Live Lounge

If you ever happen to ask around in the students environment, in Cardiff, you will most certainly hear the same answer: Live Lounge sucks. Well, on that statement I strongly disagree, and everyone who's ever been my friend (or has ever shared a night out with me) knows that, as I can't help but suggest to go there every night I have the chance to. And this time, I am going to explain why.

Live Lounge is not a club; Live Lounge is not a bar; it is not a café, nor a restaurant; it's not a pub. Live Lounge is all of these things, and - of course, what did you expect? - much more. It is (Captain Obvious) - a live lounge. You can go there to have lunch, dinner and have nice drinks; during the day it is a nice (ordinary) place, fine good and everything. It is at night that things get seriously interesting.

Think it like this: you don't have much money but want to have fun? Go to Live Lounge. You are the only one left of your company? Go to Live Lounge. You got very drunk and thrown out Glam or any other "fancy club"? Go to Live Lounge.

Life Lounge is fair, it's just, it never betrays you; you will always be welcome there.

At this point, I have reasons to believe you understand I love this place. If you are not a true clubber (as myself) you will know: I never enjoyed super fancy places, as they are normally quite expensive, the drinks (which are, obviously, expensive too) are not the best; all you can find there is self-absorbed people showing off and, most of all, the music is not music at all. My idea of dance music (yes, I am 80) is the one you can sing along to; when we all know the song, we all sing our lungs out, strangers put their arms on your shoulders; we are suddenly a whole bunch of friends. What I am trying to say is: if you consider yourself not a club type but more a concert type of person, Live Lounge is your Kingdom (as there is always a live show - mainly cover bands - from 22 to midnight, normally). I would have never imagined that I could find that same atmosphere (we are all together, we all suck at dancing, we all laugh at ourselves - we all try to have serious fun) in a bar (I honestly don't know how to call it). I was wrong, definitely.

Now, I am not talking here about the drinks (which are just like in any other drinking place), nor the music (live shows, normally cover bands playing music mainly from the 90s/late90s/early00s; Sum41, Blink182, Bowling for Soup, Bruno Mars, The Killers, Queen and many many many others; I have to say though, there isn't much variety... but, call me crazy, I love that; it makes it all familiar and well-known to you, and you just feel comfortable), which you may or may not like. I am talking here about the spirit. In Live Lounge, no one looks at the outer you. Nobody looks at your outfit, nor at your dancing skills (which might be rather scarce, if you are vaguely similar to myself). People appreciate if you are having fun, that's all that really matters.

I know very well that this all might sound a bit crazy, or at least obsessive. But try to go there. If you don't like it, alright. But if you do, trust me you will never want to go anywhere else.

I had fun there, I strengthened my friendships, I became more aware of myself and more self - confident; I got very drunk many times and, why not?, I had various interesting encounters.

It's not just me, I know that for sure. Especially if you are on Erasmus, believe me when I say Live Lounge is the emblem of the Erasmus spirit. It was for us, at least; and whenever I have the chance to spend a night there, with the same old kind of (drunk, crazy, half-naked) people, the same old kind of music, I can't help but feel at home.