How popular are nightclubs these days?

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I was a club-head from the late 90s to the late 00s. Godskitchen, Sundissential, Polysexual, Gatecrasher etc. Did the odd Tidy weekender as well. The scene got killed by late pub licensing (as already mentioned up-thread), the smoking ban and finally the 2008 "credit crunch" recession.

I got back into clubbing briefly in 2015 and the scene was much smaller, only Godskitchen was left, they Gods closed up shop and Trancecoda replaced it but that seemed to have gone as well now. Not been clubbing since May 2018 and I need some ideas :( Birmingham area preferably (live in Stafford). Music needs to be house / hard house / trance with good production (lighting / visuals / lasers).
 
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I think it is a combination of the price of drinking (tax), smoking ban (even though I am a non-smoker), a clamp down on drink driving, a zero alcohol tolerance in the workplace (can't go big on a school night), strict ID checks, millennials being more interested in kale and being vegan than beer, and the internet meaning people feel connected without leaving their homes.

I am now 31 and have little interest in a big night out aside from a Christmas party. I find the prices laughable (5 big nights out could buy me a 55" 4k TV!) and by midnight I'm just plain tired.
I do however count pubs as different to going out, but sadly pubs are dying too.

I would say that the biggest reason is cost, but it really is just one part of the reason.
 
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@OpenToSuggestions that kale comment really made me lol :D
I was recently on a stag do which involved a night club. Not me at all, but I took part and as a one-off it was OK. The prices were disgusting though (JD & mixer 12 Euros!). I did wonder what on earth would you do for fun if someone came along who was a vegan non-drinker with a few allergies on top :p.
 
Soldato
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ah yes .back in the day ,pub crawl around sophisticated dewsbury (my birth town) then on to paul antonys (bit rough but you were going to pull and it was cheap) or the frontier batley ,bigger more expensive ,live entertainment ,one of your mates would fail the dress code) then a curry and your £25 is done
 
Associate
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I don't really go out a lot these days but when I was living in Chelmsford I was out with some friends in the town centre on Christmas eve and all of the nightclubs were struggling for punters but the local pubs were jam packed. The pubs in Chelmsford are pretty good, lots of selection, good drinks and compared to nightclubs prices are lower but the nightclubs around there don't really offer that much and you have to pay to enter which puts a lot of people off IMO (especially if the DJ isn't a widely known).

I live in Chelmsford and have hardly ever been to the clubs. Think I've been once or twice to Chicago's (or whatever it was called at the time). I generally prefer the plain pubs when I go out with my friends. Plenty of pubs have quite a decent selection of beers, and you can actually talk with your friends without having to shout.
 
Soldato
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I was recently on a stag do which involved a night club. Not me at all, but I took part and as a one-off it was OK. The prices were disgusting though (JD & mixer 12 Euros!). I did wonder what on earth would you do for fun if someone came along who was a vegan non-drinker with a few allergies on top :p.

They just drink bottled water lol
 
Soldato
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Reading this thread makes me sad.....sad that those days are gone really. :( I know we've mostly all had some poor nights out in dodgey old clubs, but....in some ways....they were so bad, they were good. But think of all the good times. The whole night out. The social aspect and the music. It's just what we did. In some ways I feel much less social these days despite having "social media" as people just don't go out. I agree the towns are just dead nowadays.

- Massive change in culture since the mid 2000s, when smart phones and the internet connected everyone so much more
- A change in lifestyle and attitudes towards health.
- Obviously cost
- The smoking ban
- Pub late licencing changes helped to kill it all off
- I think also that at the better clubs, you used to go out to hear good music and DJs and mixing. Now today....everyone has access to most tunes at the swipe of a finger, so music loses it's exclusivity and underground feel a lot of the time. You don't have to go out to the best clubs to hear the latest tunes as you'll find on t'internet somewhere if you want it
- DJs now use electronics more than ever with auto beat matching. The true skill of the DJ is a thing of the past in most places.
- The dating app thing was another nail in the coffin. It used to be that to meet people...you went out and socialized.
- One night stands didn't used to be seen as such a bad thing. Today people prefer a more formal meeting at restaurants and the likes, to have actual conversation with the intention of seeing more of an individual. We are too picky as well.
- Change in attitudes to sex generally
- Much, much less people actually drink these days, especially with the intention to get drunk
- People have busier life styles and are more tired. Staying up until 3am is not an option for a lot of people due to implications of hangover the next day, even on weekends
- Cost to get home specifically is ridiculous if using taxis in early hours. Otherwise it can be tricky to even get home as people don't tend to do "designated driver" duties these days because often people want to leave at different times and don't all go out often enough to come back around to repaying the favour and taking turns.
- Crime has risen and people are vulnerable coming home worse for wear or even in town still on the night out
 

