review of the club Im going to tomorrow (for my birthday)

[Onion_Jimbo]

22 tomorrow. Dont forget fags.




Oceana


154-166 Clarence Street , Kingston Upon Thames , KT1 1QP

Tel: (020) 8547 2848    
 
One out of Five stars

Once upon a time bored Home Counties teenagers got tired of hanging around the local parade of shops, asking passers-by to buy them Diamond White from the offy and smoking poppy seed spliffs. "But what else is there?" they cried, desperate for some kind of after-hours entertainment. Which is where Options came in.

Options, in Kingston, was the scene of many a teenage puke and snog for a surprisingly disproportionate amount of Londoners. Renowned for letting anyone in – big groups of lads, chavvy teenage girls, crusties selling acid, even grammar school kids – it soon attracted the attention of the local cop-shop, who wisely left well alone, not wanting the hassle.

But recently, Options was reborn as the 2,500 capacity Oceana, a £6million project boasting two dance floors, five bars, poor security and a serious problem with violence. Kingston's worthies have even formed an opposition group, campaigning to get its license revoked by citing the regular trouble that spills out in the small hours when cheap beer combined with bad music and no discernable public transport system leads to ugly scenes in Kingston town centre.

Worse, one woman was recently raped at gunpoint after accepting a lift following a night at the club.

And I use the word "club" advisedly, because Oceana is about as far from what most of us would consider a nightclub as possible. In truth, it's a huge student pub with terrible music, overdressed suburbanites and dance floors like cattle markets.

There are many who look for nothing more from their evening out than a Bacardi Breezer flavoured snog and a bottle in the face, and good luck to 'em. But if clubbing has really gone full circle – from cheesy local discos to an exciting and creative counterculture and now back to the mainstream again, Oceana is, sadly, a good example of where we're at. Again.
Reviewed by - Melissa Harrison



   

[janaage]

Sounds just like Golddiggers used to be in Chippenham!!  Ah the memories!!

[Onion_Jimbo]

but the user reviews are different.  (Im pretty sure it means site user, rather than crack user)

adam
   
Friday, January 21, 2005
I have to say reading from other reviews I'm disappointed, Oceana is great, student nights are great and there aren't old people that you would get a lot of in Leicester Square. You know what I mean, you look around all you see is white cleavage all over the place, can you get better? NO! So please frankly 'shut up' about it being rubbish, rubbish to some because you are rubbish yourself and cannot enjoy yourself in any sort of atmosphere.
John Brenner
   
Saturday, January 01, 2005
In my honest opinion, I have to completely disagree with the featured review, I attend Oceana on the student nights on Monday and Wednesday and enjoy the reasonable entrance fee and drink prices. I have not witnessed any more scraps in Oceana than in any other club and they have always been dealt with promptly by security. Outside however, things can get chaotic as alcohol can influence many arseholes into proving who is the bigger dickhead.
Anonymous
   
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
Oceana is by far one of the safest clubs in London. It is blessed with top class management and security who know a troublemaker when they see one, for these reasons Oceana with a capacity of just under 3000, experiences less trouble than a lot of clubs with capacities of less than a third of that. This is a fact, take it from me, I've worked at most of the large and not so large clubs in the London area. If you really want to be sure just ask the local police where you'd be safest going for a good night out in Kingston.
Anonymous
   
Thursday, December 09, 2004
Melissa Harrison obviously wanted a bit of attention to say the least, by criticisng a great club such as Oceana! Im a regular on the london party scene and party at Chinawhites, Tantra, Aura and the newly opened Penthouse in Leicester Square. And I think Oceana on a Wednesday is the best club in London. Of course with vast amounts of clubbers there's going to be a little bit of trouble, but I've been to Oceana almost once a week and hardly ever seen any trouble at all! Friends who've visited from the UK and abroad absolutely love it! Obviously it's not as chic as the Collection in South ken, but it's great value for money and a great night out. The atmosphere is as good as any top club in London, except you don't pay extortionate prices for drinks, you can have a great night for the price of one vodka cranberry in Chinawhites! The decor in the 5 bars is amazing...what more can I say?Definitely give it a try!
Riccardo
   
Tuesday, December 07, 2004
Ok im not going to start preaching about how good this club is but I feel the review writen by Melissa Harrison is total rubbish and the facts are useless. For a start how can a gunpoint rape be the fault of the club? What, so Oceana night club are supposed to patrol the roads around Kingston checking who owns what car...total rubbish. Oceana in my mind is two different clubs...if you go in the week then expect a rammed student vibe with cheap booze. Go on a Friday or Saturday night and you will rarely find anyone under the ages of 21 unless they're good looking. Much older vibe. Less packed.

