Here Come’s the Night: Part One

Submitted by Kanjena Sweetleaf

In which our intrepid reporter surveys the music and nightlife scene through the lens of an emptying glass.

I hadn’t planned to stay out so late, honestly! It was just one of those Friday things. I was surfing at Teahupo’o (Teahupo/104/31/22) with a friend and afterwards as we sat by the campfire watching the sunset, we got talking about music and clubs, and then, well, the next thing I knew I was suddenly sartorially transformed, from super minimal and functional (bare ass) surf attire into a very short dress, glittery make-up, and hair all shiny, and Ombre coloured.

I took a taxi* to a club, a place called The Glue House.  The Glue house (/Psycheevil/73/175/24) was created by the lovely Bisou (Vipere Serpente).  It describes itself as ‘A place for lovers of great music and for people that don't sleep early’ and lists it’s music policy as:
 ‘Ingredients:7% 60's Garage, 16% Post Punk, 12% Alternative,9% Indie, 6% Rock N' Roll, 21% Psychedelic ,6% new wave’.  They are open 6 nights a week, Monday through to Saturday, and the sets are usually from 2pm till 4pm SL (Second Life) time,except Fridays when there are 2 D.J.s, the first starting at 12pm SL time.

It was 2:15pm when I arrived, which is 10:15pm in my timezone. I was fashionably late. The D.J. was David de Coco (Davidisrafel Resident) an Irish man who specialises in Psychedelic alternative music. The music was very much to my taste. David is a virtual ‘crate digger’ who spends a lot of time finding wonderful new music to play and it all flows so well together.  His sets are compiled with great care and this is, I believe, an art in itself: The curation of an experience.

I didn’t know most of the music David played. It’s always great to discover new music. In fact, it is one of the greatest things about Second Life, in my opinion, meeting people from all over the world and sharing the listening experience. I have this theory that the senses are heightened in Second Life, because of the situation, the immersion in a visually stimulating, light driven environment, and in a club, where there is interaction with other avatars in local chat, this sensory heightening intensifies the musical experience for me. So it was truly psychedelic that night, my mind lifted to a different place, transported by the D.J.s imagination.

After his set had finished, to great acclaim, I found myself both awake and inspired and decided to wander over to another club, the enigmatic, mysterious Blue Orange (Empire State Island/222/56/1425).  Created by Ini (In Inaka) the club says this about itself: ‘Friendly bohemian club for MUSIC and ART lovers. Alternative, New Wave, Indie, Art Punk, Noise, Psychedelic, Rock, Neo-folk, Experimental, Avant-Garde, Modern and a lot of more music without labels.’

It’s a beautifully built club, but it’s more than a club, too, it’s an art space and, as well as displays of art works, they also host themed music events in purpose built installations.  It was certainly very friendly, the welcome was warm and smiley and the music was instantly captivating. The DJ was Gitu Aura and the music she played this night was, in her words:  ‘a bit noisy, a bit melting and a bit rocky’ in the genres of  ‘psychedelic rock, Indie rock, post-punk, darkwave, synthpop and much more’.  I’m a big fan of ‘much more’ by the way, just thought I’d add that to the mix.  Gitu played some wonderful music, definitely 'a bit melting' and I was also melting as a combination of high humidity and good whiskey had helped to create a lovely warmth inside me, an altered state glow which was invoked by this transmission of music and the ambiance of the Blue Orange.

The night blurred into early morning and my mind flowed with the music in moonlit streams towards a slumber…sometime later I woke up on a beach, disheveled and sand blasted, my clothes scattered around me, my make up smeared and that once perfectly coiffed hairstyle all windblown and sea weeded.

Another great night in SL, I think?

*Both clubs have groups which notify of their events and both also publicise their events on the Alternative Music Informer group.

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