Clare Cellars

Friday 4th November, Clare College Cellars, £3

There is nothing quite like partying in a crypt. The dark basement underneath Clare College has its own character that seems to suit dance music beautifully. Be warned though: this isn’t a normal Cambridge club night, since you don’t actually have to be drunk to enjoy it. I know, right? Shocking. Clare fills that gap on a Friday night for a student-friendly night out with a more than credible music policy.

This week’s ent saw Churchill Pav take over. Their two student DJs, Will and Viraj, performed an underappreciated set. It was disappointing that the dance floor didn’t really start bouncing until later on in the night. But they did a great job at attracting people to the dance floor with well-known tunes.

 Partying in a crypt is always cool

And so by the time DJ Red Rumour started, the dance floor was rammed. The Londoner started to get people moving and shaking with some solid electro-house and then switched up to the heavier stuff as the night progressed. He proved that the simple formula of tension and release in dance music is as powerful as ever; epic build-ups and simultaneous double drops had the crowd begging for more.

Rumour played everything from Dada Life to Camo & Krooked, showing his skill at mixing different tempos and styles. His set was a great showcase for bass music and I was delighted to see many of the cheese addicts in the crowd temporarily converted to hard skanking.

The graffiti wall – a whiteboard that anyone could write on –  made the night even more fun. Students embraced this opportunity to share their deepest and most profound opinions with everyone. My favourites included: ‘Ellie gives good head,’ and: ‘Virgins, slags and hymen.’ Both phrases really encapsulate everything that is so great about the University of Cambridge.

DJ Red Rumour got everyone dancing

The night surpassed my expectations. The Clare team know what they want to do, and they do it really well. The combination of cheap drinks and pumping beats is a marriage made in heaven. In terms of value for money and good music you would struggle to find a better Friday night out in Cambridge.

Pictures by Tom Porteous