- The one great thing about the state of this country right now is the sheer calibre of entertainment on offer at the weekend. We Irish, ever the party animals of the world, know how to put on a good show. While The Twisted Pepper and The Button Factory have rubberstamped their presence on the capital's clubbing map, new nights are constantly springing up as a result of meticulous planning and a mutual love of the one thing that binds these nights together: the music. Despite the draconian licensing laws; managers, promoters and ravers have all combined to flick a middle finger in the government's direction in the name of getting people dancing again.
The latest club on the ever-evolving list of Dublin techno watering holes is The ThinkTank and their new night "Dizzy Disko." Refurbished and crucially reinvigorated, it's a welcome substitute to The Hub, a club affectionately regarded as a "kip" by all Dubliners, except maybe its criminally inexperienced sound man/interior designer. So what of the new club? More Jolie than Winehouse, that's for sure. Two rooms with good vibes, slick couches and crisp sound systems illuminated by the venue's multicolour LED floor/ceiling combo gives the place a professional touch, which one passing reveller described as being "Watergate." "Esque." They know their techno this bunch, I'll give them that.
The heaving dance floor was complemented by the grinding tech house and techno of Zoo Project resident Defex, bizarrely accompanied on stage by bongo players for a reason I still haven't figured out. The night got brilliantly weirder with the innocuous yet eerie presence of passing rabbit masks on the guys and painted cat whiskers on every second female. In the side room, residents Gordo, Rob C and Dave De Velera kept things ticking over nicely without stealing the limelight from their astutely booked international guest.
Despite the aforementioned licensing laws, any self respecting techno fan will tell you that the night never ends after the gig—especially not in a city where the clubs are cleared with German-like efficiency before the clock even hits three bells. Thankfully, the promoters seemed to agree. The solution was an easy one—convincing Defex to continue the party in what we shall call an abandoned squat in the city centre. Dark, reckless and infectious—this debauchery was clubbing as it should be. If this continues, there's going to be some DJ's with sore heads on the 10 AM Saturday morning flight to Berlin. Thanks to the Dizzy Disco boys, €10 sure goes further than it used to around here.