SCOTLAND’S reopening continues this weekend with the V&A Dundee unveiling a major new exhibition about nightclubs on Saturday.
Nightclubs, you say? Is the Sub Club reopening?
Not yet. There is no word on when nightclubs can reopen from the Scottish Government so far. The summer perhaps.
But the V&A in Dundee will reopen its doors with a new exhibition entitled Night Fever: Designing Club Culture, which looks at everything from nightclub architecture, to fashion, lighting and club culture, while taking in the likes of Studio 54 in New York in the 1970s and Manchester’s Hacienda in the 1980s and early 1990s. Oh, and the Sub Club and Dundee’s own Fat Sam’s also feature.
No mention of The Grange where all the students flocked to in Stirling to dance to Grandmaster Flash’s The Message in the early 1980s then?
I think that’s possibly a little niche, to be honest. When was the last time you went clubbing anyway?
I went to the Volcano in Glasgow at some point in the mid-nineties and I felt a bit old for it even then. But hold on a minute, am I not meant to be the one asking the questions?
Indeed.
Fine. So, what else is covered in this exhibition?
The role of Italian nightclubs in the 1960s, the importance of a good sound system (and a good DJ, of course), mirror balls, clubbing in Berlin and Beirut. Oh, and there’s a photograph of Grace Jones with a lion (see above).
In short, all clubbing life is here.
Read More: Nightclubbing at the V&A
This is quite a big deal, isn’t it?
Oh yes. Some museums and galleries did manage to open up between lockdowns last year, but it’s been a difficult time for both the institutions and those who enjoy visiting them. The Scottish National Gallery will reopen on May 6 (for three days a week), the Scottish National Portrait Gallery can be visited from Friday. Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow has already reopened.
Back to the V&A, do I need to dress up to attend?
That’s up to you. Do you still have your white flared suit?
Very droll. Although I did once go out all in white to a club that had UV lighting. Not a good look. More importantly, will the cafe be open?
The Tatha Bar and Kitchen will be open upstairs for sit-in and takeaway.
What music should I be listening to while reading this article?
Well, we don’t want to be proscriptive, but you can’t go wrong with a bit of Chic. Or maybe some Daft Punk if you prefer. But as it's about Dundee maybe a local band might be more appropriate. Average White Band maybe. How about Let's Go Round Again?
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