The booze prices on the weekend are expensive. Like most clubs especially close to london.

The next thing I disagree with in the original review is the music. The club has different rooms for music. How can you not like a cheesy room? Nearly every club has one. Also if you go on different nights the music is different.

The club is no more violent than any other club. That's not the club itself's fault, it's society today. As long as people are chucking coke up their noses and downing Stella there is going to be trouble.

The good thing about Oceana is it's so big and there are so many rooms you can easily move away from moody people. The bar areas are very chilled out. Nice place to go and get away from the noise for a bit.

The one problem I have with the club is the bouncers. Like all bouncers in Kingston they seem to have the attitude of the American police; shoot then ask questions. My advice stay out of their way.

Definitely try Oceana.
clive mann
   
Monday, December 06, 2004
I'm sorry but had to leave this message, the review for Oceana was complete rubbish, have you actually been there? I was a local, now at university away from home, and this club has the best student nites I've been to and I have been to many e.g. c.London, Leicester, Leeds, Nottingham etc. I can only believe this review as a one off, possibly during the weekend but I have been countless times and think the music, value for money and atmosphere is awesome. and I have never experienced trouble either in, outside or getting home from the club.
Anonymous
   
Friday, October 08, 2004
I've never left any reviews on Viewlondon before, but I felt obliged to add my own views after reading this review by Melissa Harrison. I don't believe Oceana is the best club in London, but in the context of the Kingston area, it is by far the best and safest club in Kingston. Being a student area, Oceana is designed for students who want a night of escapist fun, and for anyone else who wants to have a good laugh. By no means is it a great club, but it's not that bad either. It is far safer and classier than 'The Works' or 'McKlusky's', two other big clubs in Kingston. I think thousands of Saturday night regulars might agree. At least my review does not sound like it is looking down with contempt on the other clubbers.
Becky
   
Wednesday, September 29, 2004
When students go on a night out all they want is cheap booze and cheesy music. I went to Oceana for the first time as a new student to the area and was well impressed. Not a sign of violence in or outside the club. There are so many rooms that you can get lost but that also gives you a big choice of mood. There are the busy dance floors but there are also chill out sections with comfy leather sofas. And who can complain when there is cheap booze? I think I speak for the majority of students when I say, that is exactly what we want on a night out.
Anonymous
   
Wednesday, September 22, 2004
Melissa Harrison has it dead right - this place is a hell hole. If you have any taste, style or, indeed, wish to enjoy your evening I suggest you go somewhere quieter and safer - like Baghdad.

[Boeta]

Are you after the Bacardi breezer flavoured snog or a bottle in the face? Or both perhaps, although I'd imagine that would be getting greedy.

[Simon Pieman]

sounds like most of the places in southampton

[janaage]

I've been to the Oceania in MK and it's a top night out, don't know if the two are run by the same firm but if they are you should have a good night mate.

[Onion_Jimbo]

i shall be off my monkeys so I dont care where I am. as long as its not an R&B club full of black people.

[janaage]

What about a gay R&B club?    :shock:

[Amir]

Sounds just like Golddiggers used to be in Chippenham!!  Ah the memories!!

Too right.  Can't believe at one point people were coming from miles around to go there.  I first went as a young looking 15 year old.

[Onion_Jimbo]

no that would be rubbish.

[janaage]

I saw Baby D perform in 'Diggers one Friday night, the amount of people that had travelled hours to be there was unreal.  Never did do a DJ Dougal night though!

[Amir]

Baby D must have been '95?  You used to get tons of cars in the sainsbury's car park with people from bristol, cardiff and the like selling speed.  There was also an urban legend that some of them had thrown a nine bar on a fire one night

[janaage]

It was indeed 95, I was 18, we thought we were the kiddies!!  What were those nights they used to have there?  Some magazine sponsored nights, where they'd put up a few posters and get some Dj's in.

[Rich Pullen]

Have they done anything with the old Gold Diggers building yet in Chippenham?

[janaage]

Haven't been to 'Nam for ages.  Last I heard the building was saved from demolition, but there still aren't any plans for refurbishment yet.