Big Night Out

[coalescent]

When I was at school, I never really 'went out'. Not in the sense of pubbing and clubbing and gigging, anyway; if I wanted to do something in the evening, I was more likely to organise a trip to the local bowling alley or cinema. When I got to university, things were different for two reasons. Suddenly there were more options for places to go, and because everyone could drink legally there was far less pressure to get drunk. So I ended up trying various different things, this and that (my first gig was to see Dodgy, version 2.0 - after they'd changed lead singers - in the backroom of the Bullingdon Arms. I'm not proud), and gradually decided that indie/alternative nights like Panic were my thing. It's not like I became a wild party animal (!), but I had fun. And developed a wild flailing-arms style of dancing that I'm assured has to be seen to be believed.

Since leaving Oxford, I've had (occasional trips to Panic notwithstanding) problems in terms of (a) places to go and (b) people to go with. For whatever reason, most of my local friends don't really like the same sorts of nights as I do. They can be persuaded, but it takes work. Added to which, the only suitable club I know within an n mile radius is the After Dark. There's nothing wrong with it as such (it certainly has the claustrophobic welcoming 'stale beer and black walls' decor characteristic of every such venue I've ever been too - except the post-redecoration version of Club Latino, but that's a horror unto itself) but it's in Reading, so it requires extra organisation of people, and Sesame Street is only on every other friday, so that requires planning. And it's not like I feel a burning need to go out all the time, so I often can't be bothered to put the effort in. Still, every now and then I get the itch, and marshall my friends, and we all go out.

This week was such an occasion. There were seven of us - Nick, Eliot, Gary, Emilia, myself, and two of Emilia's friends. I cooked dinner, then we went to a bar of Emilia's choice, then on to the After Dark, then back to Emilia's for brownies, then (at 4am) I had to drive the guys home. It was a lot of fun, and 'I Am The Resurrection' is still the best song ever.

It has to be said, though, that as a whole the DJing was not the best I've heard; far from consistent, and with seemingly very little idea how to group songs together. And that's without mentioning the completely-out-of-leftfield choices such as 'The Cedar Room' by Doves. For those who've never heard the song, it's a great brooding tide of a tune: think Massive Attack's 'Angel', but marginally more upbeat. It's slow, and seven and a half minutes long, and as hands-down gorgeous as it is you have not the slightest chance in hell of dancing to it. I could sort of understand it as a closing track, like the indie-schmindie version of 'Angels', or something, but this was at 1am - peak dancing time. It was very strange.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Stick with The After Dark - there is little better in Reading. Although The Purple Turtle there is nothing to like the Oxford one and the Fez has a few decent nights early in the week.

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

I've been told about the Fez, but never actually been.

Out of interest, do I know who you are? :)

[(Anonymous)]

Possibly. I was highly involved with IMSoc and come from Reading but am not Het.

[oxfordslacker.livejournal.com]

the DJing was not the best I've heard

Well, quite. If you hadn't heard such riches, I'd warrant that you could live with being poor...