I HATE CLUBBING

Clubbing! It's something you grow out of!

as regards Bridge and Tunnel, I suppose I am the archetypal Bridge and Tunneler. started when I was 16, travelling thorguh bridges and tunels on the train to london from my beloved CommuterTown home in search of the bright lights of Gilles Peterson et al. carried on doing so until this day, except i have moved to london recently, so i guess i can't keep on calling myself that.

But really, central london is full of people travelling in to go out cos there isnt so much good nightlife further out of zone 1. if you are presented with the nightlife opportunities of say, Hemel Hempstead (viz. Visage and Ethos at leisureworld), then a trip to london seems pretty attractive.

to be honest, if you move to eg. clerkenwell, which has fabric, turnmills, fluid, lifthouse etc. then you have to think before you move there: "hmmmm loads of bars/nightclubs here, maybe better move somewhere quieter".
Is it not like moving to Gillespie Road and complaining that every Saturday loads of Arsenal fans come down, piss in gardens, leave litter everywhere, make loads of noise etc etc?

In other words, just like the Hippies, Mods, etc. I don't think young people *today* will be remembered for clubbing -- maybe the late '80s lot. But not us. i mean, people still listen to psychedelic music, punk music -- but that won't define the early naughties either.

Well, the purpose of the music comes out of the context, and the of the subculture we're talking about was retrogressive-escapist. Although the music doesn't *have* to be used for that (oh no rules oh no) these are interesting times to be completely ignoring.

Enrique OTM. This "it's all about the music, fuck the politics" attitude is half the reason i'm against it. Not that I'm saying we should stop having fun and start listening to Billy Bragg and RATM, of course, but it would be nice to think that my generation had a bit more "umph" to it, especially in this political climate. Maybe clubbing is a backlash against the whole "Generation X" thing. Even recently abandoned style/social movements like Grunge were non-conformist to an extent. Club culture is the antipathy of this - it's about spending money on fashion, spending money on door and coat tariffs, spending money on drink and cocaine. The most rebellious/dangerous thing about clubbing is the obligatory after hours brawl that ensues whether you like it or not.

Essentially the above reads to me like "the kids nowadays drink too much and it's all just grab grab grab, and then fights too!".

I was shocked and surprised as a freshman to see how rife the "blahblahblah I'm not listening" attitude amongst my peers. I don't think I ever had one decent deep-n-meaningful* with anyone within the three years I was there. Students either got angry, questioned why I was trying to get "all clever" on them or just acted plain bored if ever anything came up. This attitude seemed to be exponential with the popularity of club culture, and ironic cheesy discos. It wasn't cool to be interested, or to rebel, or to be non-conformist anymore.

*not as in "oh dear, my boy/girlfriend's dumped me, what do I do?" deep-n-meaningful. The other kind.

Yes, to an extent.

This is a few years ago -- now I think about subcultures and while I do prefer acid house/house etc to punk/mod *music*, I also think it's a dismal reflection of the aspirations of people my age. I know how much that's likely to get pissed on by standard-issue ILX science [narrow definition of politics' -- I KNOW, I'm not STUPID, but sometimes, the day after a major right-wing success, for example, one needs a little focus), but fuck it, that's how it seems to me.

MDC -- do expand.

But surely clubbing is the most conservative (small 'c') ideal. Clubbers want it to stay this way forever. Dressing differently or listening to alternative music are frowned upon. It's all about what Posh Spice is up to or what happened on Big Brother last night - the most moronic shit imaginable designed for a nation of dozers who find watching another bunch of dozers really fun. I don't understand the point in listening to cheesy music just because it's ironic - I'd rather listen to something good. But as a student, it was the cheese nights that won out, not the alternative nights or the proper dance nights. Right I've forgotten what I was saying now... this is confusing, I'm sorry...

It's been two and a half years since I graduated and maybe the student climate has changed, but there are plenty of students and early-20s folk in my area, most of whom couldn't give a shit about their current climate.

http://www.mk002b5731.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/images/albums_westendgirls_mixes.jpg

You can't blame acid house for that!

Mind you I think your Big Brother dissing is a bit clichéd, it never ceases to baffle me how people suggest that watching actual people in realtime is somehow more moronic in principle than watching made up stories played out by actors?

Of course neither are moronic but if we're in the business of breaking things down to the brass tacks and gawping "it's just PEOPLE. IN A HOUSE" then I'm unsure Big Brother appears the silliest thing on TV, or the most idiotic.

On the contrary Big Brother strikes me as something of natural interest to anyone! I'm amazed it's become such a scapegoat for "something or other", from the same vaguely anti-capitalist people.