Escape From Samsara - 1st December 2000

"I'm dancing like a handful of crisps" -Nessi, The Fridge.

Monday morning 7.55 am 

I'm not sure that first thing monday morning is really a safe enough distance away from the weekend to turn back and start reviewing the whole mess. But I'm going to anyway. I always think you should write whenever you like, even if you can't operate properly. That way you get the truth, a clearer indication of how you feel about it. This weekend was inevitable. Sooner or later this was bound to happen. I had such a good plan. Go to Samsara at the Fridge, be back home at lunchtime on Saturday, spend rest of weekend bringing bunchofcaners right up to date. I got the Fridge part right at least! 

The Pub 

It was Fiona's Birthday on Saturday, so Friday night the bunchofcaners gathered at the Prince of Wales in Brixton ready to head to the Fridge. There are a lot of us, the largest gathering since Departures. Clearly this is looking special as Keith dances around the pub like a loon - he's been drinking since lunchtime. I'm awaiting the arrival of Katy, who has won a free night at the Fridge in our competition. We go over to Fridge and she hasn't shown up yet. As we're waiting in the queue a lovely girl comes up to me and asks me if I'm Drew. It's her and she's found me. Major relief, and now we're all set. Into the Fridge we go. Coats and bags away, and now some shopping for fluorescent bits and pieces for Katy's tongue and then down to our usual spot, the platform to the right of the DJs. We're in, we're settled and, within half an hour, we're completely boxed. 

The Fridge. 

Our favourite venue in London. The best lights. Lovely cool air, lots of fans to keep heat away. Good up for it crowd. And the music - we've been going for harder, dirtier stuff more recently, and to come back to something more bouncy and uplifting was an absolute joy. Just listen to some of the soundbites for proof of that. It really is such a good venue. Plenty of dance space, plenty of places to sit down. And the gimmicks just make it for me, dancers, beachballs and confetti (of which more later) all were brilliant. Well that's my review of the Fridge - simply but to the point. It's really hard to stress too much what a great place it is. "Much love to Fridge", as Katy said, "our home away from home".

So we danced, we talked, we hugged - there was something for all the family, laughter and tears, sorrow and joy. Friendships were made. Bonds were put in place. Christmassing was done left right and centre. Everyone was christamassing bunchofcaners and for that I thank you all very much.

Every time I go to the Fridge I seem to have what I call a Spiritual Moment. A moment where something takes me by surprise and is really really beautiful. The first time I saw the confetti at the end was one. A taxi ride home to a gospel rendition of Amazing Grace was another. Friday it was the opening chords of Born Slippy. Hearing those oh-so-familiar notes sent such a shiver down my spine. The crowd's reaction was amazing, it just goes to show the DJs that you can always rely on an old favourite to get the crowd in a frenzy.

I did have the confetti moment, although it was expected and therefore lesser. And I had the taxi driver - He, Mike and I sang Careless Whispers along with George Michael. Nice one. 

The Aftermath

We all head back to Keith's. We see the sun come up. We see the sun go down again. We see the sun come up again. We see the sun go down again. We figure it really is time to go home.

Some wonderful things happened this weekend and I'm still trying to figure out what to take away from it all. I feel closer to friends like Sacha and Martin, Fiona, Greg and especially Keith - to whom I spoke barely any words on Friday because "no words are necessary".  We listened to some of the best music of the year. We made new friends: Richard, and the wonderful Katy - mad props to you my girl.

All in all, a totally lost weekend. One I will never forget, one I think will be hard to repeat. One which defined the spirit of bunchofcaners wholly and completely.

with love

drew

Your Friday night bunchofcaners were - Fiona, Greg, Julie, Dave, Sacha, Martin, Madeline, Gerds, Rods, Lorna, Vicki, Nessi, Keith, Steve, Mike, Liz, Richard, Katy and Drew.