don't wear new white shoes to a drum'n'bass night

was in prague last weekend on the annual office outing [photos later]. on saturday night space had been reserved for us all in a bar in the old town, but a few of us had caught wind that london elektricity and hospital records were playing at a club a block away. so we snuck away as soon as decently possible and were rewarded with one of the best night's clubbing of our lives. footage here from the dancefloor

prague drum n bass 1 from steve collins on Vimeo.

and here from the balcony at 3.30am when we were taking a breather.

prague drum n bass 2 from steve collins on Vimeo.

the sound has come out pretty good for a phone vid so use your headphones or proper speakers not the tinny computer speakers. the intensity was unrelenting and amazing, as was the joy - none of the heaviness that can cloud these events, everyone was there for the music and the dancing. we danced for four hours without a break, drowning in sweat. our clothes were wrecked. our feet hurt for days afterwards. our heads are still buzzing.

these office events are as much divisive as uniting. you find you have little in common with people you have a good working relationship with. but you also discover [are given ;-) ] new alliances. a small group of us found a different trajectory through the weekend, in the city as well as the clubs. that saturday evening was an object lesson in belonging. i was ill at ease, as always, in the bar full of people getting drunk, and dancing to cheesy music. i watched the football to avoid socialising. i wondered why i felt threatened and antagonised by the pleasures of my friends. i was glad just to get out of there. minutes later, walking down the stairs of the old theatre towards the smoke and boom of the dancefloor, i was intensely happy and relaxed. i have the roadmap for these places in my head. "this is my church. this is where i heal my hurts." and the people who think me constrained, prim even, because i won't get drunk with them, never see the four hours of madness on the dancefloor.

Comments

[julie]

it is a happy thing to find heaven on earth - even for a few hours - your story made me very glad

[rebecca]

I can't see how anyone who's seen your left arm - or your right arm for that matter - could possibly describe you as "prim"!

(In case anyone is reading this who has never seen Steve at all, photos of his tattoo can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/5jt229 )

[cloudburst]

boh! boh!

=D

wicked. glad you had so much fun, i would too. have't been to a party like that, with that kind of vibe in probably over 10 years. :(