Revolving dancefloor - on a ship (Tuxedo Princess)

Member Name: Pamsy

Product:	Tuxedo Princess
Date:	10/07/01 (1265 review reads)
Rating:

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Disadvantages: See text

This nightclub is docked on the Gateshead side of the Tyne River. It is most well known for the revolving dancefloor, which I will explain later.

It usually stays open until around 2:30 AM, and the music on the bottom level tends to be on the dance side of chart music. The ages vary,. with people coming in ranging from late teens to late thirties, but don't worry about this, as the club has many rooms.

Each level has its own type of music, with 70s, 80s, and 90s rooms, if that's what takes your fancy. This concept is good, since it divides the age groups, therefore you can enter the area for your own age group.

The revolving dancefloor is situated on the bottom level, it used to spin only occasionally, but due to popular demand now spins all the time. It can be a little tricky stepping on and off, espescially after a heavy nights drinking and when it is full. This is good fun and the concept is a great idea, but unfortunately the revolving floor fills up very fast and is always over-crowded, making dancing almost impossible. On Saturdays this dancefloor often releases so much smoke you can't see your hand in front of your face which is great fun, and on Thursdays there's the Foam Party, where, as you will have guessed, they spray foam over the dancefloor, great fun. It's also surrounded by dancers, who are rubbish, but scantily dressed.

The entry price varies a lot. Weekdays is cheapest, with student night in Newcastle being Monday. The prices throughout the week are only about £3 or £2 if you're a student and show your NUS card. However, if you walk across the Swing Bridge, you are likely to come across people handing out free stickers which offer free entry before 11, this is more likely the case on Thursday nights, the night of the Foam Party. On Saturday nights it costs around £7, or £10 if you take the quicker entrance and avoid the queues, which can be quite lengthy on a Saturday, with about a 20 - 3
0 minute wait maximum on your hands for the £7 option, whereas you walk straight in for £10.

Drink prices also vary, cheapest night for drinks is without a doubt Monday, where a double vodka + red bull is only £1. Prices on Saturdays can be huge, and they seem to vary at different times of the night which is confusing. With alcopops and pints being about £2.50. Once I was told it would be £10 for a treble vodka + red bull, so be careful on Saturdays to ask the price of such drinks before buying, as you can be caught out with those trebles.

The top level of the boat has a decent bar which serves food, and a smaller fast food counter. If you want to get away from the noise and just chat then you can do this on the balcony, or in the bar on the top level, also some rooms lower down are quiet enough to have casual conversation.

The only disadvantage of this place I find is that it's on the Gateshead side, so you're most likely to have been drinking in the Quayside or the Bigg Market. This isn't isn't that much of a hinderance though, from the Bigg Market it's only about a 5-10 minute walk, and around 10 - 15 minute walk from the Quayside. I do advise however that on weekdays you go via the Swing Bridge since there are often people handing out free tickets, or discounts on entry and drinks vouchers which are surprisingly good offers They stand on the Newcastle side of the Swing Bridge, probably trying to persuade those on their way to Baja to change their mind.

Overall, I would consider this a good all round club, doesn't perform amazingly in any departments, but caters for just about everything you could want in a club. Hardcore dance fans may be a little dissappointed, but most such people will already be aware of this, they tend to fill up at Legends (near Gray's monument) anyway.

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