New in town

While I didn't have someone to take me out last night, I still went anyway!


My first night out in Shanghai since this time last year and my third night out solo. Going out on your own is usually absolutely rubbish when you're someone like me. I'm not really that outgoing, talkative or even interested in meeting new people (sound like such a grouchy old man), so when I go out alone it usually ends up with me drinking alone at the bar for an hour, walking circuits around the facilities a few times, finding some seating and then going home early. It started a bit like that.



I went to The Shelter to the 'micro 4th Birthday', a minimal techno night featuring a few European DJs and a guy called B6. This guy I knew, well knew of. He is one half of the Shanghainese Synthpop/Electro band IGO and I'm a massive fan. Check out a tune here

Since I have done next to nothing whilst in Shanghai thus far, I thought I'd at least go and see what it was like... treating it more like a gig than a night out. I got to The Shelter at about 11:45ish and paid the 40RMB to get in (about £4). You're greeted with a very claustrophobic but totally awesome tunnel into the main club area. As you could probably guess from the name, The Shelter used to be a bomb shelter. This gives it a pretty unique look and it's underground styling and decor make it one of the most badass clubs I've ever been to. Loved everything about it. Drinks were pretty cheap too, bottles of Tiger Beer were only 15RMB so I stuck to them... it would have been pretty expensive if I went for spirits. So I spent the first hour standing around near the bar, sipping my Tiger and people watching.

It wasn't that busy. I was kinda just standing against a pillar for a while, watching this bald DJ guy play some pretty dull techno. I don't really like techno, it's too samey and there is a severe lack of imagination (well the stuff I've heard anyway). I went to the bar to get another drink and then started talking to this guy standing next to me. It turned out he ran the night! So that was cool, had a word with him and said that I came mainly to see B6. I asked him when he was playing and he pointed him out to me, this B6 guy was standing like a metre from me. He was obviously not as big of a star as I thought, he was just chilling with the crowd. I got the host to introduce me and I just went all fan-like and said how much I loved his work. I'd had a few Tigers by then so I decided I'd give him some marketing advice!

If you've listened to the song above you might pick up the sort of 80s synth vibe. Since Le Roux is doing so well in the UK charts right now, I thought I'd tell B6 that he should think about exporting his music to the west. He told me that in China the scene wasn't very big and that it was difficult to gain a lot of success in Shanghai. Maybe that's why he seemed like such an ordinary guy. He was described by someone ages ago as one of the pioneers of the alternative Shanghai music scene, so it really shows how small the scene is when he's so normal.

After that I had a few more beers and bumped into a guy I recognized from the hostel. We had a chat about shit, home, work, interests.. the usual. I was really feeling the alcohol at this time and when he went to get a drink I moved to the edge of the dance floor and waited for things to kick off. I don't remember how it happened but I got chatting with this photographer for SmartShanghai. He was wicked, he introduced me to loads of people nearby (whose names I forgot the second they told me, remember I was pretty lashed). He took some pictures and I joked around with him a bit, then B6 came on and the party got started. Had a dance which was fun, he was pretty awesome. Had a trumpeteer with him, overlaying some brass melodies. It was sweet.



I had lost complete track of time by now, the club didn't have a closing time so it kinda went on and on. I don't remember how I got home, I think I might have walked.. wasn't too far. When I got back to the hostel I saw a Chinese girl in the TV room and thought I'd say hello. I tried to talk my appalling Mandarin and she was very accommodating. I think I kept saying "Cao ni!" which means "fuck you", and trying to work out how to say things were shit. I shouted the merits of the Beijing dialect and she taught me lots of stuff (which I've already forgotten). After a couple of hours it was 7am! I told her to be my tutor but I can't remember if she accepted, I got an email address but I can't read it! So that's a bit annoying.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening which started from nothing. So glad I went. It's definitely improved my mood here, I've been very worried about having things to do and making friends but last night really helped me settle down. Haven't had so much fun for a long time!