Wales Clubs National
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Clwb Ifor Bach (Cardiff)
by welshwolf For years now Clwb Ifor Bach has been the centre of Welsh music in Cardiff, the place to be after rugby internationals. After going down a dubious side street and cuing for a while the entry into Clwb Ifor Bach is via a steep set of steps. Once at the top you enter a small bar area which is brimming with singing Welshmen. Only ... some five minutes from the Millennium Stadium entry is very reasonable depending on what is happening. The bar is very basic but as the Irish would say the crack is amazing and one of the best night there is after a Wales V Ireland rugby match (except for the last one!!!!!!!). The prices for Beer are average at the Clwb and basic food such as Pasties etc is available but its very much a ?spit and sawdust club? no frills just honest enjoyment. As a youngster I spent many an hour at the club following the welsh music scene, groups that the rest of the UK would not have heard of welsh speaking and singing groups:- · Maffia Mr Huws, · Trwynai Coch, · Edward H, Kelly from the Stereophonics called at the Clwb on his acoustic tour to a packed house. If in Cardiff and you fancy meeting some of the real Welshmen, try Clwb Ifor Bach you will have a friendly night of fun. Read the complete review |
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Bar Fly Club (Cardiff)
by XmasGimp Last weekend I went to Cardiff. It was my friends 21st, he's at Uni there and it was my first visit. I thought about writing an op on Cardiff in general but since we didn't see that much of it I think I'll focus on the Barfly club. It might amuse you to first hear of our car journey to Cardiff. In case you ... don't know Cardiff is situated in South Wales just the other side of the Seven Bridge which transverses the River Avon. Travelling up from Dorset it's a pretty straight forward journey really, head north towards Bristol, keep going, over the bridge and you're there. It should take about 2.5hours from house to house. The roads are pretty normal things with cars passing each other, you have to drive on the left (even when you get into Wales), but one thing to watch out for are the tolls on the Seven Bridge. You only have to pay on the west bound side (pay to get in to Wales, free to get out!). I knew there were tolls there, so I had a bit of change, one thing I didn't realise was that it was going to cost £4.40! It didn't help that we didn't see a sign with the charges on until after we'd gone past the last exit. We found out that the nice people on the tolls won't let you in for £2.16, apparently that isn't enough. We also found out other drivers aren't amused when all the tolls have to be shut so a stupid idiot that didn't have enough money can be taken across all the booths, then over a little bridge back to the other side of the carriageway. Especially a stupid idiot in a nice sexy BMW. (Shameless plug for my lovely car there, if you wanna hear more about it I did write an op on it). The last thing we found out was that Avonmouth (the next nearest town) is actually quite a way from the bridge and seems to take forever to get to. So, if you've ever wondered what happens if you don't have enough money at a toll booth - now you know. Anyway, back to the matter in hand, the Barfly Cardiff. Before I continue, please bear in mind that by the time we got to the club we were all rather inebriated, so this might not all be 100% accurate, but it's a good as I remember. The Barfly club is situated 5 minutes from the train station. Exit the train station and turn right at the traffic lights (Wood Street). On your right hand side is a JD Wetherspoon pub. At the next set of traffic lights turn left into St Mary's Street. Follow St Mary's Street to the end of the road which incorporates High St. Cardiff Castle should be directly opposite. Turn right at the traffic lights into Duke St. Follow Duke St to Kingsway. Barfly Cardiff is located next door to Beatties. Or from the M4 it's 5 minutes drive. Leave M4 at junction 32, signposted A470 City Centre and follow signs to City Centre (North Road). Carry on past College for Welsh Music and Drama, Police HQ into Kingsway. Barfly Cardiff situated on your left hand side. According to the website it's 180 miles from the nearest tube station, and they suggest getting the train from Paddington, then following the train station directions. I am told that Saturday was indie night (this would fit with the music), and that on different nights they have different things on, and that I should check flyers and the website for more details. We arrived at about 11.30 I think and I think it cost us about £1.50 each to get in. Although that may have been £3.50 