Dan, you once had a thread my friend. My condolences.
Your favourite year of clubbing
Kells77 It’s kind of a grey area. I mean, most places won’t care, but technically any property outside your own home is illegal to smoke on. Doesn’t mean people abide by that. That said, because it’s legal here, “lounges” can be opened up for enjoying the puff, and you can smoke in one of those as much as you like.
that’s funny, we’re basically the opposite here. you can smoke outside except in playground, near schools, and not right outside the doors of a business. lounges where adults can gather? nope, can’t have that.
303abuser Yeah it’s weird lol. I think it’s mostly because it’s still illegal at the federal level, so any state or federally owned land would be disqualified, and I’m guessing so as not to overwhelm individual businesses or personal property owners, they just blanket made it illegal except in your own home. But saying that, I wasn’t living here when it was legalized, so maybe @jonattonyeah has more info on why it’s like this.
303abuser Well….that just means that federal authorities can, and do, make legal raids on places selling. They don’t really bother everyday users, but the dispensaries can’t legally deposit money in banks (because of federal regulations, but I know there’s a movement to hopefully change this), and I think many of them fully expect to be raided from time to time, meaning they take a big loss on profit and product. It’s a shitty situation all around. Maybe ol’ Joe will sign federal legislation on it, but I’m not holding my breath lol.
Yeah the rules are arbitrary and mostly idiotic. Where we don’t muck about is with over-serving as we can be liable if somebody fucks off, drives home, and murders a family in a drunk driving accident. If they can show we served them too much, it’s on us. I’ve paid for far too people’s taxi rides home. People I don’t even know other than pouring them a pint (people smashing through flasks in the bathroom is tough to monitor and you can’t always tell they’re hammered, if it’s busy, until they stand up).
California is okay for the most part. As long as you don’t act a fool with the ABC. But in other parts of the States, places with dry counties where right as you cross the county line there’s 400 liquor stores, are just dumb about it.
And then there’s New Orleans were you can get a daiquiri at a drive-through as long as the paper part of the straw is still on. If I lived there I’d be dead already.
jonattonyeah Actually the pervasive car use and sprawling suburbs and having to drive to a bar is probably a big issue in the US. A Chinese city has a very dense population and every apartment block will have somewhere you can get a drink. Why bother leaving your block? Fuck driving anywhere, fuck driving at all. If you have to go far from the block, you can get on a subway and a cheap as fuck taxi back. Obviously, this is not how things are in, say, Houston, with no public transport, multi-car households, expensive taxis and big distances from home to bar.
Kells77 I’ll drive you to basically any outdoor area where people don’t give a fuck
Like all of Oakland. There are literally no rules here. The cops have an unofficial policy to not enforce traffic laws in certain neighborhoods to avoid possible altercations. You can blow through a red light in Fruitvale and they’ll be like meh. The cops, through their own malfeasance, also don’t have any public trust so their testimony alone isn’t enough in court cases involving like murders - you better have an eye-witness which isn’t going to happen more often than not. Fucked up? Yeah, but it’s nice to just take care of things yourself. There’s a certain code and community here and everyone kinda knows each other. You get your ass beat, well you probably asked for it.
jonattonyeah The cops, through their own malfeasance, also don’t have any public trust so their testimony alone isn’t enough in court cases involving like murders
wasn’t it in oakland where tupac shot the cop and got the charges tossed? it’s been 30 years, but i think i’m remembering that correctly.
Totally and I was going to say the same. The west coast was developed just a few years too late - no consideration for public transport and completely car-centric. The “single family home” is also held in high regard so we end up with sprawl. It’s also why I think some might not get Cobra Kai or The Big Lebowski. There’s a certain vibe and feel to Southern California and those littles nuances make those shows and movies oddly comforting and amusing. If you’re not familiar with it, you just might not get it. Like how people in SoCal might not understand the importance of The Winchester in Shaun of the Dead as a plot point. They can’t appreciated pub culture or what having your local means as that’s just not really a thing down there.
Yeah but they were off duty and, word was, up to shenanigans. OPD also had The Riders who were, along with the Rampart scandal, part of creating that show The Shield. They were planting all sorts of things; robbing dealers. And a few years ago, 14 officers were charged with a sex abuse scandal involving a teenage prostitute. It was only uncovered when one of the cops killed himself and confessed in a suicide note. I don’t think anyone was fired which speaks for itself. This place is pretty crazy but I like it.
jonattonyeah Oakland has an area called ‘Jingletown’. Doesn’t sound very gangsta.
jonattonyeah i’m sure it’s fine, depending on the neighbourhood like anywhere else. i got as far as the oakland coliseum both times we were there, chose to stay in san fran instead. the bart with a few thousand raiders fans was an experience lol.
Amps Oakland has an area called ‘Jingletown’. Doesn’t sound very gangsta.
The softest sounding places are often the most gangsta.
Ever taken the 10A bus in Liverpool? Kensington, Foxwood, Old Swan, Elm Park, Fairfield, Dovecot, and you’re lucky if it’s not a burnt out shell by the end of it.
Meanwhile, a newcomer would probably think “I’ll steer clear of Aigburth”
Love Alexi….my favourite Scouser.
After Amps (obviously)
Yeah it’s fine for the most part. I always say if you’re looking for trouble, it’s easy to find in Oakland, but keep to yourself and don’t behave like a jackass and you’ll be okay. Deep East Oakland is another story. I wouldn’t mess about it that part of the Town. Too many kids with guns and nothing to do.
Here’s a pretty good doc that gets to the heart of Oakland’s troubles if interested. Crazy how many of the people in it are now dead. Much of Oakland has gentrified in recent years but Deep East just seems impervious to change. Rough out there. Zack would do well with his slumlord business.
1989 was my favourite year by a country mile - I only caught the tail end of 88 - and though 1990 was excellent too, nothing ever compares to your first cally in an aircraft hanger 
Never wish years away but would’ve loved to have seen S&D at their pomp in the ’90’s. They were just too established for warehouses in San Francisco. I was too young to see them in clubs. PVD did play one spot for some weird reason in like 1999. Leveled the place. I didn’t even like Trance, was a House guy, but that was fun.
jonattonyeah Deep East Oakland is another story.
yeah i learned about that from too short lol. i’ll check that doc out, thanks.
303abuser too short
LEGEND. Him and Mac Dre (RIP) are Town royalty.
And yeah the doc is good. The end is pretty hard to watch. For me, anyway. But I’m more sensitive than many. The number of people filmed who ended up murdered over the course of making it is just tragic.
I think it’s impossible to pick one year. 1993, 94, 96 and 98 were absolute belters.
Has Alexei Sayle ever said anything funny?
‘dave’ seems to think so.
ArchimedesQ
I only started in 89 but it was 90/91 that i got really into it. Went to a rave every week all over the country,travelling up in a convoy of cars, arriving at a massive rave and seeing lasers shooting across a field, hearts pounding or queuing outside a club and hearing that thud thud of the music and knowing full well you’re in for another good night.
Dubman Techno Trance - what a savage track that was, 1990 was another great year, Lots of time spent on the M25 and in service station car parks waiting for the venue. Fab days indeed
Techno trance was a big one for me too. First heard it on Key 103.. Stu Allan. Went into Spin Inn records in Manchester to get it.
Dubman saw Guru Josh at Slough Centre around the time of Infinity - think I saw Adamski there too at a similar time, when Live & Direct was doing its thing