Michael Alig's Celebrity Dinner Party at Red Zone in 1989 - unedited 

People now don't realize that Nelson was carrying a full on gigantic home camera, mostly one handed, almost everywhere he went. And those batteries weren't great. He must have had so much equipment with him, but I'm amazed he was vlogging in a time well before the proliferation of the internet. All of these videos are a treasure of old school New York.

There needs to be a movie made about Nelson.

80s vlog. nothing more badass. damn i hope nelson is able to see that his videos are STILL being enjoyed & watched by so many ppl even in 2021. whatever universe he's in now, i just hope hes able to peak thru to planet earth in 2021 & see this & know that even 4-5 decades later, people are STILL thinking about him & are inspired by him in so many diff ways. what an original authentic icon

Nelson was so far ahead of the times. I love coming back to these videos every few years. I was only 11 when this was taking place but I grew up in the rave scene and always heard of these fabulous characters.

I wish I could have met and hung out with Nelson. He really seems like he was a true gem .. RIP

I am a club kid went to all these clubs know all these people I enjoyed them then And now on these films excellent to have documented it just as real as it was. thanks

Fair play to Malcolm Forbes- he inherited the magazine from his father in the late 50s and worked his ass off to turn it into the hugely successful global media empire it is today. But its good to see that he made up for lost time partying in the 70s and 80s, and at this point here he seems to be genuinely happy and doesn't care who he's seen with or what people might say. Good on him.

Nelson was a genius to get all this footage. He probably thought the scene was about to break out

Thank you for sharing all these with us. They are a rare inside look at the NYC club kid scene that should be considered part cultural history. You my fine sir, are a party god.

He had no idea or maybe he did that 3 months later he would pass away. RIP Nelson. What a legend.

nelson the very first vlogger

I’m obsessed with Nelson and his life.

These are such hidden gems

It's sad to think that Nelson would only be with us for another 2 months from this night 🙏🙌🕊️💙🌈💜

R.I.P Nelson

these videos need to be made into a tv show, they are a piece of history

Netflix..c mon..there’s plenty of material here for a great documentary. Pleaaaase

They don’t make people like Nelson anymore. He was truly one of a kind. He had a lot of life a head of him. Gone to soon. RIP Nelson.

"I hope no crack addicts notice me cause they might remember me and steal my camera!." Even his humor was ahead of it's time.

Malcom Forbes at a Michael Alig party is not what I had on my bingo card this morning 😂

Nelson seemed to know everyone. And I love his commentary. I wish Trade (Frederick) would do behind the scenes comments to fill in what happened since Nelson is no longer with us.

God i love nelson for moments like 6:14. He just doesnt care what people think and i respect that so much about him. I wish i could just spend one day with him back then and juat do whatever.

I feel like we are all lucky to meet Nelson. It would have been so sad if we didn't meet him. These videos take me away so much. I forget about everything in my life. It seems like a real shame that he didn't have a family. It's sad that so many of the people in these videos are gone like basically Nelson's whole family and life.

Im so happy Nelson recorded all this or I would never have been able to see it! Good stuff!

Worried about the local crack addicts stealing his camera, and, the idea people might think they are "wilding" as they traverse the city. Boy, if this doesn't capture the times!

Nelson, you were such a loving and gentle soul. I wish I could've known you .❤

Nelson would be 73 today...let that sink in....

Man he did such a great job. It's genius really.

Even the Forbes guy passed away from a heart attack in 1990

Nelson had lived one hell of a life.

I think it's funny how you can tell the bright ass light shining in all their faces is driving them crazy b/c they are having their "fun"...... but at the same time b/c they want the "spotlight" they don't say anything.......I love Nelson....I love his work & I'm thankful for ALL he did yo!!!

No FUCKEN Cellphones, NOONE taking selfies. Everyone just enjoying themselves and living in the moment.

22:38 He is always the politest gentleman on Earth, even in the middle of mayhem.

I wonder if anyone will enhance these videos. I don’t think it would be a slap in the face to Nelson’s memory. As someone who lived in the club scene in the mid to late 90s (a little later than this, I know) it would be nice to see the colors pop in the clothes. I miss the fantastic outfits we would create and wear. Regardless, I love watching these videos. I wish Nelson was still in this world.

