12 hour Utopia freestyle!

[Cruella]

I see Utopia are running their first all night freestyle, Dusk til Dawn. 6pm til 6am! This will be an interesting night, it'll be like 3 freestyles in a row with 4 types of dancer. The early birds that will get there early and leave at bedtime (midnightish), the ones that like the usual freestyle times (8-1), those like me, that like to dance the early hours (12-6) and lastly Fletch, who will be there for the whole 12 hours!
I can't see many turning up at 6pm myself, but maybe that's just because it doesn't appeal to me to go dancing that early. I wonder if Rocky and Silverfox will have the stamina to keep going all night, I suspect they might need a helping hand
Thought I'd do a poll (cos I'm bored and waiting to leave for Southport) to see which time slot you are more likely to attend if you go to an all night freestyle.

[Double Trouble]

I used to go clubbing from 10pm til 5 or 6 in the morning, but that was 15 years ago and before I had a family to consider...not to mention an endless supply of stimulants to keep me going.

I suppose it all depends on what Utopia expect of their customers...are they trying to appeal to younger coke heads who can afford to do nothing for 2 days after an all nighter? Or, are they anticipating that, as Cruella says, people will come and go in phases, depending on their preferences?

Personally, I'd probably turn up about 9pm and leave at 2am. I suspect it will be quiet at the beginning and end of the evening.

[Gav]

Will it be like midnight at the oasis, but instead of pastries and sweets, a variety of stimulants?

Also, will there be a strange, silver-haired old flasher to give them out?

[Cruella]

I suppose it all depends on what Utopia expect of their customers...are they trying to appeal to younger coke heads who can afford to do nothing for 2 days after an all nighter? Or, are they anticipating that, as Cruella says, people will come and go in phases, depending on their preferences?

I suspect Rocky will say they want 'younger coke heads' just to disagree with me.
As this is likely to be held in London, because of the distance I need to travel, I would probably stay overnight and make it a long one. Probably arrive at 10ish and see if I could make it right through til 6am.
Although it would be a bit pointless booking a hotel as they usually kick out at 10!
I suspect if people were travelling a long way, unless they had another dancer to stay with, they might have leave alot earlier than they would like.

[dave the scaffolder]

Where and when is this then?

Oh promoted one.

DTS XXX XXX

[Cruella]

Where and when is this then?

Oh promoted one.

DTS XXX XXX

Saturday 22nd November. I have no idea where, as it hasn't been announced yet.
I'm sure Rocky will say more, when he knows. (He normally doesn't even wait til he knows )
Hey Rocky, do I get free entry for helping with the promotion?

[tsh]

If it's going to take up that much time, might as well make it a weekender. Put blueshoes and CJ on the decks and I might be interested though.

[StokeBloke]

Twelve hours of UTOPIA all through the night! Count me in!! Even if it's London way I will have change from Twirlie Bird's "never longer on the road than on the floor" rule

Once it's all officially confirmed (date/location/etc) we'll have to see if we can fill a couple of cars. I'm sure that won't be a problem, the dancers in the West Midlands are crying out for quality dancing. And when it comes to quality, twelve hours of UTOPIA led by the originals themselves





Note: If you travel in my car you will NOT be leaving early - so don't ask to

[Rocky]

What might help you to know Cru is that we are doing phased entry, but only on two levels as it gets way to difficult from an administrative point of view to do any more (and yes you can have free entry if you arrive after the classes at 8pm and dance to every single track until 6am...)

The main price is £16 and that would include two fabulous 45min classes at the beginning of the evening with those legendary Blues Champions Val and David () and allows you entry from 5.45pm right up until 6am - basically with that entry you arrive when you like and leave when you like. (There are some comfy sofas at the venue and you may want to come early to bags them for later when you may require a power nap.)

Then there is the later entry from 12.30am that obviously gives 5.5 hours of freestyle up until 6am, but does not allow entry before that time.

Like with all these things we weighed up many factors and of course we accept that we will never please everyone, but here is the rationale behind the thinking;

We mentioned an all nighter on the forum some time ago and the overwhelming feedback was that people were interested, and to some degree, even moist at the prospect. The original plan was Ashtons, but having paid for all the material and rigging equipment to decorate the place the buggers go and codemn it to the scrap heap. Since then we've been trying to find a venue, but more partucularly a venue for a Saturday night (because that is what the feedback on the forum suggested) to run all night - and they are just very few and far between; hence the delay.

In addition when we have run our extended nights at Ashtons in the past we have still had over 80 people left in the room at closing time - and at 3.30am in the morning that was encouraging.

