Feedback on Club nights

[LMC]

Sunday Nights at Chigwell

Where's that, asked a central London forumite earlier. It's Essex innit - but inside the M25, not far from Theydon Bois/Epping.

Chigwell (Ceroc Metro) venue is in the David Lloyd leisure centre. If you don't know where it is, it is a b***h to get to, and the walk from reception to the dance studio will warm you up nicely. Plenty of parking, but getting out of the carpark was entertaining because all the one way arrows were pointing towards a dead end. (Follow the other cars... honestly, anyone would think I'm blonde.) BTW WB, we tgok the scenic route back to the M25 - sorry, but glad I managed a bit of seat-of-pants navigation to get us back on track rather than having to turn around and get lost again!

Anyhow, once actually in the venue...

It's a dance studio, so the floor is lovely, fully sprung, not too slippy or sticky and clean. Think there were about 120 people there - reasonable amount of space and thinned out considerably by about 10 pm. The studio is air-conditioned, but the a/c couldn't quite cope with the numbers. The temperature was fine with the doors open but I suspect this venue will be a sweaty one in the the summer months.

Music - Robin's, so excellent

Teacher Tony encourages people to introduce themselves in the class line, but despite his frequent reminders to let the guys lead, just about every woman backled me through the intermediate class . He and his demo stayed and danced with people all evening. The standard of dancing is generally not that high. That's not hot-shotism, it's true. The venue numbers dropped to a drastic low until Tezi took over management sometime in the last half of last year IIRC - so it is a credit to the insistence on a friendly environment and Robin's music that the numbers are up to such good levels now. Floorcraft is not bad, considering - I've been bumped far more at Finchley.

Water is free from the fountain outside. The bar is excellent, very comfortable - a good place to cool down with a drink for 20 minutes when the night has ended.

On the whole, a nice change for a Sunday night and I will almost certainly go back - but probably not on a regular basis at the moment.

[WittyBird]

BTW WB, we tgok the scenic route back to the M25 - sorry, but glad I managed a bit of seat-of-pants navigation to get us back on track rather than having to turn around and get lost again!..

I noticed but you did an excellent job!

Anyhow, once actually in the venue...
It's a dance studio, so the floor is lovely, fully sprung, not too slippy or sticky and clean. ..

Great venue *diary note agreed with LMC*

Music - Robin's, so excellent

Absolutely **and again**

The standard of dancing is generally not that high. That's not hot-shotism, it's true..

No Sh1t Sherlock I didn't think there was a 'standard'

The bar is excellent, very comfortable - a good place to cool down with a drink for 20 minutes when the night has ended..

Best bit of the evening IMHO was our catch up afterwards

On the whole, a nice change for a Sunday night and I will almost certainly go back - but probably not on a regular basis at the moment.

[LMC]

Milton Keynes (well, Bletchley)

The venue, Wilton Hall, is a bit of a bu**er to find, but roads/roundabouts are well labelled/signed, so not as bad as, for instance, Chigwell (put it this way, I didn't get lost this week!). Plenty of parking, and the hall is lovely, with a good floor and a full bar set back from the dance floor - a real chill out zone. Ceroc runs there on Wednesdays IIRC, and there is a tea dance every 3 months or so - 5.30 pm to 10.30 pm (lesson at 5.45, then freestyle all the way). Unusually for a tea dance, tea/coffee and cake are not free. But the water is - plenty of jugs on the bar.

Plenty of room on the floor and some lovely dancers - a few familiar faces from other venues, think the tea dances get lots of visitors. WB and I got told off by someone for sitting on "their chairs" - 'Our stuff is there'. Since they didn't sit down on said chairs after we'd moved, I found that exceedingly odd! Otherwise, everyone was just lovely - the last tea-dance I went to at this venue was one of the friendliest events I've ever been to - and this one was just as good, no problems getting a dance and some nice chats with people I've not met before.

DJ was Dave Archer and he played some unusual tracks which was nice. A lot of fast tracks, but the music would have been good overall, except that many of the tracks seemed to be played at odd speeds and there was WAY too much bass. On everything.

Unfortunately, although less than 40 miles from home, it takes an hour for me to get to Bletchley through Luton and Dumpstable (is there anywhere grimmer?). So Wednesday nights are out, but as the venue is wonderful and there is a good 4 hours freestyle after the lesson, the tea dances here are definitely worth the effort. If the music had been better, then I would be really sad that these events are so infrequent - as it is, I had a lovely night, will almost certainly go to and enjoy the next one - but once every three months is plenty.

[azande]

[B] snip ...many of the tracks seemed to be played at odd speeds and there was WAY too much bass. On everything.

