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| Unleaded |
Date:
Friday 17th October 2003
Address: Ether, Church Square, Taunton
Occurrence: Monthly
Hours: 9pm - 2am
Ticket
Price: £7
Genre:
Hard house / Funky house
Dress
Code: Anything goes
Capacity:
650 |
| Listings Info:
Click
Here |
| Pictures:
Click
Here |
Room One: Tidy
Boys, Mi$$ Divine, Chris Ventura
Room Two: Hosted by offitsface.com
with Neil Roberts, Fez n' Skinny, Gibbsy and Bertie |
In 1999, Unleaded fuel
was introduced as a cheaper, fresher alternative
to that nasty boring, leaded stuff, which had been
around forever. “That’s nice!?”,
I hear you cry! Well, it is. As it means we now
save a bit of money, breath fresher air, and still
have what we need to spin about with our tunes on
full blast and impress the ladies (or the boys -
whichever we fancy). In January 2003, Unleaded,
the club night, was introduced. As a cheaper, fresher
alternative to the somewhat tired and uninspired
nightlife of the South West. It saved us money,
was a breath of fresh air, and we still have what
we need to spin around the dance floor to some top
class DJs, whilst impressing no-one in particular
(although it does feel kinda good!)
I ventured to Unleaded with the same expectations
I had when using Unleaded petrol for the first time.
Which were admittedly non-existent. Despite living
a stone’s throw from Unleaded’s primary
venue Ether for the past 8 months, I’d heard
nothing about it and was oblivious to it being anything
more than a ‘café.bar.restaurant’
during the day, as announced in the window. I ventured
there of an evening for the sole reason that some
fellow clubbing website acquaintances were hosting
room 2 and I didn’t much fancy a ‘ Friday
Night with Jonathon Woss’!
Ether was a surprise. It fits neatly into the back
of an old town house building and is a perfect example
of how deceptive appearances can be. Pale, modest
and Edwardian on the outside, Ether becomes satisfyingly
dark, contemporary and underground on the inside.
Entering the main room is a bit like going into
Aladdin’s cave. From the dingy, cobbled passageway
outside, you don’t know quite what to expect.
But once you’re met with the buzz of the crowd
and the strobed, euphonious glow reaching out from
the DJ booth, you feel almost as though you’ve
discovered hidden treasure! The decor is pretty
basic; with bare brickwork, web effect drapes and
chunky metal bars, but far from looking half-finished,
this creates an almost mystical atmosphere, in a
league of its own.
As for the crowd, this consisted of no stereotypes
whatsoever, which I always find refreshing in a
club. We got talking to two tattooed, middle-aged
biker types, who with the energy and spirit of revelers
half their age, spent the entire night jumping up
and down, waving their hands in the air with the
best (and worst) of them! Then a couple of dedicated
young Tidy fans just back from the Tidy Weekender
in North Wales, who possibly knew more about the
Tidy Boys than the Tidy Boys themselves! In room
two, a coach-load of funky house lovers from Cardiff
could be found bouncing off of walls, the DJ box
(and each other). One of them even dived through
the drapes behind the DJ box, in a classic ‘You’ve
Been Framed’ style fall, which got a laugh
from me, even if nobody else seemed to notice! Local
press suggests that up to 80% of Ether’s regulars
come from outside the locality*, which is a sure
indicator of the success and draw of the nights
there. And, as it’s clear that everyone is
welcome (there is no dress code), Unleaded do well
not to alienate any of their potential audience.
Despite being met with a false fire alarm halfway
through the night and being temporarily flung out
onto the street outside for 20 minutes, the lure
of the Unleaded ambience was enough to ensure the
entire crowd stayed put and partied hard until the
finish. Although ending much earlier than most clubs
I am used to, I was actually glad that Unleaded
wrapped up here, as it guaranteed the night ended
on a high and was sure-fire way to leave punters
craving what the next event has to offer. And apparently
it’s going to be more popular then ever!
Unleaded promoter BJ, describes the night as ‘revitalising,
fresh and different’. I agree. And, just like
the fuel of the same name, I think it’s the
best thing around to get you moving! - Figure taken
from the Taunton Times, 30th October 2003 |
Venue: 7
Music: 7
Crowd: 7
Sound System: 7
Total: 28 / 40
Rating: Silver Award |
| Review written by:
Pam Thomas |
pammy@uk-cl.co.uk |
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