There are so many annoying and distasteful aspects of traditional nightclubbing. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that a silent disco ELIMINATES every single one of these aspects! Following is a list of all the things there are to dislike about traditional nightclubbing and how a silent disco is so much better! This is based on a silent disco event held in the crypt at St Martin’s In the Fields church in London.
Upon entry, everyone is issued with a set of headphones.
The music is too loud!
The headphones that everyone wears is equipped with personalised volume control. Each individual can turn up or down their music to suit their preference! This autonomy is something that is missing from a traditional nightclub and a massive plus of a silent disco!
I hate the music being played
Each headphone is capable of changing channels. On the day we visited, there were 3 different channels curated by 3 separate DJ’s. Each person can control the channel on their headphones depending on their mood and music tastes. The colour of the lights on the headphones show others in the room what music channel a person has selected.
In addition to a level of freedom that comes with having some choice of music, everyone can see which channel others are enjoying. This leads to a level of competition among the three DJ’s. It must be such a thrill for a DJ to see the crowd change colours on their headphones to dance to their channel. Their channel colour spreading contagiously through the crowd like a virus!
I can’t chat to my friends!
One of the best parts of a silent disco is the ability to slip off the headphones and chat to ones friends. The room is quiet and it is possible to have proper conversation.
Nightclubs = noise pollution
As the music is only transmitted via headphones, there is zero issue with noise pollution impacting neighbours! Brilliant!
The unexpected upside of no noise pollution is the flexibility to hold silent discos in all kinds of cool and unusual places. We went to an event in the crypt of an old church, St Martins In the Field. It’s a bit surreal dancing on a grave in this historic building. In London, silent discos are also held at the Natural History Museum, on the 72nd floor at The Shard building and on a boat cruise going up and down the Thames. There are even West End musical type silent disco walking tours around central London.
Nightclubbing is full of inebriated, sleazy people
On the night we were there, the vibe was about the joy of dancing and being with friends. There was none of the sleaziness normally associated with nightclubbing.
I have to get dressed up in uncomfortable clothing!
At the event we were there, this was not a requirement at all. It felt very wholesome and diverse. Everyone was just dressed comfortably to have a boogie!
Nightclubbing requires me to stay up way too late!
The event started about 8pm and finished at midnight! Perfect to head to with friends after dinner and then off to bed at a reasonable hour after releasing a whole bunch of happy endorphins dancing!
Clearly, based on one event, I was thoroughly impressed by the whole concept of a silent disco. If you like to dance, this is absolutely something worth trying!