Then enter The Dance Junction at Rochester, a fabulous purpose built venue with an amazing maple wood dance floor and a warm and cosy bar and lounge area.

Virginia was also keen for us to help to encourage more people into Blues/COZ dancing in her area, so the idea was born. The beginning part of the evening includes 2 classes, starts early and is obvioulsy aimed at people trying to find their feet a little - we would also expect these people to leave by around midnight.

Then, from about 10pm or 11pm onwards we expect the 'hardcore Utopians' to arrive and although the cost is still £16 at that time, if you arrive at 10pm that equates to 8 hours of freestyle - so we still think that's represents good value for money.

Then we have the later lower price entry after 12.30am, which gives 5.5 hours of freestyle - this, we assume, will let people have a good kip before coming out and/or would accomodate people arriving after having been to an earlier dance event.

We really just looked at it as a weekender night. Some arrive early and go early, and some stay in bed until 10pm have a bite to eat and then dance until dawn and beyond. So it should be do-able as long as people are sensible about travel arrangements etc. which is why we are announcing it with plenty of notice.

Flyers with more information will be available at TWISTED next Saturday and full info should go on the main UTOPIA site in the next week or so.

I think it's exciting and to my belief I think it's the first ever UK Blues/COZ all nighter!

[dave the scaffolder]

Twelve hours of UTOPIA all through the night! Count me in!! Even if it's London way I will have change from Twirlie Bird's "never longer on the road than on the floor" rule

Once it's all officially confirmed (date/location/etc) we'll have to see if we can fill a couple of cars. I'm sure that won't be a problem, the dancers in the West Midlands are crying out for quality dancing. And when it comes to quality, twelve hours of UTOPIA led by the originals themselves





Note: If you travel in my car you will NOT be leaving early - so don't ask to

Stay at mine if you like my lover.

DTS XX XXX

[Cruella]

Then enter The Dance Junction at Rochester, a fabulous purpose built venue with an amazing maple wood dance floor and a warm and cosy bar and lounge area.:

Aha! Now it all makes sense It does look a fab venue and back in my home county! So I can do the family visits at the same time! One question for you Rocky, if we have the all night tickets, can we come and go if we are staying nearby and want to leave for food or power nap (or whatever )?

[David Bailey]

those legendary Blues Champions Val and David

Cor, they sound good, they do - are they like that legendary Blues Champion Howard Temple? Or even better?

[TA Guy]

I suspect there will be loads of people able to dance the whole 12 hours, it used to amaze me how many managed to dance the whole (not completely non-stop obviously) of the old 24 hour marathons. And that wasn't at somewhat slower Utopia pace, that was at full tilt 125-130bpm+.

I love these longer freestyles. There should be more.

[Rocky]

Aha! Now it all makes sense It does look a fab venue and back in my home county! So I can do the family visits at the same time! One question for you Rocky, if we have the all night tickets, can we come and go if we are staying nearby and want to leave for food or power nap (or whatever )?

Hadn't thought about that, but yes, good idea. We'll give a stock of re-entry wrist bands to the door staff so anyone wishing to leave the venue can have one put on before going. Food wise, we are also hoping to have a food van parked oustide all night so that people can get some grub as they need it and the all important bacon butty at 6am!

[Rocky]

I suspect there will be loads of people able to dance the whole 12 hours, it used to amaze me how many managed to dance the whole (not completely non-stop obviously) of the old 24 hour marathons. And that wasn't at somewhat slower Utopia pace, that was at full tilt 125-130bpm+.

I love these longer freestyles. There should be more.

We will also be having regular phases of more upbeat music at around 120 BPM throughout the night to give people a lift, so with a bit of pacing dancers shouldn't find themselves lulled into dreamland. I wonder if anyone has actually fallen asleep whilst dancing with someone else in a slow blues cuddle?!

[robd]

Where's the option for 'I'll do any slot that will take me' ?

[Rocky]

Where's the option for 'I'll do any slot that will take me' ?

Ahh... the SilverFox brown standard entry..

[Filthy Monkey]

Twelve hours of UTOPIA all through the night! Count me in!! Even if it's London way I will have change from Twirlie Bird's "never longer on the road than on the floor" rule

I'm sure there'll be something on somewhere nearby on the Friday so you can make a weekend of it and get around Twirlie's travel rules. That's the joy of dancing on London!!

I wonder if there will be a tea dance on the boat on the Sunday? Dance overload!

[Rocky]

Cor, they sound good, they do - are they like that legendary Blues Champion Howard Temple? Or even better?

Similar, but shorter and unencumbered by hattery..

[Dreadful Scathe]

Similar, but shorter and unencumbered by hattery..

ppfffffffft