it's hard to read those bleary tills. We didn't have to queue at all to get in, and there is a cloakroom situated by the tills. The first thing I noticed was the feeling of a hot wet flannel slapping you round the face as you passed through the lobby area and into the main club. The heat was like no other. It isn't a massive place, and it was packed. It's very dark (duh) and undergroundy feeling, and the dress code was typical student really. (Plenty of denim, scraggy ha ir, baggy trousers and trainers). I should comment on the price of the drinks, but I?m not really sure how much they cost. I remember seeing a sign up for 'Vodka Ice' £1.50 a bottle, so that's pretty cheap. The music was excellent. It was a mixture of 90s indie (Oasis, Inspiral Carpets, James) 70s rock (the doors and stuff) and a tiny bit of 80s in there too. There were people dancing everywhere, not just at the dance floor, which made for a really good atmosphere. I didn't see any trouble in there; it did have a pretty happy if sweaty vibe. Back to the heat.......the place was so hot the air-conditioning was dripping. Personally I found it difficult to dance to more than one song in a row as I was just getting too hot. Also, although I arrived there slightly merry (cough cough) I didn't have any alcohol while I was there, I was just too dehydrated. By the time we'd been in there an hour it felt like four, and the heat was starting to make me feel sick. Some people were wearing jumpers in there! I'm not sure how they survived it! It's a shame, because besides that I thought the club was great, but because of the heat I'd think twice about going back again. Read the complete review |
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Berties (Newquay)
by Tcraze84 Conformity sucks. Erm, yeah. Clubbing's not about conformity; it's about the music, the people - depending on where you visit, obviously. Berties doesn't conform, and that's a good thing...right? Last time I wrote an opinion on a club in Cornwall, I hyped the Cornish clubbing scene probably a lot more than I ... should have. Sure, it has a few decentish clubs y'know, but they're really not Club clubs, if you see what I mean, they're not solely about the experience and music like some of the country's superclubs - the likes of Cream (Liverpool), Gatecrasher (Sheffield) and the soon-to-be Pachá (London) are. Well, sorta anyway. That's not to say that all Cornish clubs are well and truly sucky, 'cause they're not - and people enjoy, really enjoy themselves in them - if only due to the fact that the majority of the clubbing population down here don't know any different. Visiting a superclub - Cream et al, or worse; the multitude of Ibiza's SuperSuperclubs, would obviously be a major culture shock. Even for me probably, and I'd like to think I knew a fair bit about how the clubbing world works, what makes it tick. And I do, but I'd most definitely be overwhelmed when - not if - I do get the finances to visit some of the aforementioned nightspots. Early-morningspots, even, yeah? Yeah. Cornwall's different to big cities, even though it is an entire county. It has a few clubs - not as many as you'd find in just London/Birmingham/Sheffield, say, but a good few nonetheless. And I've been to a fair few too, y'know. Of them, only one's probably even half-comparable with a big club 'up-country', and that's Truro's L2: a veritable haven of Hard House and big-name DJs - particularly with its Friday night Tranz@ction nights, boasting the likes of big, big-name crowd-pullers; Anne Savage, Mauro Picotto, John Pleased (if I remember correctly, and well, it was either him or even bigger -name John "00" Flemming, so take your pick) and Trance guru Lange to name but three in recent - and forthcoming months. And I'd go as far as to say that L2's the only proper 'Club' in Cornwall - when I last went, I was amazed to find that a club in Cornwall was actually all about the music, and that only. Other clubs are different, and here's why. It's been mentioned before, but there is, essentially, two types of clubs. The 'Club' clubs, which tend to be of the bigger, higher-profile variety - all about the music and attended by real fans OF the music, and the other clubs, er, lovingly referred to elsewhere as the "Ritzes" of the world: the clubs that have wider-spread interests as well as the music - the people, the alcohol, the pulling, etc. You know what I'm talking about. And then there's the neat lil' hybrid between the two, which accounts for the vast majority of Cornwall's clubs, I'd say. Previously-reviewed club Zone (Redruth, Cornwall) fits into this description, and so does Berties. Ah yeah, and you'd think it might have an apostrophe in the name too, but it doesn't, 'k? The hybrid? Ah. Kinda