C.R.E.A.M.

The flyer promised REAL CHANGE. REAL MUSIC. REAL UNI EXPERIENCE. The acronym was even more bold – C.R.E.A.M. (Cambridge Representing Everything About Music). These are impressive claims, especially for a club advertising its opening night, but CREAM went at least some of the way towards achieving them.

To be honest, it would probably have been great even if it had just been relying on the wave of optimism that greets any new injection of energy into Cambridge nightlife. However, there was an air of promise that suggested CREAM may be able to live up to the difficult task of making this a repeat success every Sunday night.

Clearly no single clubnight could ever hope to represent everything about music, nor did CREAM actually seem particularly hung up on doing this themselves. What they did instead was deliver a much better serving than what usually gets dished up on a Sunday – far less cheesy than Cindies, less predictable than Life.

Whether or not this is a good thing clearly depends on what sort of clubbing experience you’re searching out. Fans of Fez’s more alternative nights will most likely have been disappointed, as the music certainly had its eye more to the charts than to the underground. Combining populism with credibility is always hard, but CREAM managed to pull a sizeable crowd while remaining above the same dull playlist we hear every week in Cindies.

CREAM may only just be beginning to elbow its way into Cambridge club land, but it already seems well balanced as a counterpoint between these two extremes. While the middle ground is rarely an exciting or indeed a satisfying place to be – just ask the Liberal Democrats – it is often reliable, and so long as they don’t stray too far into ‘safe’ territory, CREAM could avoid the repetition that they seek to change.

As mentioned above, the promoters needn’t have worried about attracting the numbers – Cambridge was out in force, with hordes of freshers packed in like sardines. At times it felt too much like a sweaty shoebox, but this is only to be expected during the mayhem that is Freshers Week. Fortunately, the superior space that is Fez meant that the large numbers translated into a lively crowd rather than an unpleasant crush.

Not knowing exactly what to expect on arrival, I ended up having a great time, and the fact that the club remained busy until the early hours may be a good sign that CREAM has the staying power to make a real impression on Cambridge. Entry was cheap, drinks prices were reasonable as well, and there was a good vibe all night long. CREAM was far from stunning, and I feel it may need something a bit more special up its sleeve in order to stick around, but this was a great night out on almost all accounts. Lord knows we need a few more of those here in the Bubble.