In all Brighton glamour we attended the “BootFair” music club at the Prince Albert pub last night. Instantly from outside we could hear a tinge of what sounded like Sledgehammer (not 100% on that one) squeezing its way out of the small window. Through the main doors and up the stairs we came to a packed out room full of rowdy charity shop fanatics. The night itself boasts on having an open music policy complete to the level where punters are encouraged to bring and play their own charity / boot fair records. Hopefully we won’t get any die hard RnB fans tonight! But nah… it results in a real eclectic mix of music and reactions when tracks change. The records sometime skip and sound a little beaten but that just adds to the quality and kitsch appeal of the event.
9:30 comes and the main attraction of the evening commences – the raffle! The raffle feels as if it could have been stolen from the line up of a Butlin’s adventure weekend but is delivered with so much panache that the crowd can’t help but to laugh and go along. Prizes this evening included:
Roller skates
That’s what I call music original LP
Operation game (batteries not included)
Walkman (batteries not included)
Retro tape deck
Small Casio Keyboard
Good / Evil Gremlin toy
Bike (brakes not working)
Transformers video (VHS)
Blue string puppet
Ugly Monster toy
At this point if you had attended the evening not to play but to just sit and drink all would change. As the raffle book makes its way round it’s hard to turn down the price of 50p throwing yourself in with a chance to win any 1 of the fantastic prizes. Honestly most the stuff here you probably would not go near with a big stick (maybe with shit on the end) on a normal shopping venture but the mix of booze and the concept of winning is just too hard to resist. In the end we gave in and splashed out for 2 tickets. As the items are called out; “That’s what I call music original LP” you thoroughly do want to win and you can see the excitement when people find they have the winning ticks. I felt cheated when my numbers did not come up!!!
The first half of the Raffle finished with a brief interlude of tracks such as Yazoo and Aphex Twin and the dance floors fills up with even more drunken punters. Stage 2 of the raffle hits bringing us to the star prize of the evening – The bike!! Who would not want to go to a pub and leave with a bike to drunkenly ride home? Sure, sure the thing does not have brakes and you’ll probably die but it’s just an instant seller. Some bastard won it and exchanged it for Operation at the end of the night. Pweft! Operation my arse!
Overall this night is different and a good laugh. On Sunday’s you have a choice, you can A) Got a pub quiz and get questions wrong about the size of African monkey penises or you can B) go to a pub drink and raffle away with like minded people. I think we all know which choice is the winner. Either way, a roast is always a good start and Sunday Groove at Above Audio seems to be sorting that right out.
The next Bootfair is on the 18th of December at the Prince Albert Xmas party hosted at the Concorde. Yes people the little night has sprouted and is moving on up. Come down, drink, laugh and join in!! but remember if you do win… the batteries will not be included.
Prince Albert Xmas Bash: http://www.concorde2.co.uk
Come on…… how much more Brighton can you get!!!
The Prince Albert
Currently no Website
48 Trafalgar Street
Brighton
BN1 4ED
Tel: 01273730499
fax: 01273730468
Words: Marek the Czech
on Oct 7th, 2008 at 10:15 pm
my balls hurt