sorta music-dedicated, but enough of the peopley, drinky and pully-type stuff to go around, too. Which should, in theory, make for a happy medium, and subsequently, a great night out. And it does too, y'know - most of the time. You can dance, you can get lost in the music, then get tired and go off and pull/drink. It's your call, and that's what's cool. Ooh. So yeah, fun clubs. And Berties is one of these hybrids, which almost attracted me to it in the first place, because I guessed I've have fun there. And there may not just be anything that's potentially more fun than a night clubbing that's been planned - really really planned, for ages; and then seeing your hard work fall in place and everybody having a great night. That's cool, and that's we did on our very first visit to Berties. Because Berties - and Newquay - is a fair while away, it simply had to be really well-organised if it stood any chance of being a successful night. I've been there, ooh, twice now - which tells you something already - I went back for more, no? So, all aboard the pre-booked minibus, and off we went. Located slap-bang in the centre of Newquay's East Street, Berties - conveniently - lies next door to Mexican-themed sister restaurant/bar Senór Dicks - allowing a few relaxing warm-up drinks and cocktails before heading off next door for the remainder of the evening's festivities. And this was just, y'know, cool; having a laugh with mates, only able to wildly guess at what events may occur over the course of the next few hours, whilst listening to bar-cultured house/chart music and getting, er, up-for-it, basically. Thumbs up already, then. Berties, the self-proclaimed busiest club in Cornwall, didn't appear to be so, on first glance. Actually, second - both times I've visited (both on Friday nights) there was a minimal queue to get in - five or ten minutes at the most - whilst at Truro's L2, we had to stand in the cold August breeze for around fifty - 50 - minutes, and that was based on a "One in, one out" scheme, meaning we could've well been waiting a lot longer - and that was, amazingly, on a Monday night! So, the banner of "Cornwall's Busiest Club" waved proudly by Berties seemed to be in jeopardy before we'd even got underway. That said, we'd missed the initial door-opening rush and arrived fairly late in from next door, so allowances must be made. Well, more on that later, anyway. Upon entering the club there seemed to be no real worries - as with virtually, if not all of Cornwall's clubs, Berties adopts a "Smart Casual" dress policy, so none of my group had any worries getting past the bouncers' wat chful eyes in that respect - though I daren't risk trainers - both times I've visited, I've opted for smart black shoes, but as they say, the choice is yours. Otherwise, just a short-sleeve buttoned shirt and - fairly baggy - beige trousers were seemingly not a problem. Also, to cut down on the underage drinkers, Berties holds a strict door policy and don't hesitate to ask for Photo ID for anybody they're unsure of. I had no problems, but a female friend of mine was stopped - in her slightly drunken state - but her driving licence was, and is, the most readily-accepted form of identification, so if you're unsure, take it along. More problems lay ahead as several members of the group - including myself - were briefly frisked for security reasons, checking for any potential weapons - and of course, bottles of drink bought elsewhere or pills, etc. Another obstacle cleared - you didn't really think I'd be that audacious, did you? :o) Also, a police car was waiting nearby, so that said, be sensible, yeah? Entry was £5, though would've been less if we'd manage to get in before 10.30, and if you're even luckier, you'd manage to bring along one of their freely-distributed flyers, offering free entry on selected nights. Inside the club, first impressions were mixed. UV lights shone all around, even near the bar areas, and the club's split in many low-ceiling sections, really. Up steps, down steps, bar, dancefloor, toilets. It's all a bit confusing once you're inside - particularly if intoxicated (!) so do try not to get lost! Awkwardly, if you've got a jacket, you'll have to make your way right through the club to get to deposit your belongings in the cloak room, whilst the toilets are pretty impressive - a massive surface area of tiled flooring - all immaculately clean - though the floor is, and has been hazardous, particularly when wet and slippery. Ouch. Yeah, speaking from experience he re! So, next stop: bar. Another impressive feature of the club - it has several! The main bar is situated in the centre of the club, basically (though I was kinda lost at the time) and impressive in decor. Drinks are fairly pricey