SPG

SPG

Soldato
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Increase tax on alcohol in shops by 25% all the youngsters get steaming at home before going out at 11pm.
 
Soldato
OP
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I think also that at the better clubs, you used to go out to hear good music and DJs and mixing. Now today....everyone has access to most tunes at the swipe of a finger, so music loses it's exclusivity and underground feel a lot of the time. You don't have to go out to the best clubs to hear the latest tunes as you'll find on t'internet somewhere if you want it.

This is a good point. I remember the rave scene back in the day. I only went to a couple. But if I missed one they used to sell mixed cassettes of the tracks that night. Some of the hardcore music lovers would go for the music. But as you say everything is online so there isn't really any situation were if you go there you can get something exclusive.

I did like the social side of clubbing. I was unfortunate to not have any girls in school to socialise with, so as soon as I was old enough for clubbing that was my first opportunity to get socialising, which as someone else said in the thread, usually ended up with me and my friend going home empty handed. I remember once driving these two girls home about 20 miles away (I wasn't drinking that night) and we seemed to be getting along so my mate said "are we going to do something or what?", she said "ya cheeky B**tard" and walked off with her friend. The whole scene looked comical. I think those stories could have only happened in that era.
 
Soldato
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This is a good point. I remember the rave scene back in the day. I only went to a couple. But if I missed one they used to sell mixed cassettes of the tracks that night. Some of the hardcore music lovers would go for the music. But as you say everything is online so there isn't really any situation were if you go there you can get something exclusive.

I did like the social side of clubbing. I was unfortunate to not have any girls in school to socialise with, so as soon as I was old enough for clubbing that was my first opportunity to get socialising, which as someone else said in the thread, usually ended up with me and my friend going home empty handed. I remember once driving these two girls home about 20 miles away (I wasn't drinking that night) and we seemed to be getting along so my mate said "are we going to do something or what?", she said "ya cheeky B**tard" and walked off with her friend. The whole scene looked comical. I think those stories could have only happened in that era.

Unlucky! lol
 
Caporegime
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i have noticed quite a few clubs have closed down but some are still going. it's not as popular plus it's a young persons game and the next generation just isn't into them as much on the whole. only those that watch towie and love island want to go out regularly.
 

SPG

SPG

Soldato
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What a daft idea, let's tax 25% on everything you like then.

No, yours is a daft idea, infact a extra 25% on everything is beyond stupid.

Add a tax to supermarket booze will either

A - Stop people drinking more (A good thing)
B - People go out to the pub and meet strangers again
C - The landlord can stop you drinking if your being a arse.

Or we can carry on regardless and keep losing pubs.
 
Caporegime
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18 Mar 2008
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No, yours is a daft idea, infact a extra 25% on everything is beyond stupid.

Add a tax to supermarket booze will either

A - Stop people drinking more (A good thing)
B - People go out to the pub and meet strangers again
C - The landlord can stop you drinking if your being a arse.

Or we can carry on regardless and keep losing pubs.

or more likely, a black market will be made for criminals to infest the country with along with continued Pub decline because people have better things to do than give spoon's money.
 
Caporegime
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32,615
I was recently on a stag do which involved a night club. Not me at all, but I took part and as a one-off it was OK. The prices were disgusting though (JD & mixer 12 Euros!). I did wonder what on earth would you do for fun if someone came along who was a vegan non-drinker with a few allergies on top :p.



All the vegans I know drink copious quantities of beer.
 
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