Dance The Night Away
The clocks have gone back and it’s officially the start of British Summer Time. We all know what that heralds: it’s time to pack away your winter woolens and head out into the sun to reclaim your social life.
It’s not quite warm enough yet for spending whole evenings in the park, and festival season is still a way off – so what else is there to do but dust off your dancing shoes and head to some of the UK’s best dance parties?
Here’s a list of our favorite club nights across Britain.
1. White Heat @ The Lexington (London)
When Soho institution Madame JoJo’s was forced to close its doors in 2014, London club-goers panicked: would its flagship club night, White Heat, be biting the dust too? Thankfully not.
They’ve now taken up a Friday residency – or as they like to call it, “a gloriously sweaty, vodka-fuelled cesspit” – at Islington’s The Lexington. Expect dance floor filling indie, electro and live bands, and a die-hard crowd who travel from across the capital to bow down to this night’s superior offering.
Every Friday @ The Lexington: 96-98, Pentonville Rd, N1 9JB
Web: whiteheatmayfair.com
2. Pop @ The Deaf Institute (Manchester)
Billed as a night of “pop classics, booty-shaking smashers and guilty pleasures”, Pop is the shining light of The Deaf Institute’s monthly program.
A young, creative crowd dance to everything from 1980s electro to Beyoncé to 1990s R&B to power ballads, with resident DJ Damien Clique on the decks. To sweeten the deal, the first fifty people through the door receive a free cocktail.
Monthly @ The Deaf Institute: 135 Grosvenor Street, Manchester, M1 7HE
3. Smiths Disco @ The Star and Garter (Manchester)
This now-legendary night at The Star and Garter does exactly what it says on the tin: non-stop, wall-to-wall tunes from Morrissey and The Smiths.
It wears its geekdom on its sleeve, but the crowd are resoundingly cool, with the likes of Chloë Sevigny being spotted on the dance floor. At £5 entry, it’s a cheap night, and the Grade II listed Star and Garter is beautiful.
First Friday of the month @ The Star and Garter: 18-20 Fairfield Street, Manchester, M1 2QF
Web: starandgarter.co.uk
4. Pocket Aces @ Cabaret Voltaire (Edinburgh)
Nestled in the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town, Cabaret Voltaire attracts a distinctly indie crowd with its impressive roster of live bands (Mumford & Sons, Four Tet) and themed club nights.
Pocket Aces is one such night, a resplendent homage to all things house and disco. Head to the backroom for hip-hop, funk, soul, and garage, or dance the night away in the main room with Gasoline Dance Machine and Thunder Disco Club manning the decks.
Every Saturday @ Cabaret Voltaire: 36 Blair Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1QR Web: thecabaretvoltaire.com
5. Pop Confessional @ Thekla (Bristol)
Guilty pleasures is the name of the game at this pop-tastic night, hosted by Father Valentine Spinoza at Bristol’s famed floating venue.
With the likes of David Essex, Foreigner and Journey on the playlist, it’s an opportunity to embrace the uncool and dance like no one is watching. Which no one is – the heaving crowd is too busy having a great time.
And you know what they say: time flies when you’re having fun. Don’t expect to leave until the early hours.
Every Saturday @ Thekla: The Grove, East Mud Dock, Bristol, BS1 4RB
Web: theklabristol.co.uk
6. Unskinny Bop @ Star of Bethnal Green (London)
This east London stalwart (it’s been going for ten years) is billed as a night of disco dancing for “girls, gays and misfits” – the latter a slight misnomer, however, as it’s essentially one of the coolest nights in London.
A super-friendly indie crowd packs out the Bethnal Green boozer, as the resident DJs spin everything from Le Tigre to Gaga.
Monthly @ Star of Bethnal Green: 359 Bethnal Green Road, London E2 6LG
Web: unskinnybop.co.uk
