The Heart of Saturday night

Stroud Valley Arts acquired the Brunel-designed Goods Shed on a long lease about ten years ago from the Stroud Preservation Trust. Clean Steve was involved in various aspects, including bringing electricity to the building. It makes a good clubbing space, because it's huge and too far away from housing to disturb anyone. The lighting is mostly infrared heaters because it does get cold!  I'd been to film screenings and other artistic events there, but never before  for a boogie.

And dance we certainly did! Friend J and I put in maximum effort, though we actually preferred the support act: a group of beautiful young things from Stroud, dressed any old way they liked, called the Jusso Dub Project. Women playing brass instruments, too! I'm gonna look them up.

The Uplifter (pictured above) plays a little bit of reggae, some Ska, but mostly Dub or drum 'n' bass. It's  just him on stage with lots of machinery and a drum kit, and a series of projected images behind him. A far cry from my former clubbing days in Oban/Edinburgh/London, when the computers would have been hand cranked and the main attractions would have been the lighted dance floor or the glitter ball.

Oh, and another thing: generation Z doesn't drink. At least not to get drunk. So there's no aggression. There aren't any fights or throwing up. But there are some interesting aromas in the smoking area, immediately outside the front door. I'd say most of the generations were represented last night, from boomers to zoomers, with Gen Z predominant, and everyone was simply out to have a good time.  I(magine, if you will, going to Gladys' nite spot in Oban, in, say, 1982, and seeing men old enough to be your grandad dancing away next to you...)

I also discovered that if you sit on a sofa or stand on a rough wooden floor during a drum 'n' bass session, the sofa / floor vibrates! Good way to get a massage.

After many hours of dancing and sociological research, we wended our way home via the chippie. The wondrous Christmas lights of Churchfield road, near my home, had been switched off. I don't think I shall see them again until next season.

PS I can't change the wording on the collage!