Alternative nights out

Bored of your usual Friday night down the local boozer? Then why not try something just a little bit different. Read on for Canvas’s top five suggestions for a truly Alternative Night Out.

Hanna Trundley

Roller Disco

You can experience the vibe of the Roller Disco craze which started in the 70s on a Friday night at London club Canvas. With spandex leggings and wigs galore; the partygoers’ attire indicates the crowd is up for a laugh and has left all pretensions at the disco door. You can bring your own skates, or pay the £12.50 entry fee that includes hire. Doors open 8pm until 2.00am. The skating crowd is a mixed bag, from struggling novices to semi-confident amateur skaters to those who look and act like professionals.

The atmosphere is cheery and cheesy and it would be foolish to expect anything less. The venue boasts a choice of three rooms, each with its own style of music and pace of skating. The first room is fairly tame with R’n’B tunes playing while the pace picks up in the second arena as the crowd skates freely to soul and funk sounds. In the third room the skating is noticeably faster and the music has progressed to up-tempo dance beats. A Roller Disco is a fun and entertaining night out, but novices and the out-of-practice beware; you can get caught up in the pace before you know it, and the floor feels harder the faster you hit it.
Party Essential: Bring a first aid kit

Mod Nights

The mention of Mods immediately evokes images of young suited and booted blokes riding Vespas looking like Paul Weller, living fast and having the time of their lives. Mod culture began in the late fifties with Mowtown and Jazz as the music of choice with groups such as the Small Faces, The Kinks and The Who being influential at the time.

The Mods favourite clubs from back-in-the-day included Whiskey a-Go-Go and the Marquee Club where legends such as Jimi Hendrix and David Bowie played regularly. In 2007 you can get down to a host of Modernist sounds listening to various DJs at forthcoming night ‘Steppin Out’, at Bang! Bryanston Street, Marble Arch. Entry is £8.00, doors open 9pm-3.30am. Get your finest tailored suit on; anything else just won’t cut it!

Burlesque 

Burlesque is fast becoming a mainstream means of entertainment this year and there seems to be no shortage of tassel twirling events around at the moment. The Lost Society, on Wandsworth Road hosts monthly parties from where some of the finest burlesque performances in London can be enjoyed for twelve English pounds.

Alternatively, Ministry of Burlesque runs the monthly High Tease in London, Brighton and Glasgow. At present the next London party is yet to be scheduled, but all information can be found on the website www.ministryofburlesque.com. Both nights encourage the art of dressing up and getting involved with the theme; corsets, frocks and fishnets are all suitable attire for attending a Burlesque party in style.

After witnessing the pale-skinned beauty that is Dita von Teese in all her naked glory, it’s fair to say that Burlesque is not just an excuse for some sleazy lass to get her baps out, but a fantastic combination of fabulous costumes, perfected routines and dazzling stage props, with a sexy and comical edge.

Courtesy of Torture Garden www.torturegarden.com

S&M/Fetish

Not for the shy and retiring type, London’s Torture Garden is a fetish event with spectacular sights including performers, DJs, costume and creativity. A truly alternative night out that perhaps needs to be experienced at least once in a lifetime. If the thought of squeezing yourself into a rubber gimp mask and a matching pair of smalls scares the life out of you, fear not! You don’t have to be a hardcore Fetishist to go along, part of the lure of the Torture Garden is the opportunity to explore and enjoy at your own pace.

However, judging by the theme of the night, the dress code is hardly shirt and tie; unless of course that shirt is rubber. A great opportunity to lose your inhibitions and experience something new, though if nothing else, you can get stuck in dancing till the early hours. Forthcoming events include the Easter Ball on Saturday 7th April at Mass, St Mathews Church, London SW2 .Advance tickets are £23.00 for non-members. All information can be found on the website at www.torturegarden.com. 

Swing 

Yes that’s right, Swing is still alive and kicking its heels every Thursday night at ‘Swing Thing’ held at The Great Hall, Thames Rowing Club, London SW1. You can learn Swing moves during lessons taught on the night and then put them into practise as you party late in to the evening. Not only will the class before the party give you all the moves you need, but is a great chance to get to know some of the crowd, so you’ll benefit from a truly social night out. Alternatively, Jitterbugs runs Lindy Hop and Swing dance classes with dancing and DJ’s afterwards, in the W1 area of London on a monthly basis.

Swing originated in the 1920s and continued to progress throughout the 30s and 40s. Music ranges from swinging jazz, blues and rock depending on the type of swing dance, as there are many different styles. There is no set dress code for the above-mentioned nights, but clothing should be comfortable and allow you to move freely.