In the Spring of 2022, the Irish DJ, author, and broadcaster Annie MacManus, who mixes under the name of “Annie Mac”, launched “Before Midnight”, a new entertainment initiative. Sorry to disappoint but she is not referring to Richard Linklater’s famous romance movie. Instead, she envisioned and created a new concept of clubbing based on people’s love for music and dancing, that would start around 7 pm and end just before midnight. With this idea, always aiming at creating a more inclusive environment, MacManus recently affirmed to the New York Times: “There is an inherent belief that clubbing is for young people. There is now a generation of people who experienced clubbing in its most popular guise, and still want to do that, but do not feel like they belong there anymore.”
Tim Lawrence, professor at the University of East London, renowned author, and scholar who has extensively researched and written about the cultural history of clubbing and its socio-cultural significance, has helped clarifying the cultural, social, and artistic dimensions of club culture, shedding light on its enduring impact on contemporary music and nightlife. Known for throwing a London dance party starting at 5 pm every two months, Tim Lawrence gave his opinion on the Before Midnight initiative. “An earlier timetable allows a different approach to dancing, which can potentially be more expressive, more interactive and go a bit deeper on a social level.”
However, beyond the immense demand she received regarding this form of clubbing, from older people, what was more interesting to Anne Mac was the attendance of many youngsters. There are various ways to interpret this. According to Tim Lawrence: "For older generations, the club was a sanctuary, a place to unwind and connect with others. But for Gen Z, who grew up with smartphones and instant gratification, the idea of spending hours in a crowded, noisy club does not hold the same appeal." Some others define Gen Z as the “stay-at-home generation”. Specifically in an interview for The Guardian with E1’s, one of East London’s superclubs, senior operations manager Jack Henry said: “To be young and staying in on the weekend would once have spelled social death. But for gen Z it increasingly becomes the norm.”
In another interview, Kyle, a 19-year-old student at the University of Greenwich, mentioned the financial difficulties that many students face, which prevents them from clubbing. “I would love to go out every weekend but I do not have the money”, and he surely is not the only one. Other students have also expressed how their demanding university schedules or work commitments make it difficult for them to stay out all night clubbing and deal with the next day hangover.
People love to have fun and escaping from reality. The fact that societal norms have changed only leads us to adapt our formally existing ways of having fun, like clubbing, into something more inclusive. So, will this Before Midnight idea become the new inclusive, no-age limit, positive way of clubbing?
By Dimou Marianthi
To go further on our April file dedicated to agriculture, you can read our Culture and International Relations sections’ articles on our blog.
Follow MINERVIEWS
