Fancy dancing for hours to hits from the nineties and noughties, and being home by 9pm? This is the concept behind Komedia’s new club event Lovers II Friends, billing itself as “a day party for the millennial generation’:
On Saturday afternoon my date and I escaped the drizzle and slipped into Komedia’s Studio, joining a maximum of about 50 people on a dance floor as DJ Nala played tracks by Destiny’s Child, Madonna, Atomic Kitten, Pitbull and more. The vibe in the small and sparsely occupied space was noticeably more relaxed than your usual club night. While Lovers II Friends allies itself with the growing sober curious movement, I have a feeling that most people can’t really let loose without some drinks in them, especially at 4pm, and helpfully there were some good offers at the bar: Pilsner for £4, vodka & mixer for £4, 2 shots for £6. My date and I did some 5pm shots and gleefully threw shapes till 8pm closing. We had a lovely time, and when it was over we still had time for dinner and a film before midnight.
With the disco lighting combined with roominess and general lack of bustle, Lover II Friends felt a bit like when you and your friends have the dance floor of a bar to yourselves before the crowds arrive. It feels like a good option for people who want a club experience without the intensity of an actual night club. To habitual clubbers, it could feel lacking in the idiosyncrasies and rawness that give a night out its flavour. But if safe and clean is what you’re after, Lovers II Friends is impeccably those things, with Komedia staff on hand to sort out any complaints, issues or access needs.
With 90s/00s nostalgia having decisively pervaded the culture, I was surprised that this event didn’t have more takers. Most millennials in my life, though, are still partying pretty hard – as, possibly, are the younger folks who’ve fallen in love with Natasha Bedingfield… (who, I am sad to report, wasn’t played). Maybe Lovers II Friends would be a godsend for some mums – have a boogie while the kids are at weekend activities, and be up and refreshed for Sunday morning. The early finishing time means that you could even come in from outside Brighton, make a day of it, and still get the train home. As some wise women once said: Hey you, always on the run – gotta slow it down, baby, gotta have some fun.
The next Lovers II Friends is on Saturday, December 20 at Komedia, from 3pm to 8pm.
Address: 44-47 Gardner St, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN1 1UN
Tickets: Komedia