I LOVE ❤️ TRADE !! I used to see him at Weekends in Atlanta before he moved to New York. GORGEOUS ! And he was a total sweetheart . 💋

This party didn’t go as expected I think. Everybody is obviously waiting for something good to happen, and you can even tell that the ones that are always around the camera are desperately trying to create some kind of chaos to breakup the boredom.

I truly miss NYC back in the day. I left in 1998, as by then NY, in particular my old neighborhood Lower East Side, had become wickid gentrified and too commercial. I feel very fortunate to have lived there through the 80s and 90s. chEErs 93

This is a literal look back into time. This video was taken only 3 months before his death. RIP Nelson..

Nelson was the classiest, most down to earth, and best looking gay man there. He didnt have to put makeup on or dress outragous to get noticed. He was comfortable with himself and that is why everybody liked him.

My guy was doing selfie sticks about 30 years before anyone else. and it's way better than what we have today

Wow I love watching these videos. I find that time, back in the 80s to be so interesting, from The scenery to the people. Nelson captured moments of the community of club kids and LGBT people so beautifully. It’s such a raw look into a time in history that would be amazing to visit in a time machine.💖

Wow this definitely takes me back....I didnt run with this crowd which was a sort of literati with the likes of George Wayne and Michael Musto who both wrote regularly for the Village Voice, NYC's large weekly print newspaper for the bohemian set..The folks I ran with included a lot of overlap with club kids, the drag queens who hosted (Lady Bunny, Mona Foote, Lypsynca, Girlina, and Moi Renoir as well as the children who danced the night away...Mon night it was that place on the lower east side the name of which I could never remember, Tuesday's a small space in the meat packing district (do they even still call it that anymore?) alternated between "Meat" for the boys and "Clit Club" for the girls, Wed nights was about Alig's Disco 2000 at the limelight..a great people watching club even if the music sucked except when they were spinnng apocalyptic industrial techno was perfect for that crowd..I remember at each end of the main dance floor there were these trapez on each end suspended way up in the ceiling of what had once been a Church with a club kid/gogo dancer hanging from each and visible to everyone on the very immense dance floor as the swang back and forth in arcs so huge each seemed to cover a third of the dance floor. It was certainly hypnotizing..Thursday's "Boy Bar" and Fri was a bit of mess as can be the case in a City like NYC back then...pick your poison... Death by whatever random Cloned Chelsea gay muscle a party was happening at the Roxy (think resident Black Party/White Party presented by Jeffrey Sanker or a quick heart attack brought about by dancing way too long as DJ Tennessee spun a wicked mix of house at the Pubic Hair Club for Men... a sort of hybrid sex/dance club....but then when Frankie Knuckles became resident dj at the Sound Factory Bar that put the issue of what to dofri nights to rest...Sat..Sound Factory..the ultimate house rave with a very fashionable and beautiful crowd which still manage to give the place the ambience of a fabulous disco in toontown....it opened at midnight...everyone arrived 3am...And the party went until noon Sunday...folks wonder but if they didnt serve alcohol...wasn't it boring and how did it keep the momentum going?...well the served chilled fresh fruit and we were really young then...well the coke, acid, mescaline, and mollies didn't hurt ...this video certainly captures the rise of the lounge/dinner club..(Nell's, Save the Robots)...in every old person is a young person saying "What happened?"

You can see a tiny bit or terror in everyone's eyes. 1989 was one of the scariest years in AIDS history. It was fun, because no one cared where you were and no one was talking to a cell phone, but scary in the fact that you were told on the news to assume that 75% of the people in the bars and clubs you went to at night were HIV positive. That fear remained until around mid 1990's. Anyone who had a blotch on their skin or lost weight fast was marked.

Debbie Gibson jamming on the radio. God I was obsessed. She influenced me so much as a vocalist. What a voice.

I love these videos! So amazing!

When you FINALLY get a cab only to have Electric Youth (Debbie Gibson) playing on the radio..priceless! 😂

They were having fun. They didn't know they were toasting to a murderer.

I'm loving these videos!! Read disco bloodbath 10 or whatever years ago and got hooked, these people fascinate me!! I will watch them all!! Nelson was so before the times!!

I love these videos they are so interesting. So fun and fabulous!

I love your videos , you captured time. My manager from Rich's North Dekalb rented with Rupaul around the very early 80's . I remember when I started seeing the Star Booty signs and just missed Rupaul perform , due to my age, I missed the start of the 80's and enjoyed the late 80's and 90's club scene but managed to go to the 80's teen clubs and Metroplex .

