Clubber's paradise? Not exactly... (The Time Piece (Exeter))

Member Name: witneyite

Product:	The Time Piece (Exeter)
Date:	17/08/08 (23 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: The 4 distinct areas mean most mainstream clubbers will be kept happy

Disadvantages: It's pretty grimy - don't stay until the lights come on

As previously mentioned, I am not a local to Exeter. I've spent 5 years in Birmingham and been out in most major cities in England plus a few in Scotland, plus a few repping seasons in Europe has seen me 'grace' clubs all over the Med.

So how does Time Piece compare?

Time Piece has many advantages. First of all it's in four distinct sections. There's the outside area which is great on a nice evening (on the offchance it ever stops raining enough to have a nice evening). It doesn't have an outside bar so you have to go back in to get your drinks, but there's loads of seating which would be great if you smoked (although obviously space is at more of a premium now the smoking ban has been brought in). There is also the famous Time Piece Burger Bar which gets mostly great reviews (although I have heard one - unconfirmed - report of food poisoning). I've never tried their burgers so sadly can't personally atetst to this.

The downstairs bar would be my venue of choice most of the time. It's free to get in (although the queues can be horrendous - one queue for the whole place). There is a much better range of music, ranging from the weird to the wonderful, and pretty hard to define. It isn't confined to what's 'cool' as upstairs tries to do. Sometimes there is live music as well and there is plenty of space to sit. Bar queues can also be big, as at all the bars. But all in all it's pretty chilled out with loads of seating. It has also been brilliantly decorated with random raod signs, bar signs and quirky items literally plastering the walls. Try playing my favourite game of 'if I could nick just one itme, what would it be?'. You'll never be able to settle on one.

The other two areas are both accessed by the same point (up the stairs) and you have to pay to get in, usually £5. There is also a student discount. Claokroom fees are £1. Drinks prices are pretty cheap throughout, one of the last remaining places in Exeter to do that. The areas are the main dancefloor and the 'top bar' overlooking the main dancefloor. They each play different music to each other, which is always good, and both have some limited seating areas.

The music varies depending on the night. Friday is usually rock and indie night with the top bar playing more cheesy music. Saturday is a real mishmash. They usually play about 5 songs of rock, 5 songs of r'n'b, 5 songs of D&B, 5 songs from the charts etc and the top bar gets a little bit more urban (although usually fairly mainstream). In practice this means no one is happy; you just get into your own particular style of music and then it's al taken away from you. But it'll roll around again in about 30 minutes.

I should note that having refurbished the toilets, Time Piece is now massively improved. There used to be 3 girls toilets for the whole dancefloor and top bar. When I went out with my male friends, I'd spend my whole time in the queue whilst they were on the dancefloor. They were also always filthy and invariably at least one would be out of order. They are now much improved and there are rarely queues. Still not the cleanest ever, but as club toilets go they're not so bad. At least you don't waste all of your night in the queues anymore.

So Time Piece is really one for the mainstream clubber. Specialist fans of a particular kind of music (any kind of music) will find no refuge here. However, for my money it's the best night out in Exeter. Arena is for little girls and lechy men. Rococco is a well known meat market. Anywhere on the Quay is mostly dead. Time Piece is cheap, cheerful and central and that'll do me.

Summary: As nights out in Exeter go, probably your best bet