...
There's a certain something missing that the treble can't erase
I know you can tell just by looking at my face
A word about my weakness
I'm totally addicted to bass
Wow woah ho
Totally addicted to bass
Wow woah ho
...

[WittyBird]

WB and I got told off by someone for sitting on "their chairs"

Nah not I surely I was home alone drinking cocoa all night

[LMC]

Bow

A relatively new venue, so the numbers are fewish (and it empties out quite early) and the average standard beginnerish. But it is a credit to Dan and Russ's teaching and the standard of the review classes ( taxis) that I enjoyed every single dance I had last night. Even the bouncy hand one, which was not down to Dan and Russ - because I know the guy concerned has been intermediate for longer than I have - so I followed the lead (and it was bloody knackering, thanks for the lovely dance straight afterwards Dan )

The venue is on the first floor of Jongleurs, which seems to be a leisure complex? - about 15 mins walk from Mile End (there are buses). The room has a full bar and there is a bar and food served downstairs (as mentioned on the Bow thread). Can't comment on food quality, but did gulp a bit at £1.60 for a bottle of water - still better than warm eau de tap from Ashtons though.

The floor is nice, although possibly a little sticky round the edges? - might just have been my shoes. And Eric the DJ played a very good set, MOR-ish but of a variety and quality well above the standard of many other MOR sets I've heard. The room itself is not large (Berko size probably), and the layout is not ideal from the point of view of people seeing the teacher/demo - the stage is on one of the "long sides" which means shorter and more rows, with the end ones frequently having their backs to the stage. This results in some leads following what the teacher is saying, not watching what the teacher is doing and therefore jumping ahead... sorry - seriously, if it can be done without making a big deal of it, it might be worth making sure that first-timer guys are in the middle rows directly in front of the stage so they can always see.

Best of all, it's a very friendly venue - perfect in many ways for the first-timer from my office who came along with me (and naughtily insisted on doing the intermediate class, because she's done salsa and ceroc is easy in comparison 'cos there's no footwork - I did try ). And the numbers of followers and leaders were relatively even - a few extra women (of course) but not so many as to make getting dances stressful.

Bad bits?
The chippie (proper English fish'n'chips) noted on the way to the venue was closed on the way back to the tube

Missing my train and not getting home until 1.45 am - will definitely be back to Bow, but will have to skip the last two or three tracks next time sorry folks.

Overall - a venue with potential to become really really special - but hopefully not too special, or it'll be overcrowded . Only 10-15 minutes from Bank on the Central line, well worth the trip

[Russell Saxby]

Bowfirst-timer from my office who came along with me (and naughtily insisted on doing the intermediate class, because she's done salsa and ceroc is easy in comparison 'cos there's no footwork - I did try ).

I will let you off.... Grace has bags of potential she just needs whipping into shape... any volunteers or does this job sit with me

[Paul F]

All the way home from St. Neots tonight I was thinking "Should I post a review, should I post a review". It then occurred to me that maybe I was asking myself the wrong question. Maybe I should have been asking myself (i talk to myself a lot ) "Am I able to post a review?"
I mused about whether it would be fair for me to post a review given that I am spoiled by the Jango's, Funky Lush's and WCS events of this world.
I wondered whether it would be fair that, because of this exposure to 'non-usual ceroc stuff' nights I would not really be the type of person they would look to attract.

Then I thought sod it so apologies for any blatant contradictions or complete changes in direction.

GOOD POINTS
Nice venue. Tidy, clean venue with plenty of nearby parking.

Decent floor. Not the best but certainly not the worst. Level surface with no holes (from what i could see). Medium to fast in my flattened suede soles.

Good layout inside. Fair few tables just inside the entrance. This possibly added to the problem below of overcrowding but it did give people places to sit and even stand without directly interfering with the dancers (ooer!)

A nice light machine at the corner of the dancefloor.

Video projection of various things onto the stage back wall. Pointless but its something different.

People. Really nice people. On the point of people I want to say a HUGE thankyou to all the forumites (and non) who I had a chance to chat to tonight. It was the first time I had actually got to chat to a couple of people and I have to say it was worth the drive just to chat to you We really do have some of the best people in our little dancing world
and a for the boys

Nice bar and nice staff. Friendly, courteous and efficient. Top marks.


BAD POINTS
n.b. saving major rant to the end

Stage Lighting. There were 2 lighting units sitting at the back of the stage pointing directly into the eyes of the dancers dancing in the vacinity. The one time I risked it I simply could not see. Flashing lights right in the eyes is NOT a good idea.

Overcrowded. Too many of the really nice people.

