Photo by Marek Richter

Looking for the proverbial good night out: Online listings for Brighton

Looking for the right night out in Brighton can be a daunting task if you don’t keep at least one finger permanently on the pulse of our flier-choked, free mags o’ plenty city. To stay abreast, I have several fail-proof methods that have become part of my daily routine.

1. Pick up monthly copies of Juice and Source and leave scattered on bedroom floor.

2. Stroll through the North Laine and take every single flier handed to me.

3. Check emails 15 times at work for any reminders of nights I wanted to go to but have forgotten about.

4. Check the texts I perhaps ignored from friends asking if I’m going out to said night.

Generally, regular clubbers will know their favourite nights’ established cycles – for me, it’s probably Supercharged on Wednesdays and Slackers, Positive, and Flawless once a month.

But I don’t always want to go to the same nights and there are plenty of great one-off events that leap into the fray. For instance, it’s Wednesday, I’ve been to Supercharged enough times guarantee my soul in the next lifetime as a pair of Krafty Kuts Technics (yeah yeah, he doesn’t bring his own decks, take a joke) and I just want to experience something different. There are also the times when an old friend comes down on a Saturday and NOTHING normally deemed good seems to be on. What do you do?

First off, you’ve obviously checked the Fusion homepage, which lists most, if not all, of the quality nights to attend for the week. If you’re feeling energetic, you could run out to your local newsagent and pick up some of the other sources of listings such as: Rocks Magazine, Latest 7, the Argus if you’re really desperate…

But it’s Friday, and there’s nothing listed on Fusion (first choice) and your dog has just eaten your July issue of the Source and you have 1 hour to scour the pages online. What next?

Here is a sample, albeit not comprehensive by any means, of the different online resources you could try. I can’t promise they’ll deliver the goods, but like any smart party person, you’ll know that it’s always good to get as many options for the evening as possible. Especially when you’re at a work do and someone drunkenly insists on Casablanca’s. Get my drift?

Here are the sites, listed in order of comprehensiveness & ranked.

GO HERE FIRST

Ent’s24 www.ents24.com/ UK wide site, but fucking hell, I was impressed upon first visit. Everything for everyone – house, electro, deep house, hip hop, 70s/disco, drum n bass, live bands, garage/ RnB, funk, techno, reggae. Includes times, prices, address. What more could you want? This would be my first port of call.

Brighton Life www.brightonlife.com/ As above, but includes topical articles. There’s an interesting one about how every single club nights is finally leaving Pav Tav: “The reason they are all leaving is because the Pav Tav is falling apart, people are bored and sick of it and with summer here and no aircon and faulty equipment, things will be getting very sticky. We all need a change!!” Despite the damning litany of reasons, the promoters did manage a half-assed thank you to the club.

– “Great website – informative, well managed and designed. Our favourite resource to get discount’s from Brighton restaurants. Al Forno’s and Al Duomo’s being top. Can’t go wrong with Pizza / Pasta for £2!” [Editor]

Real Brighton www.realbrighton.com/ A mainly gay-oriented nights out site which features pub quizzes, karaoke, theatre, themed bar nights, and of course quality club nights out. Regular institutions include Revenge, the Bulldog, Queens Arms, and Candy Bar. The best website format of any nights out sites around including a prominent “Today in Brief” listing at the top of the home page. Apparently “straight-friendly” as well !

– “Gayer then a gay man in Speedo’s” [Editor]

Flyer Central www.flyercentral.co.uk/ Brighton-based site that relies on promoters to pay to advertise their nights vis a vis flier images. Home page features all the day’s varied events, but obviously not a thorough listing guide. All genres of music.

– “Just flyers” [Editor]

SECOND CHOICE

Don’t Stay In www.dontstayin.com/ Tacky global commercial nights out website. However, it advertises a wide range of nights to suit most people’s tastes, including Zap, Honey Club, Concorde, Heist, Volks, Ocean Rooms, and yes, Creation – mind you, that’s usually for Wild Fruit! The site is a good place for joining groups for your particular brand of music and checking the messy after-photos.

– “A good recourse sure, yet why are a majority of Brighton’s DSI clubber’s Orange air hostesses who like funky house? Enough said.” [Editor]

DON’T EVEN BOTHER (COME BACK LATER?)

Itchy Brighton www.itchybrighton.co.uk/ A site based on the city guide. Probably okay for out-of-towners who want to get their bearings on the clubs on offer (at best), but no listings…at all. Maybe good for hotels?

Brighton Beats www.brightonbeats.co.uk/ A site with listings that have not been updated since March. A good format – each club featured with a link to nights on – but not worth a visit by any account.

What’s on Guide www.whatsonguide.co.uk/ Currently un-developed yet may contain listings in the future. Almost not worth mentioning.

Party Brighton www.partybrighton.com/ New site still in development.

– “We have been told it will be very much based towards the “Honey Club” style culture. But good luck to the guys and we look forward to seeing their work.” [Editor]

PRIZE FOR BEST COMEDY VALUE

Photos Out www.photosout.co.uk/ A site devoted to meat market photo evidence. The idea? Let townies be photographed after unmemorable nights that probably seemed like the best time in the world (after 50 shots of tequila). Understandably, the Editor probably objects because it allows common people to share their bad photo albums (see below). There’s very little to recommend this site, yet who can resist a section entitled “Latest Top Hunkz and Honeyz”? So bad it’s good. Not.

– “Nights that will never be forgotten or is it nights that should be forgotten? These are the girls who slut around Yates’s taking photos of fat ugly shant’s for £1. Sorry but this is the worst piece of internet waste we have seen. Why would anyone pay £1 for a just a photo anyways? What a pile of dog!” [Editor]

Words: Amy the Film Maker