Review: Itchy Feet

What better way to get back into the swing of uni life than the return of Itchy Feet? Itchy Feet’s mission statement describes themselves as “the homeless party”, with different DJs and bands performing under the Itchy Feet umbrella from Edinburgh to Bath. In their own words, “we apply the same formula to wherever the wind takes us, so no longer will you have to listen to the same old s**t”. Indeed, it was far from the “same old”. What you got for your money (£8) was a DJ-band-DJ sort of sandwich. The DJ was using the same headphones that I do, so naturally I had a lot of respect for him. Diversity was the by-word of the night, with the DJ playing everything from swing, soul and ska, to rock ‘n’ roll and funk. The mood changed when the band, Will and the People, got on the stage and started playing what was apparently ‘reggae mixed with house and rock’. They were great, but everybody wanted another slice of that DJ.

This was my first Itchy Feet experience, and I was first struck by the amount of energy that this kind of dancing requires. Usually in Venue 1 or the Lizard you can easily get away with a minimal foot shuffle and a few fist-pumps, but anyone not putting in 100% at Itchy Feet just looked ridiculous. You had to give it your all or just go home. The energetic dancing combined with the fact that it was packed made dancing in the midst of the crowd a risky business, leaving me and my dance partner with multiple injuries, both physical and mental. She already had a hairline fracture in her fibula, and attempting one dance move left us both on the floor and her in need of some ibuprofen.

The ticket price sets Itchy Feet in an unknown territory – somewhere between the Bop and a Ball. Although cheaper than last year, I would still say that this was a particularly expensive night out for St Andrews. Considering, though, that the Itchy Feet bandwagon only comes to town once a year, it was definitely worth jumping on.

For similar crazy dancing, head to Squeeze 500, which is due to return to the Union sometime in March.

 Itchy Feet, £8, Venue 1, 10pm, 9 February

Written by April Vellacott, standing-room-only writer

Photos: © Renata Grasso