Review: shake, rattle and roll

Slip on your dancing shoes, grab a bowtie or skater skirt and get ready to dance the night away because Thursday 27^th September signalled Itchy Feet’s return to St Andrews. Self-hailed hosts of ‘the ultimate alternative party’, Itchy Feet has developed a concept that is as simple as it is brilliant and they blast the very best of blues, funk and rock n’ roll music in hundreds of clubs, festivals and private gigs across the UK.

The night began at 10pm in Venue 1; the decks sat between two huge screens on which gritty black and white film footage of 50’s dancehalls were projected. The room slowly filled with very dapper students, all of whom had made the most of a rare opportunity to dress up to the nines. As classics such as ‘Twist and Shout’ and ‘Walk Right In, Walk Right Out’ blared from the speakers, inhibitions were soon forgotten and the crowd span, twirled and tapped across the dance floor. The Itchy Feet DJs stood on the stage boogie-ing away and singing along, enjoying themselves as much as the individuals in the crowd.  

For those students who are not fans of the Top 40 music we have grown accustomed to hearing at events, this is a chance to go old school and revel in the music from our parents’ or even our grandparents’ generation. The Itchy Feet DJs certainly didn’t disappoint, moving smoothly from modern jazz classics such as Amy Winehouse’s ‘Valerie’ into ‘Superstition’ by Stevie Wonder. In doing so, they catered to every person in the room and their eclectic musical tastes, as well as  preferred dancing styles.

All in all, by the time the evening came to a close, the room was filled with an exhausted but feel-good vibe and a sense that if you weren’t disgustingly sweaty then you weren’t doing it right. This is the second time this year that Itchy Feet has visited St Andrews and I’m sure it won’t be the last, as the event grows in popularity. More than anything, it provides an opportunity to do something different and be completely un-self-conscious in doing so. If you missed out on Thursday night, make sure you don’t the next time Itchy Feet come rocking round.

Check out The Stand’s photos of the night in StandCam.

Photographs ©Lauren Hepburn