Clubbing

[Geoffrey S]

Geoffrey Goes Skihut!

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

Clubbing is a far more variable experience than going to bars. You probably aren't going to have a bad experience in a pub, but you can in a club as you pay to play, so if you don't make the most of it you're wasting a fair bit of money.

BKS's hints for successful getting doooooooooown;

-Do your research before you part with your money. What sort of music does the club play-if you like house, you don't want to be stuck somewhere playing cheese or R&B all night. What kind of market is it catering to-students, or merchant bankers with cash to blow? What age range is it aimed at? Do you need to be on a guest list? Knowing these things will allow you to make the right decision about where to go.
-A lot of the clubs aimed at young people will have cheap nights one night a week. This is a serious advantage, and should not be sniffed at. In some places you can save almost half of the money you would have spent on drinks. Plus, on these nights everyone in the know will be going there, making for a good atmosphere.
-Go with a big group of friends, rather than in just a two or a three. This is important. You can peel off and talk to other people as you like without feeling you're abandoning your friends, as they have others they know to keep them company, or you can stay with the group. Plus you won't feel like a knob for leaving your best mate on his own if you pull early.
-Do most of your drinking before-hand. This will save you a lot of money, as well as time you would have spent queueing at the packed bar. Furthermore, you'll be in the mood for dancing as soon as you arrive.
-Go often. You'll gain more confidence in the setting, which will improve your goals to games record. If you go to the same club on a certain night a lot, you'll get to know other people who go there too. Furthermore, some nights are just average. You have to go a lot of times to get that elusive 'amazing night'.

Hopefully this will help some of the posters with more negative views about night-clubs have a better time.

[Geoffrey S]

Really, what BKS said. I completely second that advice, and particularly the part about clubbing with a larger group of people than just one or two friends.

[Zim]

BKS's advice is very good, but I think a lot of it will fall on deaf ears. Some people just don't like crowds, or loud music, or whatever.

And some of us are just married old fogeys(in my case, I've reached the ancient age of 24).

[Kralizec]

-Go with a big group of friends, rather than in just a two or a three. This is important. You can peel off and talk to other people as you like without feeling you're abandoning your friends, as they have others they know to keep them company, or you can stay with the group. Plus you won't feel like a knob for leaving your best mate on his own if you pull early.

Larger groups are good for hanging out in bars, but for clubs I think groups of three or four is better. If I'm with 6 or more people I usually end up talking to them for pretty long, that doesn't mean it's boring but I'm also less likely to actually approach girls. That's just my opinion, though.

Agree about the rest.

[Dutch_guy]

Definitely go with a group, always. It helps getting into clubs if you're under age ( ), they'll never turn away a group of 6 or more people, and for the reasons BKS already mentioned. Good list, btw, BKS.