Author's product rating: 
| Advantages: |
Excellent fun ! |
| Disadvantages: |
None at all that I can think of |
| Recommend to potential buyers: |
yes |
No, this isn't a review of the kids cartoon misposted!
As the alt reviews for clubs, etc, seems to be sadly lacking here, I thought it a good idea to let anyone who reads my reviews know about this one and to hopefully entice a few of you along.
The following is a direct transcript from the oganiser (and top-notch DJ!) Jozafeen:
"Batfink started in August 2002 in The Grapes when I was whining I hadn't DJed for ages, that Dissy playlists hadn't changed significantly for years and there were lots of great new bands and less commercial Goth that deserved an airing. It was also impossible for talented new Sheffield DJs to get a guest set at Dissy which I thought they might have more chance of if they got a name playing another night. We always thought Dissy would be there and that there was a chance to complement it with a smaller more diverse event.
It just so happened that the barman listening in on the conversation could do bookings for the Grapes, that the only Saturday date available coincided with 4 Sheffgoth birthdays and the legend was born!
We were so packed on that first night that we immediately had to look for larger premises and have been at The Raynor Lounge ever since - a venue which we've also outgrown but which we've had trouble findng a replacement for. We're lucky enough to have been at or beyond official capacity levels ever since, despite the effort Batfinkers have to put in sending names to the doorlist etc.
We have stuck to our origial idea of letting new DJs play, combining that with guests from
other UK goth clubs and featuring new cutting bands on our playlist as well as the old standards.
Aside from our worthy intentions we are anything but a 'staple hand to forehead' goth night. Anyone who Batfinks is expected to dump any pretention at the door and have fun, maybe why there have been spontaneous conga lines, can can dancing and sing alongs - it's just that kind of night!"
I really CAN'T rate Batfink highly enough and I can honestly say that it's easily the best night I've been to in ages, as it's really the only one of its kind in Sheffield.
Batfink can be found at The Raynor Lounge, Sheffield University, Western Bank. Admission is £3.00 on the door, but to gain entry you either need to have an NUS card or mail the doorlist at
doorlist@batfink.org.uk . The hours are 9pm-1am and the event is usually on about the third Saturday of the month when the students are in residence. Further details can be found on the UK Goth Map under the South Yorkshire section (somewhere in the middle of the map for the geographically challenged! Hover your cursor and it'll eventually appear!).
As the venue is part of the uni, the drinks are also very cheap - I'm talking under £2.00 a pint for cider here, which is never a bad thing in my book!
Anyway, you'll never know what it's like unless you come along! There's no upper age restriction and it's NOT mandatory to have a white face, no smile and to dress all in black (although it sometimes helps - except for maybe the 'no smile' bit)!
To get there on public transport (I forgot about this bit!) you can get any of the buses that go to the Hallamshire or Childrens hospitals (50, 60 or 52 if memory serves me correctly. Ask for the stop nearest The Octagon if you don't know the area) or get the Middlewood or Malin Bridge tram to the University stop and walk up Glossop Road. The venue is bang next to The Octagon. Music is a mix of 80's, Goth and beep (with the odd other bit thrown in). At the end of the night, unless you're going elsewhere nearby, your best bet is to get a black cab from outside on the main road. As the Raynor Lounge is quite small it's always best to get there as close after nine as possible because it can very soon reach capacity.
EDIT: As of the 4th of June 2004, Batfink will be moving to Club Aqua (formerly The Round House). Club Aqua can be found underneath Ponds Forge, just off the Park Square roundabout on Commercial Street. Further information can be found at www.batfink.org.uk/. Tickets will be £4.00 in advance, £5.00 on the door and are available (if you get advance ones) from www.ticketweb.co.uk and all other outlets that sell tickets for The Leadmill. The new nearest tram stop will be Ponds Forge/Fitzalan Square and it's also within walking distance of the bus and rail stations.
