This new Mark Ranson video that features Lily Allen doing a cover of Kaiser Chiefs 'Oh My God' has been a firm favourite of the household for the last few days.
It put Yati and me in the mood for DANCING! Haven't been near the London club scene for a while, especially after reports of a recent incident when a car bomb was found outside Tiger Tiger - a club I used to frequent. However as with all things in these terrorist days, you can't let them dictate life to you. If you put your life on hold out of fear you'll never do ANYTHING My brother EC was DJ'ng last night at the Cherry Jam in Bayswater - swanky little club -made even more attractive by the smoking ban! Thank you Tony Blair!! (...or is it Brown now?...need to get used to that) I rallied up the troops - Ngonzi (my sister) and Yati and headed in to town with one mission on our minds.... BOOGIE!!
Got there around 10.00pm and headed straight for the dancefloor. Ngonzi picked up a girl, Lisa, who'd been sitting dejectedly at the bar. She'd been stood up by her friends, didn't know anyone and was leaving. We generously allowed her to join our group, and then started the serious business of GETTING DOWN ON THE DANCEFLOOR! House music is very interesting. Sure it's 'thud thud' music, but it reminds me of Zairean 'Lingala' music sans whining guitar and singing is to a minimum- in fact, we was busting some hot lingala moves Man!
Another thing I like about House music is that within the song, you get 'rest' periods, where the bass cuts out, and then this kind of electric sound starts building up, everyone waits for that wave to break, anticipating the moment of crescendo.... me yelling "It's coming, it's coming!" The music shrieks...dum dum dum dum dum duuuuuuumm... a short pause...
THEN!!!
The bass riff comes CRASHING BACK and everyone shifts their asses into full gear, dancing in earnest - like their very lives depend on it. It's like TOTALLY AWESOME!!! Just love it!
One guy came up to our group, 'Hi I'm Dominic!" and kind of latched onto us the whole night. He was clearly there for dancing and was very good - had some merengue moves which went down well with me. At one point, another guy came up to our table and lifted a glass of wine- such was his confidence that it threw me. I turned to Yati and asked "Is that his wine?" Moments later, Lisa comes back and says, "Where's my wine? I had a full glass of red wine here" I pointed at the culprit and she goes charging after him, "That's my wine!!!" His embarrassed girlfriend bought her another glass, and then they latched onto us as well. While I was resting he leans drunkenly over the table and says "Give us a kiss then"... huh?... "Why should I give you a kiss?... "No reason, just give me a kiss!" so I pecked him on the cheek, he gives me a thumbs up and goes off. Then he comes around again and says... "You are very special!" What can you say to that but "Thank you?" I looked over at his girlfriend who just shrugged. She's clearly used to this behaviour. Some black guys wandered in, but experience has taught us to come slow with our Brothers in such night clubs. You see, black people aren't really into House music, and the ones that are, are usually Coconuts or have 'Jungle Fever' (i.e. have a clingy white girlfriend or are just plain not interested in us Sisters) But they are good dancers so I seize every opportunity to get down with them... and then depart gracefully when Miss Cling Film observes that her man is having way too much fun, starts feeling insecure and moves in to stake her claim!
Alas the club session ended and our new found friend Dominic asked whether we were moving on to the next club. Gave us a bit of background.. he's from Sydney, had just cycled across Canada, (let's have a look at your tush then Aoooooowwww!) would be in Berlin next week and then go back home. "So you are cycling back to Sydney"
"No I'm flying back"
"That's the wrong answer mate, you need to impress me"
"Oh, how should I impress you?"
"Say you are cycling back to Sydney"
"Oh yeah.. I'm cycling back to Sydney"
"Wow!!!!"
Silly really!
It was a good evening! My legs are in agony. I don't do this often enough.. perhaps it is best that way... keep it in small doses so that it doesn't lose it's magic
And also give my feet a break!
BOOGIE ON!!