I have no idea what’s going on but I love time capsules. Especially from the year I was born.

I'm in love with all of these videos

I remember hearing rumors about Malcolm Forbes and did you notice how Albert almost velcroed himself to him the minute he was introduced and never left that table? SMART

Nelson was way too cool for NYC, hehe. He sure knew how to make the place come alive. I love his awesome videos and his friends. I recently found a Facebook with Trade's sister on it , and she had a picture of Trade now. He is still handsome. Keep on Vlogging Nelson and RIP..!

I remember the Phil Donahue episode my sister graduated that year. Coming from the south and seeing this was so very AWESOME!!! Thanks!

'We're not wilding we're vougeing" LOL

Oh to be at the same party as Depeche Mode in 89

thank you nelsonnnn

Nelson’s impact will live forever, if he only knew

Alig's fashion was nothing but combining the hobo clown look with the clothes off an old woman. 😆

Albert and Trade they did have a few fun flings!! I could stare at Trade til end of time. 😍😆

These are amazing . So happy.

Id give anything to go back in time and be there with them

He only like had 9 weeks left to live, crazy.

what a fabulous, decadent xmas party xo much love to you Nelson and all your friends

why are these videos so damn interesting!! watched almost all of them!!

I think Baroness Sherry von Koeber-Bernstein, whose penchant for wearing a different styled hat each night, is still alive! She must be close to 100. She was always much more pleasant than the other "old school" icons who were annoyed that you were annoyed at their annoyance (and arrogance).

Like a Prayer dance edit. My fav song at the time. Madonna at her shocking best! This is the party Nelson didn’t get an invite to and he was so mad, poor guy lol. He obviously decided to go. 1 second ago

Shirtless Guy is a Dream 💜💜💜

TAXI! so enjoy these uloads,..thnx again, lov & lights from Canada

Omg Keith Haring shortly before he passed away. This made my day!

This is art.

Love it Happy people!! I wish i could of been there!!

Keith Haring, Malcolm Forbes, and Depeche Mode? Oh, Mary.

back when ppl still had originality and didnt just stare at their phone 24/7 looking for the next "influencer" theyre gonna try to copy.

Im so very thankful for Nelson

I love how Nelson rarely says a cross word, but he will put Albert in his place with a brief snap as his camera is part of him, and Albert is 1 the few people who seem to accept it! Tho he actually seems to be such a diva that im surprised he had any friends period!

Homie walking around like incredible Hulk when he transforms. LOL

whoever's still shy/embarassed to vlog in 2021. NEEDS to watch this. & just imagine how huge that camera must have been.

The best drugs in New York at this party

Eddie Braddock went on to win multiple Grammys as Carol for Colorsigns.. A lot of talent in this room

"Depeche Mode didn't want their picture taken, so their big fat security guard said "turn the camera off, turn the camera off!". I don't even know what they look like anyway!" Lmao. Love that moment so much

I LOVE the book Fabulous Nobodies. 😍

I remember a prominent "club kid" telling me the scene wasn't dead in 1999. Well, it was.

Welp, now I gotta go watch Party Monster again.

Brenda and Brady were the life of the party

Omg thank god for uber lol

1980s vlogs. awesome

Depesh Mode didnt want their picture taken..well okay then.

So sad this was probably one of the last parties before he passed

Like A Prayer by Madonna had come out March 3, 1989 so that song was brand new when this was filmed!

21:54 Michael musto saying "excuse meee" lmao

So he was invited. After all😆

It’s crazy to think that now our phones can record at so much higher resolutions than those old camcorders. How cool would it be if we a were able to watch these videos in high definition!

The fact the back in the days they did not have cell phone this guy actually create it The vibe📲 🤳🏽 2021 quarantine brought me here🥴⚡️🍷

man i wish i was alive during this period and went to these clubs :( they look like they would of been so much fun

What an absolute treasure!

I would literally do anything just to time travel and be there. I would do anything if I could have grown up with these people. I was born in November 1988 so I was only a year old at this time. Well if Nelson was still alive, by the time of his death I was only 7 months old or so. So I was probably a few months old at this time.

I wasn't there this night but during these years I was going to Mars, The World, Save the Robots, The Tunnel, The Roxy, The Limelight, MK, Red Zone and Nell's. And that is definitely Keith Haring..

damn, New York in 89 looks like Berlin today XD