Could roller disco save clubbing?
A series of skating events, starting tonight, will be hosted by high-profile DJs, as music promoters experiment with new ways to make the crowds roll in. Emma Love reports
DJs these days pop up in the most unexpected places. Not just in nightclubs or on the summer festival circuit, but now as entertainment at roller discos too. Yes, you read that right; it seems that roller discos are having something of a moment, helped along by a healthy dose of well-known DJs on the decks and plenty of live performances by bands. But is this latest mix-up in the arts world a step too far – we’re already used to seeing poetry and book classes at festivals, dance in art galleries, theatre under railway arches, pianos on the streets and debates in nightclubs – or simply a brilliant swing back to all things 1970s with a cool, live music twist?
It’s not that roller discos haven’t always had DJs on the decks, rather it’s that by introducing high-profile names and live bands to perform alongside them, they’ve suddenly upped their game considerably. What was once just a kitsch night out with a touch of nostalgia has become a music event that counts. The question is what’s next: live gospel choirs singing Christmas carols at ice-skating rinks? Now that would definitely be something else worth getting your skates on for.