There have traditionally always been a large number of alternative nights in Essex, but these have been fading away in recent years. With many of the popular haunts for rock and metal fans either closing down or selling to new owners who are more interested in the mainstream crowd's wallets, not to mention the decreasing quality of music hosted at the region's popular live venues, it's a hard time to be a fan of rock, metal or most other alternative music genres in Essex or the surrounding UK area.
There are, however, a few club nights in the area which cater for this crowd, such as Colchester's the Big Lick, Chelmsford's ReBay and others such as the Pink Tooth Brush. Hosted by people who clearly just host these nights for the love of it, combined with the obvious enthusiasm of those who attend, it's surprising that there aren't more alternative nights in Essex to cater for these people. Perhaps it's the obvious love of the scene that stops the opportunists trying to catch in, or perhaps it's the fact that rock and metal fans are known for their abilities to spot people trying to make a quick buck.
There's a surprising amount of work and dedication that goes into putting on a rock club night; the Big Lick for example, has a staff of professional graphic designers, copywriters and more taking care of everything needed while juggling full time jobs and although none of them would complain - the Big Lick is a labour of love, after all - there is a lot of work that goes into putting on a successful rock club night.
The music has to be just the right mix of old and new, moshpit-friendly and singalong fodder, danceable and aggressive and everything in between, and this is ultimately what will make or break a rock club night - the club itself can be lovely, everything can be wonderfully organised but at the end of the day, if the music's not up to snuff, the night won't succeed with the region's notoriously critical crowd. This is where the also-rans fall by the wayside and where nights like ReBay and the Big Lick succeed - the music's always just right, allowing the attendees to enjoy what's being played as much as they're enjoying the drinks and the hospitality of the club.
Although the glory days of the Essex alternative, rock and metal scene might be behind us - for the time being at least - there are still several strong club nights keeping the scene alive for those people that would rather have a pint of beer and a headbang rather than sit down with a glass of wine in a trendy chain pub and long may it continue.
About this Author
Ben Johnston is a copywriter and music lover who is a long-standing fan of alternative nights in Essex such as the Big Lick. Find out more at http://www.thebiglick.co.uk/
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