Happy Mondays?
Monday night entz have not been the most popular in Oxford, for one obvious reason: work. The Brookes students who predicted the demise of Pop Ya Cherry were right in their assessment of the OUSU-organised evening, because they recognised that it will take more than another club night to entice students from the centre of the city up the Cowley Road when they have work to do and similar long-established, popular nights to attend throughout the rest of the week.
So it would be very easy to dismiss Monday nights as quiet nights in Oxford, but the new Bop night at the Zodiac, organised by Juice and various JCR Presidents across Oxford, seems to recognise where some of the problems lie. Securing transport to the club from across the University for the rest of the term is a clever idea, as is securing cheap tickets through JCRs. They seem to have found an enterprising and accessible way to promote a night out on a Monday evening.
Although their ideas are good, and they have defended the success of The Bop, it remains to be seen whether Monday nights are worth exploiting. It also remains to be seen whether the Zodiac is the correct venue for such a night.
The club has hosted events in recent weeks which can only be described as offensive, in the same vein as the stripping at Pop Ya Cherry. The refusal of certain students to the recent Rock of Travolta gig at the club, because of "an annoying face", also questions the reputation of the venue. It is understood that those JCR Presidents involved with establishing the selling of tickets in colleges have asked for no controversy from Juice along the lines of Pop Ya Cherry, but this further bad press may not help their cause.
Ironically, the Zodiac is perhaps Oxford's best music venue, and this blip in its reputation can hopefully be overcome; if the club can restore its name for top quality nights, then perhaps Mondays could be the new entz night in Oxford.
If someone could pass the word onto our tutors, that might help too...
21st Feb 2002