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Thread: Ware Priory freestyle

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    Ware Priory freestyle

    Since there seems to be some interest in this new venue, here's my view from last Friday's freestyle.

    The venue is in a nice location, some on-site parking and has garden and river, so would be very nice in the summer. The other good point was that there was tea and cakes (not home made, but better than none!)

    Having two rooms apparently made it necessary to issue everyone with wrist bands, which is a massive negative for me. Do lots of people in the CerocMetro area try to get in without paying?

    The presence of a blues room was really the only attraction of this venue for me, and the room itself was pretty good with a decent floor. Music seemed to be limited to swing, but the biggest problem was that it was separated from the main room by a gravel path and not many people seemed to make it over there. To get this venue to work as a worthwhile blues room would take lots of effort, and there didn't seem to be that much demand.

    In the main room, we were tempted with the spectacle of an opening roof. What we got was a fairly ugly modern building, that felt a bit like a converted chapel to me. There is a high section in the roof, with skylight and a long blind. I certainly wouldn't want to rely on this for cooling on a warm day. The floor in the main room didn't work for me either. I wasn't sure if it was plastic or wood, but it had a very heavy duty patterned varnish which meant it was fine to walk on, but pretty slippy to dance on. I like a fast floor, but this was just a bit too lifeless. Music in the main room started off very bouncy (and there was almost noone there for the 1st 20 min, despite a 8:30 start), but seemed reasonably well balanced, and did get more interesting as the evening went on. I'd be interested to know how close the venue was to capacity, since it felt about right to me in terms of dance space (but most people seemed to be sitting out for roughly every other track).

    Overall, worth a visit, but only if there are no other options - and don't count on the blues room if you expect even a poor imitation of Berko.

    Sean

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    Re: Ware Priory freestyle

    Sean - this was my take on it (maybe you missed the post)........

    - And I missed saying "hello" to you......again....were you wearing a hat?

    Was the wrist band such a "massive" negative? I didn't notice it till I got back home.

    ----------------------------------------------

    Well - so glad I went to Ware last night instead of Ashtons - what a fantastic and interesting venue! It's an upmarket place - not the usual run down school/town hall type place.

    The venue is called 'The Priory' - which is perhaps appropriate for those with a dance addiction. Set in several acres of grounds, it has plenty of parking.

    Two rooms - both with fantastic floors (fast without being ice rinks) and several people commented on how good the floors were (I think the one in the Blues Room was marginally better). They are probably the best floors I have experienced.

    The Main room and the Blues room opened out to decking or onto gardens with doors along the sides - so keeping cool was not really an issue.

    Good to see many familiar faces from Cheshunt, Stevenage, St. Albans, and a few forumites SunnyBunny and Maxine were strutting their stuff to good effect.

    One thing I enjoyed so much was the Blues Room - AT LAST! A Blues room where blues was played!! What a relief! It does what it says on the tin! I have been suggesting to some (eg. Ian at Chesham) that they could play more real blues in the Blues room.....and here it happened! So much more enjoyable than a normal blues room - there were songs with breaks and there was an authenticity about the songs. So thanks to Keith who was the DJ.

    I've been reflecting on this and I think my ideal Blues nite would be a synthesis of the Marc F. type vibe - which works very well in it's own way, mixed with this authentic stuff. I wonder who can move in that direction.

    Anyway......back to Ware. The snacks were fantastic and even though I came in late to them - there were still plenty of min-donuts and croissants left. The 'vibe' was fine - maybe women over? The feng shui of the Blues room was great - the main room less so because of the dimensions (it could do with being a few feet wider).

    So - 'even better if's......':

    It would be even better if:

    - the evening had been publicised more: this is a great place and could have been maybe another 20-30 squeezed in?

    - music in the main room. Well.....hmmm. I wasn't there the whole time, so I can only go on what I heard and what other people said to me. It could have been better. Some tracks go on far too long! Please keep them to 3 - 3.5 minutes as the norm. Include songs which have breaks and melodies. Expand the range of tunes played: it was all a bit 'samey'. (This is all a plea to Robin). Maybe even have a guest DJ for an hour to mix it up a bit - something....please!

    - provide a transportation service from the main room to the Blues room (eg. a golf buggy). Ok it's only 1 minute walk - but it is across some gravelly bits - and some women were none to keen to go across in their dancing shoes (can't think why.....).

    That's about it......I wish Ware every success - I understand there might be tea dances to follow as well as other freestyles and a regular Tuesday night. I hope it continues and develops well.

    Last edited by JiveLad; 28th-April-2008 at 01:43 PM.

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    Re: Ware Priory freestyle

    I didn't go last Friday, but I will definitely be trying Ware at some point. The fact that it has a blues room is enough to warrant a visit as I can't stand the usual 'bang, bang' boring crap they play at Cheshunt.

    The fact that the two rooms are not connected sounds a bit of a drag. I won't be going if its raining.

    Does anyone know when the next one will be?

