Monday's Child is Full of Woe-diac
The new JCR-sponsored entz event The Bop saw a below-par attendance for its opening evening this week, as the Zodiac denied rumours that it could face closure.
Numbers attending the 'Bop' night - organised by JCR Presidents from Wadham, Christ Church and St Hugh's - were around 350, less than half of the total capacity of 750 agreed for the night. Pre-sales for the event were as low as 150, but an influx of boppers on the night boosted the crowds.
The shaky start to the new venture followed a week in which the Zodiac's reputation as a popular entertainment venue was called into question after the nightclub received a number of complaints over the controversial 'Fuzzy Ducks' night - dubbed "the easiest place to pull in Britain" by FHM Magazine.
The Zodiac received a string of complaints after a "snogging competition" to win bottles of champagne escalated into public displays of oral sex. Proprietor Nick Moorbath told The Oxford Student that he had taken complaints "very seriously" but added that "we probably wouldn't be able to stop [such behaviour] anyway."
However, Moorbath dismissed as "an absolute load of rubbish" rumours circulating on the Oxford music publication NightShift that the venue was under threat of closure as a result of the Fuzzy Ducks incident.
The Zodiac came under further criticism for its door policy in light of allegedly "aggressive" behaviour by bouncers at a gig by Rock of Travolta on 9th February. The band themselves claimed that the reasons given for refusal of entry included "being too drunk, looking too young and having an annoying face."
There were no major controversies at Monday's bop, however. David White, Christ Church JCR President, commented that the specially arranged salsa dancing went down particularly well and other bop-goers mentioned that they enjoyed the mix of "standard cheese classics" and more diverse musical tastes. Teddy Hall JCR President Ali Richardson also said that the bouncers on the evening were "very friendly and chatty." The low prices of drinks and tickets - all at £1 each - are also reported to have been one of the most popular aspects of the event.
JCR Presidents originally launched the venture two weeks ago - in co-operation with student promoters Juice - on the basis of rotating responsibility whereby each week would allow different JCRs to market the low-cost entertainment. Poor attendance this week, though, has largely been blamed on the fact that only Wadham, Christ Church and St Hugh's were able to sell tickets. Next week, up to twelve colleges will be involved. Richardson maintained that the attendance was "a lot better than expected". However, Damian Jenkins of St Hugh's admitted that "numbers weren't great."
21st Feb 2002