[Parlay44]

Inside Stockholm's new 'no alcohol' nightclub

http://www.thelocal.se/20140928/inside-s...-nightclub

Around 900 people packed into Stockholm's Sodra Theatre on Friday night to experience Sweden's controversial new alcohol-free night club. The Local's Maddy Savage joined the party.

Champagne ice buckets lined the bar, while hipster staff shook brightly-coloured cocktails above their heads. One worker was sipping a beer at the same time. But there was no chance of getting in trouble for drinking on duty. All beverages were non-alcoholic.



Outside, excited clubbers queued patiently along the cobbled street, before being ordered to blow into a breathalyser to check that they hadn't been on the booze earlier in the evening. Specially trained staff also kept an eye out for people who might have taken drugs instead. Only a few ticketholders got turned away from the event, which sold out weeks in advance.

Once safely indoors, guests moved between a room offering house and techno from US Grammy and BRIT Award nominated Zoo Brazil, to another playing commercial classics from Snap's 90's anthem Rhythm is a Dancer, to Stayin' Alive by the Bee Gees.

By 11pm, the venue was rammed, with few seeing the need for a traditional pre-club gathering at home or in a bar if the aim of the night wasn't to get tipsy.

"Things have definitely got going earlier than I expected, " said one clubber.

He told The Local he had picked the venue for his Friday night out so he wasn't hungover at a friend's 40th birthday party on Saturday.

But how did he feel making shapes on the dancefloor without alcohol in his hand?

"Actually it's not that different, you get used to it," he added.

Read The Local's interview with the man behind Sober

The crowd was much more diverse than you get at most European club nights, with curious teenagers joining former alcoholics in their fifties, clean-living yogis and breastfeeding mothers in their thirties.

For some of Stockholm's increasingly diverse population, this was their first time clubbing.

"I never drink alcohol. I am a Muslim and I can't usually go anywhere like this, but I heard about this new club and I talked to my wife and we decided to try," said Faisal Mohammed.

"I like what I see," he told The Local.

Not everyone was enjoying themselves though, with some clubbers complaining that they felt less confident on the dancefloor, without an alcoholic drink.

"It's a bit dull," moaned 20-year-old Hampus.

"People don't usually dance when they are sober, so it is like an awkward social experiment," added his friend Maximillian, who admitted that he hadn't chatted up any girls so far.

"A lot of guys here in Sweden are kind of shy when they are not drinking," confirmed Hampus.

He said he had no plans to return to the club, which is set to become a monthly event in the Swedish capital.



But organiser Mårten Andersson told The Local he felt that many Swedes were "fed up" with the country's reputation for drinking and said he already had plans to take his clubbing concept to other Swedish and European cities.

"Yes there are some Swedes who are just getting more and more hammered at weekends, but there is also a second group of people who care about their health, who go to the gym and who think about what they eat. So to think about the way we drink is kind of natural to those people."

"I am not saying stop drinking, I am just saying maybe you don't have to drink every time you go out," he said.

"If you look inside, you can see there are a lot of people who agree".

[Sp5]

Seems like a good idea, don't know why it's "controversial."

You'd think that any large city could support a club or two like this.

[Parlay44]

Quote:

The crowd was much more diverse than you get at most European club nights, with curious teenagers joining former alcoholics in their fifties, clean-living yogis and breastfeeding mothers in their thirties.

This part stood out to me. Is this what clubs have become

Where's the "cool factor"? What about the timeless dancing/mating ritual?

On the plus side you have access to much younger women(18+)
The younger crowd is probably drugged out of their mind on E anyway.
I'd just pull them to an after party.

[KC4]

Most swedish guys can't talk to strange women sober me included in the past. It's truly awkward in some cases when a sober swed tries to hit on girls during daytime but that same guy probably pulls a lot during nighttime and where there's drinking involved

[runsonmagic]

Good for them. If people are having fun, I hope the concept spreads.

