Last Song At The Club...

Funny because I was having a conversation with my cousin the other day about nightclubs and he said that one he frequented in Minneapolis would always play Kool and the Gang's "Celebration". Disco indeed.

The usual lasts songs from my goth-inclined teenage were "La Fête Triste" by Trisomie 21 - quite effective in goth-smooch fashion - or the Pistols, to please the bored punksters who had to bear SOM all night long.

Currently where I go out you get to hear "Do you wanna touch?" by Joan Jett at the end, which is much more to the point, isn't it.

As a New Wave Nights dj I always finished off with either "Vienna" by Ultravox (elegant and "New European", wintertime frozen synth) or "Romeo is Bleeding" by Tom Waits, which is pretty much the opposite of Midge Ure wanking and not at all New Wave, obviously. I quite like the idea of clearing the place with something totally unrelated, it's vicious. "Nick the Stripper" is rather wicked, too.

overplayed last songs, I Am The Resurrection of course, but other contenders have been The Verve's Bittersweet Symphony, Edge*1's Cmpnded, and 4 Voice's Catching the Scent of Mystery. stop it now, ok?

as for the smooch section, i think Club Sussed has got that covered in its Erection Section (TM).

didn't the Disobey mob have a club in London about 5 years ago, where they started of with low level noise, and then gradually increased the volume (locking the doors at midnight so no-one could leave) until it reached painful Pan Sonic levels, where people were being sick and stuff.

i have decided that Zappa's Peaches En Regalia might be a good way to end

Tommy James & The Shondells' "Crimson & Clover" is a good one; not quite "Stairway To Heaven" cringe-worthy, but a big enough hit to induce both hipsters and squares onto the dance floor. It has a stairway-like tempo change that most people will just slow-dance awkwardly right on through, which may be good for a larf. Also long enough for the dj to go try and talk the bar into one last pint.

Gareth- I'm surprised you didnt say Autechre :) "Vienna" is a good one... I've been finishing with either the Terry Farley mix of "Come Together" by Primal Scream, or "Frontier Psychiatrist" by Avalanches, followed by a random early 80's tv theme tune e.g. Swap Shop or Grange Hill. D'ya reckon theres any truth in the theory that finishing with a kids TV theme dissuades people from fighting outside after because of the regression thing?

The host DJ at Crash, the siitng down and maybe dancing to hiphop/dance/techno club that I frequent of a Sunday Night, has taken to playing Ash's "Burn Baby Burn" last thing. Certainly gets 'em dancing.

D'ya reckon theres any truth in the theory that finishing with a kids TV theme dissuades people from fighting outside after because of the regression thing?

i believe this was looked into by one particular police force to be played at pub chucking out time. i think the idea holds more water if you consider that most pubs shut at the same time leading to a sudden flashpoint area, whereas clubs shut at different times, and people leave at different times.

i think this was tried out in a town rather than a city, which would also make more sense as towns tend to be more violent on Saturday nights than cities (violence of the brawling variety anyway)

on a personal level, i think i would rather avoid any club that played tv themes to reduce possible tension, because i don't frequent clubs where there is likely to be tension/violence in the first place.

i much prefer weatherall's version to farley's, but i'm not sure i'd want either to end a club night.

Big climax record isn't the actual closer though. In four SUSSEDs I've only played the final set once. I used "Baby One More Time" into "One More Time" as the last big dancer and then put on "Zebra" by the Magnetic Fields to send people home enchanted.

Tom, are you confusing 'enchanted' with 'bemused' or possibly 'drunk'.

I would finish an indie club with some kind of incendiary device. But you know my feelings on this subject.

Twitch and Johnny at Optimo play, or used to play, Nina Simone's "Feelin Good" to close out their reggae/techno/Iggy Pop sets. (points for multiple possible interpretations/uses by the punters. "feelin good - so fuck off chatboy" or "feelin good - let's go home and shag" or "i'm feelin good - got 7 quid man?")

Mention of Optimo makes me recall an interesting pop nugget that has fascinated me for years and I never really got an explanation of it.

During the 1960s Glasgow clubs (or "the dancin'") as it is still actually known would often play an obscure Joe Meek creation a cover of the Drifters 'Please Stay' by The Cryin Shames (Not the same as the Nuggets band Cryan Shames) as the last song in much the same way as last songs such as 'Albatross' or 10cc's 'Im not in Love' were used were used in the days where you got off with someone with the slow song at the end of the evening.

It seems to have been a big hit in Glasgow but only had minor national success (it is Meeks last ever chart entry though). But for people of a certain age in central Scotland is synonymous with getting (or not getting) a lumber. That certain age is slightly older than myself btw, I was more interested in farleys rusks at the time.

Its an astonishing record for Meek-ologists, not just because of the strange phenomenon of its localised success. It features the strangest weird 'rotating wah wah' treated vocals and lisping speech impediment delivery "Ivv ah gat on mah kne -ee -ee -ee ss". Its a classing teen angst song too. Your ears are paupers if you haven't heard it even if you aren't desperately worried about getting the bus home on your own.

As far as late Meek goes, how about "It's Hard To Believe It" by Glenda Collins? It doesn't get much better than that ...

i am certain we've done 'last song of the night' more recently than...
*HALF A DECADE AGO* but anyway there's far more meat on this bone if not.

comedy songs are usually popular, also tv theme tunes, silly arsed easy listening covers of like, heavy metal and such. i think i've rarely heard 'say hello wave goodbye' OUT of this context.

and if anyone can find the other thread...

Back in the day (1987-89), I used to favour Cristina's "Is That All There Is" or David Byrne's "Cloud Chamber".

"Where's Me Bastard Jumper?"

'You give a little love' from the Bugsy Malone stk is my favourite final flourish.