Serendipity

Inna?State
Friday, August 18
The Boxing Club, Chatham Street, Reading

By Keith Corcoran

Article copyright © 2000 O-Reading

It's been a while since I've been Inna?State, in fact well over a year now, but the thought of them moving to the Boxing Club is an interesting proposal. I don't think it was ever really suitable for the After Dark - yeah an enjoyable time for all, but the back bar just doesn't work as a chill-out area.

 So, with "likkle" email reminders from Inna?State master Dark Angel including promises of UVs, massage area and a tea room (YES!), I headed off through the hell that is Reading on a Friday night - pissed up anti-social lager louts - to see if they could achieve it all.

 Last week's Frontier Spirit set a new standard for all nights in Reading, but even yours truly is surprised that Inna?State have managed to pull off something pretty damn good. The chill out area (the usual Ooops! tent) has been decored to the hilt, full of vibrant colours and giant insects, brought to life under the UV tubes - they even put down carpet!

 The tent is nearly rammed by the time I turn up. The numbers there don't bode well for inside of the Boxing Club itself, but, no, there's an adequate smattering of bodies dancing their proverbial nuts off to live sounds and (computer generated) projections of Lunatik Fringe and the gloriously monickered Aminita Muscaria who got the revellers revelling by playing the Carpenters classic 'Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft'. As the night progressed, the beats got harder and faster (moving into an almost Techno direction rather than Trance) and as the floor began to fill up, my foot started twitching, but since I have two left feet I couldn't do a thing about it!

  Wandering around, there were enough happy, blissed up faces - no beer boys or worse still cattle market fever, that seem to ruin certain nights in town - all intent on getting down to the beats, rather than attempting dodgy chat up lines etc.

Unfortunately, due to my, somewhat, hectic schedule over the next week or so, I bow out early (yeah, I know - lightweight!), but I know that the next Inna?State is going to be high on my list of club priorities, maybe next time even I might shake a leg. Damn! I even forgot to get a cup of tea - next time.