[Foolsgo1d]

This is like those bars and restaurants which cater to women only. It is a bad business model.

These guys must have some good hustle going on to get investors to fund this venture.

I can imagine this;



..Occurring in an enclosed environment in Sweden of all places with a mixture of people.

Also, the music must be played at a decent volume. Being drunk impedes your ability to hear in a way so you probably wont have many people going there for long.

[jamaicabound]

Probably not my cup of tea but wouldn't mind checking it out just for the hell of it. I guess I could see it being cool having a spot where you could go out and socialize without the expextation of getting wasted. Oftentimes I have to work saturdays so just don't go out as I'll be tempted to drink and will miss work or it just gets annoying being around wasted people when your dead sober. It's definately a novelty thing and kinda a social experiment don't see it lasting but who knows. I'd be curious to know if people are on any other drugs while there

[cmrocks]

I think that would be kind of fun to go check out. I think it would be more fun if it was full of regular people who are not drinking for that night rather than people who refuse to drink for one reason or another. I'm at the point now in my life where getting wasted isn't something that I enjoy that much any more. I still like to go out and I usually have 1-3 drinks but it gets tiring to be around people who are fall-down drunk all the time.

[aphelion]

Once a month? Why not.

[Captain Gh]

(09-27-2014 10:26 AM)Foolsgo1d Wrote:  

This is like those bars and restaurants which cater to women only. It is a bad business model.

These guys must have some good hustle going on to get investors to fund this venture.

I can imagine this;



..Occurring in an enclosed environment in Sweden of all places with a mixture of people.

Also, the music must be played at a decent volume. Being drunk impedes your ability to hear in a way so you probably wont have many people going there for long.

God Damn!!! I knew Sweden was a bit closed off, but never by that much. This pic is like Toronto on steroid!!

[Parlay44]

I wonder what they charge for "drinks"

[The Lizard of Oz]

This is f'ing cringeworthy. "Sober" is a uniquely disgusting name for a "club".

No thanks. I haven't had a drink in years but clubs should be places where young dudes and sluts can get drunk, not this kind of wretched and nauseating spectacle.

[Hades]

I'm cool with this. You can't even be a little tipsy to get into the club so it's not even an option for bar hopping venues. Once the 'new' factor wears off it will probably die out.

[LemonDrink]

I figure ordering the pua cocktail which is tap water may not get frowned in this place.

[The Father]

(09-27-2014 07:46 AM)Parlay44 Wrote:  

... with curious teenagers joining former alcoholics in their fifties,

Sounds like a NAMBLA meeting :/

[Parlay44]

Dry nightclubs are like Christian Rock bands. There's just something not quite right there.

[monster]

I meet quite a few people who don't do bars or clubs because they don't like the rowdiness and drunkeness in America. However, if you work a 9 to 5 its hard to meet a lot of these people. I wonder if a sober club would pull them out at night to socialize? That would be pretty cool.

[The Lizard of Oz]

(09-27-2014 03:36 PM)Parlay44 Wrote:  

Dry nightclubs are like Christian Rock bands. There's just something not quite right there.

The only use of this place is that it would be a superb starting point for a horror movie, to be called Sober. There is something about these partying undrinking Swedes that naturally suggests to the mind the idea of slaughter on a grand scale and with gusto.

[kaotic]

Cool for sober people and/or recovering alcoholics.

It's a fad that'll die out and this place will close.

[redbeard]

[funkyzeit]

We had a place like that here. Basically, no alcohol = yes drugs. But it will fail miserably if they don't control the type of drugs being passed around and hyperactive junkies collide with stoned people.

[Foolsgo1d]

Also, this coming from a nordic country whose lore includes Gods getting shit faced for a good time and fucking women with huge tits.

[Chaos]

Drinking alcoholfree beer is comparable to licking your own sisters pussy.

Tastes so good, but feels so wrong.