Floorcraft. If one more of the really nice people backed into me, shoved me or generally walked right in front of me they would have been treating really nice people in the local hospital. People doing dips and drops on a totally packed floor. I hate it. Not as much as the big rant at the end of this post but I hate it.





Ok, lets not beat around the bush any longer.


MUSIC

(this is a long one so be prepared)

Its often said that its difficult being a Ceroc/MJ DJ. It is often said that DJs will judge the floor and play to the current conditions/dancers.
These are things I realise and will contemplate towards the end of this wee section.
First I will give my opinion as a dancer then I will look at it from the DJs point of view so hold your fire.

There is a modern phrase that has been coined that goes something like
"Same s**t, different day" when referring to mundane repetative work.
I will sum the music up tonight by using a re-work of this oft' used phrase.

"Same set, different building"

The music tonight was the most uninspiring, lifeless, mundane, repetative load of rubbish I have heard in a long time. If it wasnt for the lovely people there I would have stayed all of 20 minutes. As it was I gave it until 12:10am until I gave up.
Maybe I am being harsh. Let me give you a flavour of some of the audible pleasantries to eminate from yonder speakers (mixture of titles, artists or lyrics. Couldnt be bothered looking them up):

Starlight - Supermen lovers
Mavericks - dance the night away
Safri Duo - bongo song
Barry white - First, last, my everything
? - I love the rainy nights
? - Spirit in the sky

Interspersed between these beauties were some of the most tired, worn out tracks heard in MJ venues for the past 10 years. However it doesnt stop there!!
Along with these masterpieces we got an barrel load of banging nighclub (house) tracks. No essence for motivation or dance discovery here. Oh no. A couple of times the DJ even slipped in one of the things I hate more than anything......
stitched tracks - one into the other Shackled to your partner for another 3 minutes. Luckily the times he did this I was enjoying my dances but you're not always that lucky.

What im trying (badly) to get at is that the set played tonight could have been the exact same set that was played in Milton Keynes, Manchester, Cardiff or Slough. Same set, same tracks, different building.
Oh, apart from 11:55pm and 12:04am the latter of which he played a samba track which was challenging but people were smiling while having a go rather than just going through the motions. It was something different.

I had hoped that was the start of the final half hour of interesting music. I was wrong. Right back after we were right back to the thump-thump-thump of the emotionless nightclub music.

OK. now you can disregard everything I have just said because it is obviously a load of crap why?

The night was packed,
The floor was packed,
I have different requirements for what I want to hear at a venue,
Im a picky git,
Ceroc central made lots of lovely dosh


Obviously I am wrong to criticise this DJ(s). The floor was heaving all night. The people who were there must have loved it and I am talking out of my somethings.
I realise this is an issue that has plagued DJs all over the land but, in this case, why not save some cash and stick a cd in a player. Voila! Music all night long. Why read the floor when you can just play what is played over and over and over and over again.

Whats my solution? At least try a few tracks that are not usually played - even if it is just 3 in a whole night. A few different genres. On the way home there was a song on the radio as I was thinking about this post. It had the line "Owner of a lonely heart". Not a favourite song of mine but I listened to it and thought, "yeah" why not play this. It is strict tempo. Its not exactly a challenging song but its just something a little different than bloody kylie, buble et al.
How long did it take me to come up with a possible inclusion into tonights ridiculous playlist - about 2 seconds.

Bottom line:
Great people but I wont be going back. Dont think it will worry too many people but this is just MY opinion.

[Paul F]

I cannot identify versions, but I can remember dancing to "Smooth operator", "Beautiful", nu-tango tracks and "Sweet home Alabama". We have a few MJ'ers that do Tango along to the regular classes, including the venue organiser, and we get one or two MJ'able tango'able tracks in the normal set, and often a nice Tango as the "coats on" track, with 5 pairs Tangoing to it on one ocassion.

I will print the list and pass it on - without its source - and hopefully post his reaction Friday.

I left at 12:10am. Im afraid that unless all these unusual, moderately played tracks came on in the last 20 minutes I find your overview of past nights is in no way comparable to what I heard toinight.

At this rate the lovely people of st. neots and surrounds (and woking) will be dancing to the same tracks year in, year out.

[Paul F]

AND (not finished yet)

What happened to a certain Senorita? I was looking forward to my dances.

I hope it wasn't your back. If it was, get well soon

[ChrisA]

The music tonight was the most uninspiring, lifeless, mundane, repetative load of rubbish I have heard in a long time.

At least it wasn't slightly more tango-y (just as a one-off) than usual, Paul, you had a lucky escape there....

[tsh]

All the way home from St. Neots tonight I was thinking "Should I post a review, should I post a review".

