2Klub - Blue

BLUE... @ Subway City	Undergoing something of a renewal, we hope, after losing its way when it went weekly at the beginning of 2002.
This event was established by one of the Sundissential promoters, who later had to spend some time away from Birmingham. BLUE continued though, being promoted by the Subway City management, and very successfully pulled in a mixed crowd in their 20s and 30s to the club's three rooms. Major names from the commercial DJ circuit appeared playing trance and hard house, and a jolly good time was being had by all. The club had the "interesting" atmosphere that mixed clubs of this type (e.g. Garlands, Speed Queen), tend to generate - a little bit sleazy, a little bit naughty, a little bit of "up-for-it, over-the-top-of-it and down-the-other-side-of-it"! Then during 2001, subtly, things began to change. It's hard to know what causes a club's decline; just as I've often found it difficult to know all of the things that go into making a club a success, (I haven't managed to do it yet anyway!). Maybe some of the gay crowd that also went to Subway's weekly events were going elsewhere, (DV8 and Kudos opened and Boots was under new management)? Maybe the competition on the straight scene, (God's Kitchen moved to Code; Sundissential re-established itself weekly at the Sanctuary) siphoned off some people? It seems that it only takes a slice of the regulars to go elsewhere, and some kind of negative feedback, (vicious circle), can start.	Whatever, BLUE started to lose a bit of its fizz, though it still remained popular. To make up for declining Saturday nights towards the end of 2001, Subway decided to take BLUE weekly, but made the mistake of over-hyping it AND under-resourcing it. Judge Jules was slated to appear, as was Brandon Block - twice - but neither of them did. In fact the tendency was to make do with mediocre locals, one of whom would regurgitate the same tunes week in and week out. This did not help build the numbers; in fact quite the opposite, and as from March 2002, BLUE went back to being monthly, (first Saturday of the month). Subway has brought the club's founder, Alex, who has come back to Brum, into the picture again to run things and this seems to be making a lot of difference. The March event, (which was also the club's 3rd. birthday) had all the feeling of a club about to make the turnaround and take off again. Steve Thomas played a wicked set which people were talking about weeks later. In April 2002 Andy Farley is booked and the event looks likely to be a corker. April 2003: One year on and BLUE has been gaining back it's popularity. Perhaps it's the regular infusion of good DJ guests booked by Alex. Then again , maybe not? To quote Bubble: "Who can say"! It's another example of the mystery that makes up the world of clubbing.