Amsterdam Red Light District Stories: Sex Worker Confessions
Posted on: juli 23, 2017
Amsterdam Red Light District Stories
Some while ago, we received a comment on our website posted under our article about the Sex Palace Peep Show. A former stripper left a short message and shared what it was like to work in the Red Light District of Amsterdam. We’re always interested to hear Amsterdam Red Light District stories. Therefor we contacted this person, arranged an interview and asked these 10 questions:
Male Sex Worker in Amsterdam
1 | Who are you and what kind of work did you do in Amsterdam’s Red Light District?
I am Jimmy Wilson; born in Newcastle UK: I am now aged 59 years old, and during the 1990s I used to work in the Red Light District of Amsterdam as a performer in the peepshows. I was approx. 33 years old when I began performing in Amsterdam.
Een photo of Jimmy outside of a sex shop in Amsterdam in 1992.
Peep Show Definition
2 | Can you explain what a peep show is? How does this work exactly?
Een stripper in Amsterdam’s peep show.
Amsterdam Red Light District Live Show
A peepshow such as the sexy palace – The Krat; was an establishment in which there could be up to 30 cabins built around a revolving circular podium, which would be approximately 2.5 metres in diameter. The customer would go into the cabin which had a window approx. 400mm x 300mm, some were two way mirrors and some had a curtain, there was a coin slot into which you had to insert guilders to open the curtain or reverse the mirror which would enable you to enjoy the performers and behind the closed door they could pleasure themselves.
There was a DJ who would play music non stop throughout the day. There could be up to twelve girls who would take it in turns to perform on the podium for 4 minutes at a time. The podium was never left empty; and so, when time was up for the girl who was performing another girl would say “hello”, and then pull the curtain aside and step onto the podium as the other girl gathered her material and got up to leave: each girl had her own velvet sheet to perform on; this was mainly for cleanliness.
There would also be a live show couple: this was a couple- man and wife; boy friend & girlfriend; that would put on a live sex show. We exchanged places in the same way as the girls; except that when the next girl to come onto the podium said “Hello”, I would stop what I was doing; wrap the material around myself and exit the stage via the curtain covering the doorway; the girl would then go on stage and my partner would exit the stage.
The girls who danced or performed would wear sexy bikinis and pose erotically for the men looking through the windows. They would slowly strip off what they were wearing, then when naked they would slowly and seductively go through different poses; rubbing their breasts; tweaking their nipples, opening their legs: they’d move from one position fluently and effortlessly from laying on their backs legs open’ then onto their sides raising a leg and then ono their hands and knees; always letting the customer see what he desired but could not touch. always making eye contact with the windows, pouting and licking their lips.
The entrance of Sex Palace Peep Show. Home to many Amsterdam Red Light District stories.
De sex show would be performed 14 times per day, seven days a week by the same couple; each show would last 15 minutes and would begin on the hour or on the half hour; depending on the peepshow. The couple show – live sex show – would always be performed to the same music by Enigma from their album MCMXC: The first 15 minutes of the album.
Some couples wore a costume or the men wore shorts: my partner always wore just a bikini and I walked on naked. During the first five minutes would begin by standing in the centre of the revolving podium kissing and touching each other. I would strip her bra away as we kissed and she fondled me, then we would be on our knees doing more of the same; I would then take her bottoms off so that she was like me; completely naked, the next five minutes was spent performing oral sex on each other. The final five minutes was spent having full intercourse in different positions; including anal sex with one girlfriend. After fifteen minutes our time was up and we’d exit the stage.
The inside of Sex Palace Peep Show: Solo cabins.
There were also two or three solo cabins in which a client or customer could have a one on one with any performer working that day. There were photos of the girls and the couple in the cabins each with a number. On the wall there was a panel with lit up numbered buttons; and the customer would push the button and a number on a panel in the girls room would light up letting them know who was needed in which cabin.
The girls room was where the girls relaxed; ate and watched TV between dances.
Instead of watching the girl or couple perform through a small window, the solo cabin windows were full length and the men could talk to the performers and ask them to do certain things to themselves. A striptease used to cost the equivalent of £10; a masturbation show was £20; and a vibrator show was £30. There was a space in the glass where the customer could pass the money to the performer. If they wanted to watch the couple together it was a lot more money. £50 for kissing and touching: £100 for oral: and £150 to watch the couple do it all. As long as the customer kept putting coins in the slot to keep the light on the performer; the girl or couple kept on going. Once the light went off the performer and went on in the customers side the show was over.
The first live show was at 11am and the final one was at 1 am. The girls started maybe an hour before the live show and finished a few minutes after the last live show.
3 | When and why did you do started working as a stripper in Amsterdam Red Light District?
Before starting as a stripper in Amsterdam I was a stripper in the pubs and clubs in the north east of England and Scotland. Then I began bringing girls over to Belgium to do striptease in the porn cinemas between breaks in the film, it was while my wife at the time that we ventured into the peepshows and saw how clean and horny it was compared to Scott’s cinemas. The manager of the Kuperskai peepshow was a coloured guy named Jean; I used to have a girl working in Gent porn cinema ABC and I used to drink in the bar over the road and id have a few drinks with Jean. He asked me to do a kind of half live show with my wife. It sounded like good money and it sounded horny so we agreed.
