Remember Tequila? It’s coming back as ‘Sambuca’
It’s happening again
Bob PalmerIt’s Britain’s most divisive club night – either the wildest way to spend your Thursday or an outdated bastion of Lad culture.
Now a keen promoter is resurrecting controversial club night Tequila under the new name ‘Sambuca’.
The Leeds based night was unrivalled during its prime, but ran into trouble when it published a video in which patrons made rape jokes.
The backlash to the video, in which the host asked female students “how are you going to be violated tonight”, saw more than 100 students stage a protest against Tequila and after a lengthy battle the night was eventually closed down for good.
Now a resurrected night – dubbed ‘Sambuca’ – will take its place.
The offending video
The scandal also resulted in the closure of venue Mezz after a police investigation uncovered a spate of illegal activities taking place on the premises.
The new night, tentatively titled ‘Sambuca’, appears to have no direct connection to Tequila.
It will, however, take place on Thursdays at Syn (the venue which now stands on the site of Mezz).
James Kelly, who is behind the night, said: “Sambuca is all about bringing a new and exciting Thursday night to Leeds.”
“Whether you drink a lot of Tequila or Sambuca, the effect on you will be pretty much the same – I think that says what anyone needs to know.”
Mezz was closed last year after protests
A Facebook post from Nocturnal Events knowingly teased the association with the hashtag “#WhoNeedsTequila”.
This is not the first time that someone has tried to resurrect the cult night, with last year’s ‘Qualite’ running into venue troubles and eventually closing after a disappointing run.
When asked about the Tequila controversy, Kelly quipped: “I think it’s pretty obvious what brought Tequila down.”
“We’ll just make sure we don’t send any rape jokes to FemSoc before they ruin any more people’s fun.”
Time will tell if Sambuca will garner the same cult status as Tequila, and how its opening will sit with those outraged by the night last year.
Kelly promises: “We plan to bring you all the craziness that Tequila brought Leeds, but controlled 100% better.”