Slinky @ The Opera House - New Year's Eve 2002

Slinky @ The Opera House Review - NYE 2002 image

On our way out West the mission started with an hour and a half drive before arriving into Boscombe (just outside Bournemouth), the home of Slinky HQ. It was as if we had only been there last week, but already a year had past since we'd had the pleasure of gracing the Slinky dance floor. As we piled round the corner you could hear the noise of the other clubbers car stereos and loud laughter as preparations were finalised echoing from the multi storey car park next door. We abandoned the motor and headed for the infamous Opera House!

Slightly distracted we saw the Green Bar and gratefully joined hoards of clubbers (also heading for Slinky) for the last drink, and Happy Hour of the year... Looking ahead it was all good - tonight's strong line up comprised of Anne Savage, John 00 Fleming (a Worthing local lad), the Tidy Boys, Radio 1's Daniel Bailey and resident Tim Lyall.

We headed for the queue of excited party peeps where we were sent through a brief security check before being ushered into the club. It was jackets off (just before the queue was bursting out to the door!) and straight into the main room for Slinky's own Mr Tim Lyall. The room was absolutely banging, everyone was situated on a different levels, the balcony was for the more relaxed, chilling zone and the dance floor was filled with glow sticks and mad clubbers going for it.

There was a big rush of energy as the Tidy Boys span their 1^st tune of the night, stilt walkers appeared from no where and the majority of the balcony shifted from their seats and joined in the kick-arse New Years Eve celebrations. Another massive reaction was caused when the 'Can You Dance To My Beat' anthem was dropped and the place erupted with Slinky silliness and wide grins all round!

We left the main room to re fuel with refreshments and found Tim Lyall now on the decks in the (suspiciously named) Dirt Box or Room 2, we bounced around to some excellent choice choons before heading back to the main room to celebrate the New Year in the heart of the main Slinky arena! The Tidy Boys began the count down for midnight and caused some funny looks to be exchanged as their New Year mix of 'We Wish You A Merry Christmas' and 'Auld Lang's Sine' proved interesting, to say the least. We entered 2003 with the sound of 'Can You Feel The Love' enchanting the masses.

Everybody had hit the height of the night and things were about to turn messy, we made our way to the chill out area for a quick rest, until I realised that it was no smoking? We ended up back on the main dance floor within minutes. The floors had started to fill with bodies, as security got on the case rounding them up like sheep.

Back in the booth Anne Savage took to the decks at around 1.30am and played an amazing set, chock full of thumping, rhythmic tracks you couldn't help but shake it to. It was all topped off superbly by the energetic John 00 Fleming who followed suit keeping up the pace till the wee small hours of 2003.

I think we can safely say a wicked night was had by all, an amazing atmosphere courtesy of all the Slinky Kids accompanied by a perfect sound track of blissful banging beats! Our special thanks to Slinky for hosting one mother of a New Years Eve event. Happy New Year all round & it seems Slinky have started as they mean to go by breaking boundaries both at home and worldwide!