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    Re: Ware Priory freestyle

    Quote Originally Posted by JiveLad View Post
    One thing I enjoyed so much was the Blues Room - AT LAST! A Blues room where blues was played!! What a relief! It does what it says on the tin! I have been suggesting to some (eg. Ian at Chesham) that they could play more real blues in the Blues room.....and here it happened! So much more enjoyable than a normal blues room - there were songs with breaks and there was an authenticity about the songs. So thanks to Keith who was the DJ.
    I guess we have very different ideas on what is blues. Some swing is fine, but I disagree with the requirement for authenticity. Most of what I danced to in the blues room was too fast for me - if you like that sort of music, you're better off going to a swing freestyle. I much prefer the variety that we get from Rachel (or Marc at a push).

    You couldn't miss me on Friday, I was the only one wearing a loud shirt...

    Sean

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    Re: Ware Priory freestyle

    Quote Originally Posted by tsh View Post
    I guess we have very different ideas on what is blues. Some swing is fine, but I disagree with the requirement for authenticity. Most of what I danced to in the blues room was too fast for me - if you like that sort of music, you're better off going to a swing freestyle. I much prefer the variety that we get from Rachel (or Marc at a push).
    Well personally i think you are totally wrong what keith played was blues as in mainly guitar blues music of the st louis or chicago variety which is slightly more up beat

    as for the venue the hall and the night i think ware is exactly what cerocmetro needs
    It was up market with great floors in both rooms set in a beautiful location

    only two down sides for me one not enough people there and two the blues room was in a different building although it wasnt that far away
    Quote Originally Posted by tsh View Post
    You couldn't miss me on Friday, I was the only one wearing a loud shirt...
    Sean
    didnt see you either on friday sean are you sure you were there lol

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    Re: Ware Priory freestyle

    Quote Originally Posted by tsh View Post
    The floor in the main room didn't work for me either. I wasn't sure if it was plastic or wood, but it had a very heavy duty patterned varnish which meant it was fine to walk on, but pretty slippy to dance on. I like a fast floor, but this was just a bit too lifeless.
    Do you mean it had no "give"?
    Bit hard on the bones if it's not sprung.

    Quote Originally Posted by JiveLad View Post
    Sean -

    - And I missed saying "hello" to you......again....were you wearing a hat?
    Sean, were you wearing a hat at Chiswick in the "blues room"?

    Where is Ware?

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    Re: Ware Priory freestyle

    Quote Originally Posted by Astro View Post
    Do you mean it had no "give"?
    Bit hard on the bones if it's not sprung.
    i liked the floor and judging by most of the comments i heard it was most others did as well
    Quote Originally Posted by Astro View Post
    Where is Ware?
    About ten mins north of cheshunt on the a10

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    Re: Ware Priory freestyle

    Quote Originally Posted by Astro View Post
    Do you mean it had no "give"?
    Bit hard on the bones if it's not sprung.
    I couldn't tell if it was sprung (someone said it was), but it felt pretty hard all the same. I think what I noticed was more it's odd slipperyness, or that it was mostly very flat.
    Quote Originally Posted by Astro View Post

    Sean, were you wearing a hat at Chiswick in the "blues room"?
    Not this week, I was at Ware... It was me last week though.

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    Re: Ware Priory freestyle

    Quote Originally Posted by tsh View Post
    Not this week, I was at Ware... It was me last week though.
    We had a few dances!

    Thanks, very enjoyable.

    I had short blonde hair and I think I was blacked out, with blue trainers. (suede on the soles).

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    Re: Ware Priory freestyle

    I played a mixture of blues, smooth jazz and soul music. There was nothing above 130bpm and I didn't play any swing. If that was too fast, then I am very sorry. Anyway at least most people enjoyed it and they love me at Southport and Weston-Super-Mare. When you get all the best dancers and fellow DJs dancing and complimenting you on your music, then you know you are doing something right.

    I am not sure when the next one will be, but it may not be until June. The date penned in is the same night as Ashton's last night, so may be cancelled.

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    Re: Ware Priory freestyle

    Quote Originally Posted by PhotoArtist View Post
    I played a mixture of blues, smooth jazz and soul music. There was nothing above 130bpm and I didn't play any swing. If that was too fast, then I am very sorry. Anyway at least most people enjoyed it and they love me at Southport and Weston-Super-Mare. When you get all the best dancers and fellow DJs dancing and complimenting you on your music, then you know you are doing something right.
    .
    personally i think you did an awesome job on friday matey
    see you at cheshunt on friday?
    Last edited by martingold; 29th-April-2008 at 08:16 AM.

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    Re: Ware Priory freestyle

    Quote Originally Posted by martingold View Post
    personally i think you did an awesome job on friday matey

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    Re: Ware Priory freestyle

    Quote Originally Posted by PhotoArtist View Post
    I played a mixture of blues, smooth jazz and soul music. There was nothing above 130bpm and I didn't play any swing. If that was too fast, then I am very sorry. Anyway at least most people enjoyed it and they love me at Southport and Weston-Super-Mare. When you get all the best dancers and fellow DJs dancing and complimenting you on your music, then you know you are doing something right.
    Keith, I loved the music you played in the blues room, as I told you when I saw you at Berko on Sunday and when there were enough people in there it had a really good atmosphere. I am a real fan of Marc and Rachel’s blues room but it is also good to hear completely different music, no point in just having generic blues room music that would be really dull

    I thought the floor was just right but I have suede soles on my shoes may make a difference to how you perceive the floor. The blues room itself was beautiful but only practical for the summer because of the walk between rooms.

    Lastly Ceroc Metro needs to get their act together and advertise the blues room more for it to be a success.

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