for a Cornish club, but probably bargains when compared to others elsewhere. Rough guide: two Reefs cost £5.40, shots of Aftershock retail at a very pricey £3, whilst Sambuca shots are more favourably priced, at just £1.55. The bar staff, whilst not as kewl as the mad, jumpy, dancy lot at L2 are friendly enough, but understandably busy, so don't expect any prolonged conversations, obviously. Also inside is a specialised cocktail bar, if you're feeling particularly creative and/or experimental. Essentially though, a club's all about the music, and with music and clubbing, comes dancing. And this is where Berties fails, rather miserably. The main dancefloor in Club 1 is rather poxy, cramped and very, very, unimpressive. There's little room to move if you're one of the rare few inside the club that actually were dancing. There's girls-only podiums, too - specifically girls-only...a [male] friend of mine was virtually thrown off by the bouncers for even attempting to dance on one! Lighting's good though, a few nice lasers for those euphoric moments, but nothing spectacular by any means. Ooh, I forgot to mention something really obvious. Oops. Yeah. Berties is not just one club, but now two, with the newly-opened C2B (Club 2 Berties). The night when I went (Friday) saw the smooth grooves of R & B and Hip Hop descend on C2B, drawing, as you might expect, a rather different audience from the main club. Even more chance of you getting lost with it there, but probably more enjoyable - as a refreshing change - from Club 1, although the same can be said about the crowded dancefloor, though. Oh well. What is good is that Berties is open, seven days a week. Which is great, really. And whil st 'boring' midweek Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays are only occupied by the meagre C2B, with, and I quote: "Commercial music mixed with a great selection of drink specials. £2 entry all night; £1 off with flyer", the rest of the week doesn't fare too badly on paper at all, y'know. FRIDAY: Main Club - Commercial Dance & Party C2B - RnB & Hip Hop SATURDAY: Main Club - Floor Fillers C2B - Retro 70s and 80s SUNDAY ("..For clubbers who just can't wait for the weekend") (open just 10 - 12.30) - Commercial music Um, yeah. Drinks, music. Ah, people. Unfortunately, the major letdown of Berties. There's something drastically wrong with either the clubbers of Newquay - or Berties in general - somehow, somewhere, because this miserable lot was the least enthusiastic, up-for-it lot I've seen in a club, ever. Those actually dancing seemed to be only making half-hearted attempts whilst everybody else huddled round the bar(s) or simply sat elsewhere, whilst you'd be hard-pushed to go and talk, or even give a smile, to a stranger - the complete opposite of the friendly natures of the L2 and Zone lot. These are people that are having fun, and if the guys in Berties this Friday were too, they've certainly got a funny way of showing it. You'd possibly think, "nah, forget it, just enjoy the music, dude" - and I did, but was just so distracted by the almost-amateurish-looking mob that surrounded me. Just really, really bad; and a factor that totally altered my views on the club, which is a great shame. Oh, go on, you go too, yeah? Go onnnn. Just cheer 'em up, so that I can go and have a good time again. Deal? Cool, thanks. Telephone: (01637) 872255 Web: www.bertiesclub.com Read the complete review |
Wales Club National |
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Club National / near the beach, Aberystwyth, info: 029 20669901, Fridays |
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Club National / The Crystal Room, Hereford, info: 01432 267378, Fridays |
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Club National / Trinity Road, bristol, info: 07971 197979, Fridays |
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Club National / Market Square, Ilfracombe, Devon, info: 01237 451442, Fridays |
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Club National / Bridge Street, taunton, info: 0421 039616, Fridays |
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Club National / Beaufort Street, Ebbw Vale, Wales, info: webs site, Fridays |
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Club National / Baldwin Street, Bristol, info: 01225 316198, Fridays |
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Club National / Clwb Ifor Batch, Cardiff, info: 029 20666400, Fridays |
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Club National / Queen Street, Exeter, info: steve@hard-edge.com, Fridays |
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Club National / Havelok Square, Swindon, info: 01793 531384, Fridays |
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