In these shows I could not take my shorts off nor could any kind of penetration take place; oral was only allowed on Paula. It was the same in the solo cabin: however once the door was locked and the customer asked to see us fucking, if the money was right we’d fuck in front of the customer as he masturbated. Once we’d had a taste of the live show we liked it, it was well paid; exciting and horny.
Our next stop was in Brussels where there were two porn cinemas on Adolph max boulevard; the ABC and the Paris. Just out of Brussel’s Nord train station was the Pigalle and the Babylon peepshows just about next to each other. The manager of the peepshow was Christoph and we spoke to him and his brother,’ Dito’, about doing live show. They asked if we’d seen a live show before to which we answered ‘no’. ‘ Go watch one’ its due on in five minutes’ we were told. We locked ourselves in the cabin and inserted some franc’s into the slot and the window cleared; the girl left the podium and the music of Enigma began to play and the couple started to do their thing; except this was a real live show; unlike the show we had performed in Gent.
We decided that we’d like to give it a shot and so went back to the office and discussed a contract. Christoph booked us into the Krat- sex palace, in Amsterdam for our first two weeks of real live show. This would have been about 1992. The manager of the peepshow was Eric- the boss’ son.
4 | How was it to work in Amsterdam Red Light District during the 1990’s? What were the reasons you liked this job so much?
This is what Amsterdam’s Red Light District looked like in the 1990’s. (Source: Huub Prickaerts)
The work in the red light district of Amsterdam was great! It was new; exciting; and of course everything about it was horny. I was being paid to fuck on stage; I was sitting in a room surrounded by naked and half naked girls; everywhere you looked there was a bar; porn; drugs; prostitutes; and some of the girls were up for sex too, a 3some with me and my wife.
‘I was being paid to fuck on stage…’
Amsterdam, 1994. A man paints a window brothel in the Red Light District.
I also carried a camera around with me and some of the dancers wanted their photos taken for the publicity boards outside the peepshow doorway and in the solo cabins. I got on well with Eric and everyone working in the peepshows, even some of the girls in the windows got to know me and used to give me a wave passed their window. What was there not to like?
5 | What kind of shows did you do in Amsterdam strip night club(s)? Solo? With women? With men?
All of the shows that I did were with my girlfriend or wife: I got through three marriages whilst doing the sex shows. Quite the Amsterdam Red Light District Stories. The only time I was alone with a male was in a solo cabin. The guy would press the number for the couple show and my partner would go to the solo cabin to tell the guy the prices of the show. A few times she came back and said that the guy wanted me! He wanted me naked and masturbating but he wanted me to watch him masturbate too. I did not enjoy that part of the work, and thank god it did not happen very often.
6 | How old were you when you realized you wanted to become a stripper/performer/sex worker?
I was 28 years old when I began stripping in the UK. My wife had began working as a stripper two years before me. I needed a job and she talked me into being a stripper.
Stripper Salary
7 | How much money did you earn per month as a sex worker in the peep show(s) of Amsterdam?
The pay worked out the same in most of the places that I worked, whether it was the German mark; Belgian franc; or the Dutch guilder it all worked out about £20 per show: 1000 Belgian Francs per show x 14 shows per day. 50 or 60 Dutch guilder per show; 1000 Luxembourg franc per show; all were 14 shows per day for the first few years; except in Hanover, Germany where I worked 19 shows per day. Multiply the pay per show by 14 and then multiply that by 7 and then multiply that by 4.2
8 | Did you have a relationship while you worked as a stripper in Amsterdam? If so, was your partner okay with working in the strip clubs?
Yes I was in a relationship while doing the live sex shows, though none of my marriages lasted. But I did have relationships with some girls over there too. I had a few threesomes with one of my wives and a girl, and more threesomes with another of my wives a few guys. It was free love just like back in the 60s I suppose.
9 | What were the things you liked most about Amsterdam?
I enjoyed Amsterdam and its people very much and it will always hold a special place in my heart. I liked the openness; the honesty; the girls; the bars; the atmosphere; the cafes; the sex; I loved it all and would do it all again if I could.
It’s just a shame that all of the establishments that I worked in, around Europe are now closed. But every time I hear the music of Enigma, the first 15 minutes of the album MCMXC it takes me right back there…
Amsterdam Red Light District Advice
10 | What would you like to say to people who visit Amsterdam Red Light District?
Leave your inhibitions behind. Try what you want to try; do what you want to do; live the life while you are there; embrace the way of the Red Right Area; no regrets…
BEKIJK OOK:
1 Responses to Amsterdam Red Light District Stories: Sex Worker Confessions
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I’d be very happy to hear from anyone who worked with me in the peepshow. Girls. Couples. DJ’s, managers.etc