Rudimental VII

Following the ‘euphoric times’ shared by twelve ‘like minded people’ on Wednesday, Fez was back in action again last night with the return of Rudimental. There was definitely a buzz in the air for all those who had sacked off Wednesday night Cindies – this was certainly the first big night of the term. Flat caps and dangling earrings were out in hordes ready to go allnacht, or whatever the word is.

Saying Fez is the only proper club in Cambridge has become as clichéd as expressing guilty love for that moment they play Titanic at Cindies. It was heartening that the general atmosphere of club was positive as a crowd that can sometimes seem to see themselves as ‘too cool for Cambridge’ seemed genuinely excited to be starting a new term.

Considering the night’s comparatively minimal facebook presence, the hour long queue was a testament to the art of promotion without spamming. Clearly Rudimental’s reputation for being the closest Cambridge gets to ‘real’ clubbing was enough to get people through the door. Although those who turned up fashionably late were made to go home unfashionably early, those who made it in were not disappointed. As strange as it sounds to describe a club based around a Moroccan café as having a warehouse vibe, the organisers achieved an authentic feel based around the music rather than the price of drinks.

There was a tendency for last term’s nights to move into dark territory pretty quickly, perhaps alienating the majority for whom the word ‘champion’ evokes memories of the Olympics rather than harsh, tasty beats. Perhaps in response to that, danceability was the watchword of the evening. DJs Champion and Tom Shorterz blasted out bass heavy, funky beats and UK garage – the dropping of So Solid Crew’s ‘21 seconds’ left hardly a static body in the house and that carried on into the early hours.

The club was, unsurprisingly, packed to bursting making it necessary to incorporate being elbowed in the back part of your skanking routine. Fortunately stepping outside amongst the smokers was not as uncomfortable experience as the arctic conditions would suggest. The sub zero temperatures, previously known to freeze water in taps, dissipated in the warmth of the wildly hedonistic and friendly atmosphere.

Towards the end of the night Thefft ramped up the techno aspect of the music, veering back towards the more house-orientated feeling of last term. However by this stage this displayed a refreshing variety that kept people on the floor until closing time. As people wandered back, slightly saucepan eyed and ready to sleep through tomorrow’s lectures, Rudimental had staked a fair claim to be the best night in Cambridge.