Thanks... I was starting to wonder it it was just me. I am not particularly good at reccognising a 'good' set, I just notice when the music isn't interesting - but it's nice to see it's not just me.

I very nearly said 'don't bother, it'll be too busy' but I thought that might be alittle unfair, since I've not even been there for a while. The problem is, that's the best it gets round here - hence I'll be trecking over to Oxford tonight, I think...

Sean

[TheTramp]

St. Neots
MUSIC

I've been to the Friday night freestyle a couple of times this year. And totally agree with everything that PaulF said.

The music has been totally uninspiring. I've not got anything against a number of "classics" being played - it's what a lot of the people want. But there has to be something (surely) for people who want something more. Just the occasional challenging, different track played.

However, given that so many people are turning up, then yes, the floor will be full. It'd be hard NOT to fill the floor. People go to dance, so given the two options, dance to the usual stuff, or sit out, then people will dance.

But, the people are lovely, and I've had acceptable nights there because of the people, rather than the dance-ability of the night.

Oh, and I got to meet Senorita!

[Tazmanian Devil]

All the way home from St. Neots tonight I was thinking "Should I post a review, should I post a review". It then occurred to me that maybe I was asking myself the wrong question. Maybe I should have been asking myself (i talk to myself a lot ) "Am I able to post a review?"

The night was packed,
The floor was packed,
I have different requirements for what I want to hear at a venue,
Im a picky git,
Ceroc central made lots of lovely dosh

O.K here goes with my version (it won't be a book as Paul has said the most of it) To which I whole heartedly agreed with.


It took 2hours 15 mins for us to get there, I would love to say that it was worth the jorney but I can't I even kept dosing off on the way back instead of being alert and keeping Dirty D company Sorry darling This is very unusual as normally on the way back we both rant about great dances had and music quality etc etc which makes the jorney go quicker.

Aside from getting to know a couple of forumites better and meeting a few others that is!!

The music in my opinion was awful there was 2 great tracks in 8-10.

Two what seemed to be intermediate classes (the first one certainly wasn't a beginners class, well not unless they have changed the moves list since thursday )

Good points: - meeting forumites I had yet to meet
-Getting to know forumites better (through having opportunity to chat)
-Them very few good dance tracks that were played (as I managed to get the best dancers to dance them with)
- The first class (one particular move )
-Parking great

Bad points: - Music
- Tooo Packed
- Checking out todays brusies
- People walking straight through the middle of the dance floor I hate it

[Lory]

The music tonight was the most uninspiring, lifeless, mundane, repetative load of rubbish I have heard in a long time.

You should have come out with me last night, I went 'muggle' dancing with a couple of friends and believe me, my night was worse!

The music was the same set as I used to dance to 20years ago There was no such thing as floor craft at all and they only have to be aware of their OWN bodies!

Half the people were so legless that they were just staggering around (or maybe thats just their style? )

I came home stinking of smoke! I'd completely forgotten how discusting smoke filled air is.

I did have a little giggle to myself though, some of the dancing was so BAAD it was very entertaining! *smug smiley*

So there, I hope you all feel a lot better now!

[WittyBird]

So there, I hope you all feel a lot better now!

Can't be as bad as mine believe me
Went to Cheshunt last night
Had 1 bloke try to kiss me after dancing with me which came as quite a shock
Had another who I thought was having a fit whilst I was dancing with him very odd.
Although the music was good it wasn't up to the usual standard

Oh well Hammersmith tonite

[Andy McGregor]

..agreeing with PaulF about St Neots ...

Been once, great people, great venue, tired music, won't be back.

And, I did hear that the DJ reacts badly if you suggest he plays something different.

[Andy McGregor]

Had 1 bloke try to kiss me

Slow night ...

[WittyBird]

Slow night ...

Well, now you come to mention it

[Cruella]

All the way home from St. Neots tonight I was thinking "Should I post a review, should I post a review".

Blimey, i'm glad you did, you put it all so well!!

Oh, apart from 11:55pm

I was lucky enough to be dancing with you at this time.
I posted about the night on a different thread so have copied it onto here.

St Neots (cringe Smiley) The music was dreadful, thump thump thump! The women predatory! I stood in disbelief watching a large number of women running onto the dance floor and grabbing men before they had even taken a breath after the previous dance! So crowded ( but was warned of this). A good floor though, lovely and fast. Thank heavens for Dirty D, PaulF, Dave Hancock, LittleEm, Taz and Robd. If you guys hadn't been there it would have been awful but the laughs and dances meant it wasn't a wasted journey. Paul, Dwain we'll have to practice the Tales of the Unexpected styling next time. xx