London School of Excess

Although there are better things I can think of doing for a night out than spend it with a load of economists, it has to be said that LSE's union is certainly enviable. It's popular, they have leather seats, multiple floors, more of the female gender, and it's even a little cheaper. I know what you're thinking. Bastards. Don't let anything put you off going, though, because one of the all round best outings in London is one of their flagship nights, on the pleasingly convinient Saturday slot. There's also a big clubnight on Fridays called Crush, but it's best not to mention my experience with that one (it involved pouring alcohol down my ears to drown out that horrendous noise people call urban 'music').

Afterskool has been going for a while now, and it describes itself as an indie and electro night. Amongst the usual suspects, there's a certain New Wave influence amongst it all, with the likes of Talking Heads and David Bowie rearing their heads for the dancefloor once again. There, are of course, your usual indie anthems which they pump out through the speakers, expect to hear something like Love Will Tear Us Apart or Common People at some point or another, most likely towards the end of the night. There's also your standard selection of relatively new and danceable indie hits; The Arcade Fire are certainly popular, and whether you like them or not, there's the seemingly omnipresent Franz Ferdinand and their various remixes to keep you throwing funky shapes (whoever did that remix of the first 3 notes of Do You Want To that lasts about 13 minutes will pay for leg injury for dancing too long, I fucking swear). It sounds a bit strange to criticize a night of it, but personally I do feel that Afterskool sometimes skimps a bit on the electronic side of their moniker - there's a fair bit of 80s stuff that has SYNTHESIZERS, but don't get your hopes up thinking you're going to be having a night of dance music - this is strictly for guitar and guitar/electronic hybrid stuff.

I have this unshakeable feeling that this place reminds me of the Haçienda (if you don't know what that is, then may I suggest the Steve Coogan movie 24 Hour Party People). The main area spans two stories, and has whacking great big pillars running down from a balcony, which you can look over onto the dancefloor from. Below hence lies the bar, which as I mentioned, is extraordinarily cheap: may the lord bless student unions. It's usually under two quid for a pint, in fact, I've found the rule of thumb is that it's about 5-10p cheaper than Imperial. This means that, for a change, you can actually get drunk on something you like and spend as much as you would at an average pub, without having to make do with whatever piss happened to be on special offer. Panic, I'm looking at you, with your SODDING Kronenburg (however you do play Belle & Sebastian loads, so I still love you).

And then there's the atmosphere. Okay, so you'll still see the occassional music elitist with stupid hair and a ridiculous hat (guilty as charged) as is per usual in indie establishments, but Afterskool is largely full of erm, students! Respectable students! Not that I have anything bad to say about the ladies at somewhere like ooh, Cheapskates. But it's a somewhat fun and friendly atmosphere, it's not full of horny males and neither is it full of music scenesters that are just too cool to dance.

So, it's easy to find, easy to get back from (you've got to love those buses in Camden at 3 in the morning), a good time of the week, damn cheap, and has a great atmosphere. About the only complaint I can level against this place is that I wish it played more varied music, but it's a minor critique, and one I'm sure won't apply to 99% of you kids out there. If you enjoy indie music in the slightest - this is essential stuff.

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