‘Franco, all work-outs and no play make Arnie and Franco dull boys. We need to relax from time-to-time and have a bit of fun and excitement along the way to our babies [IFBB Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia], stated Arnie. ‘I totally agree, let’s do it Arnie,’ states Franco agreeing.
Arnie and Franco had planned it in their yearly schedule to visit some of the nicer nightclubs at Venice Beach to help get the party started for locals and visitors to the area. The champions’ favorite music was 50’s and 60’s Rock ‘n Roll and Disco and Funk. They were special guest DJs at RG Club, a live music venue, and then Larry’s at Venice Beach, an exclusive bar and nightclub for the evening. The RG Club plays the 50’s and 60’s Rock ‘n Roll and Larry’s let’s out the Disco and Funk.
It is a Saturday night on August 2nd, 1975. A stunning white Hummer limousine is sent to The Venice Apartments where Arnie and Franco reside for the time being to pick up Arnie and Franco to go to their first two-hour-long DJ set at RG Club, Venice Beach.
Instead of champagne or other usual sorts of alcohol, they are sipping a high protein vitamin shake and nibbling on protein bars and fruit and vegetables.
The two have been promoted in club marketing material and are receiving a red carpet entry when they arrive at RG Club, ‘Look at this Franco, it doesn’t get any better than this,’ states Arnie. Fans and club-goers are outside the nightclub entrance on either side of the red carpet and are going crazy with excitement at seeing Arnie and Franco.
Franco, wearing a tight shirt, gets out first, laughs loudly, and does a double arm above shoulder bicep flex. ‘Yeah,’ shouts Franco. Arnie follows next, getting out of the limousine with a big smile and huge laugh, ‘Ha ha, yes’. Arnie gives a most muscular pose, also with a tight shirt, involving a double bicep flex below the shoulders flowing into a chest (pectorals), stomach (abdominals) flex and shoulders (deltoids and traps). Both wave to the fans and club-goers as they walk along the red carpet and sign a few autographs and pose for photographs and some short video shoots from party-goers.
The club host announces that Arnie and Franco have entered the building, as if it was Elvis entering RG Club himself, and are making their way to the club’s DJ arena – ‘Part-goers of RG Club, I present to you to be IFBB Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia champions, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Franco Columbu, who will play a memorable two-hour set tonight. Make them feel welcome with a big round of applause. Here is Arnie to say a few words,’ mentions Jim Sparks, the excited announcer.
‘Hi there everybody, Franco and I feel honored and privileged to be here at RG Club, in Venice Beach. We have made Venice our home for the past year to train specifically for the 1975 IFBB Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia competitions. Your support tonight will be more than appreciated. But, with the hard work comes a little time to play, and we are here tonight to enjoy the evening with you all. Are you ready to raise the roof tonight? Let’s do it, c’mon,’ states a pumped and ecstatic Arnie.
Arnie and Franco, under some guidance from the local RG Club, DJ, are allowed to pick some favorite 50’s and 60’s Rock ‘n Roll tunes, and boy didn’t they choose some all time classics. There was Long Tall Sally by Little Richard (this one’s for all the Predator fans out there), Chuck Berry with Rollover Beethoven, Johnny B Goode and Rock ‘n Roll Music, the King Elvis Presley and all the Motown legends like Otis Redding and Ray Charles.
There was not enough time to fit all the tracks in as everyone was having a fantastic time with Arnie and Franco as guest DJs. Arnie would jump in from time-to-time during the two-hour pumping set and shout out, ‘C’mon, let’s get it going’. Both champions would be sipping on their endless supply of protein drink and protein bars and fruit and vegetables all night.
On leaving the RG Club, the party-goers shouted out chanting, ‘we want more, we want more, we want more’. But Arnie and Franco had to leave to go to their next set at Larry’s, Venice Beach.
The white stretch Hummer limousine is waiting and the two bodybuilding stars of the evening enter the long vehicle ready and pumped for their next clubbing mission. Both had a good time and wanted to stay longer but wanted to keep a low profile for their competitions coming up some months later as both take their training and preparation seriously. The both again had some protein drink and protein bars and fruit and vegetables, staying immune to the unhealthy habits of some of the party-goers surrounding them. Arnie states to Franco, ‘That was an awesome time in there [RG Club] Franco; I didn’t want to leave. But the party has only just started. The next set should be unbelievable too.’
This time the host to Larry’s, Bill Tilbar, is outside the club, with microphone in hand, ready to welcome the special guests, Arnie and Franco. ‘Here they are people, our very special guest DJs ready to rock the evening for us all, VIPs, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Franco Columbu’.
Arnie tells the limousine driver to honk the horn as they arrive near another red carpet welcome. This time Arnie and Franco get out one after the other, with Franco first and Arnie second, with Franco doing a crouched raised double bicep flex and Arnie a most muscular pose, and then swapping over, both chuckling loudly. Arnie shouts, ‘What do you think of that everyone? Was that good? Do you want some more?’ The crowd go wild at each of Arnie’s questions.
Arnie and Franco do the same thing as before and sign autographs, pose for photographs and play along with some party-goers fun videos. Arnie and Franco are loving the great fun and relaxing time.
The Larry’s set is also a two-hour extravaganza for the club’s party-goers and another excuse to get some more time with Arnie and Franco. Arnie gives a similar introduction to the one at RG Club and then him and Franco put on their headsets and start playing the specially selected Disco and Funk tracks such as The Bee Gees and Saturday Night Fever and Chaka Khan.
The place is going off. Both Venice Beach clubs were working in together and broadcasting Arnie and Franco’s super-sets at each club. There is a laser show, steam streaming onto the dance floor and streamers and balloons flooding the party-goers. ‘C’mon everyone, let’s do it, keep it going, flex those muscles for us’.
Arnie and Franco even have a bit of a dance among themselves on stage behind the DJ set, sending the Larry’s crowd erupting into a frenzy of shouts, whistles and excitement. Both open their buttoned tight shirts to reveal Gold’s Gym singlets and their impressive muscular bodies. The crowd went even wilder with security having to calm them down.
The two hour set at Larry’s seemed to go even quicker than the first set at RG Club with time flying as everyone was having a good time.
As Arnie and Franco left the Larry’s building, the crowd were, at a distance, allowed to follow the two and form two groups on either side of the famous red carpet, waving shouting, whistling and jumping around like mad. Both do a raised and dropped bicep flex and then swapping over, just like they had done for the crowed when they had first arrived. The people were loving it.
Although still pumped from the whole evening’s Venice Beach nightclub affair, Arnie and Franco were fit and secure to switch themselves off and quieten down and relax for the rest of the night. ‘What a night Franco, what a night, heh heh’, states a thankful and happy Arnie.
Shortly after, Gold’s Gym at Venice Beach was now packed to the brim with new members, all because of Arnie and Franco’s opened shirt display of their Gold’s Gym singlets at Larry’s Arnie and Franco had to have closed-off private sessions at Gold’s Gym from there on in due to the huge influx of people from Venice Beach and inter-state.
Bibliography
- LA Nightlife.com, ‘Venice Bars and Clubs’
- ‘Pumping Iron’ dmentary (1977)
- Wikipedia, ‘Pumping Iron’
- Wikipedia, ‘Venice, Los Angeles’
