30/11/2004 – Eastern promise for After Dark Club
New venue could open in Bejing
REVELLERS in China could soon be treated to the After Dark experience.
The legendary nightclub in London Street is planning to open a sister venue in Beijing.
And club manager Neil Richardson believes he may have found a venue in the Chinese capital that embodies his club’s quintessential atmosphere.
“I would say it’s the kind of venue that looks better when the lights are down,” he told the Evening Post.
Mr Richardson is now in talks with bosses at the World of Suzie Wong, which opened two years ago in the Chaoyang district of Beijing, to see how a partnership could be set up.
A website dedicated to the Beijing venue explains its décor was inspired by the 1960s movie The World of Suzie Wong, which was set in Hong Kong.
“The décor of the club takes its inspiration from the hotels and opium dens of that particular era – dimly lit and secretive, yet also welcoming,” the site adds.
Mr Richardson got the idea to open an After Dark-style club venue from one of his former staff
Kathy Wang, who returned to her homeland after a year of study in Reading.
She loved the place so much she encouraged him to visit Beijing – and he said he was impressed by what he saw.
“Beijing is an extremely modern town and it was a bit of a culture shock,” he said after his visit two weeks ago.
“My friend lives there and she said the Beijing I saw was completely unrecognisable from the Beijing of 10 years ago.
“It really puts London to shame.”
Mr Richardson said he was confident he could find a niche for an After Dark-style venue in Beijing.
He said: “The thing about the night life in Beijing is that it’s quite limited at the moment – it does not really exist.
“But young people want a night life because they have been more exposed to Western culture.”
He said he had thought of opening another venue in the UK, but was reluctant to do so now because he believes the new licensing law could jeopardise the future of nightclubs.
“A lot of our customers have said many times ‘why have you not opened another After Dark Club?’” Mr Richardson said.
“But in the long term in the UK the future of nightclubs is not fantastic. We have secured ourselves a niche, we are a relatively small club but for the bigger clubs the future is bleak.”
He said the new system being introduced in February could mean bars and pubs being allowed to open all night, possibly encouraging fewer people to move on to a nightclub.
He added he had already noticed that revellers go to a club much later than a decade ago.
Mr Richardson explained the Chinese After Dark look-alike could realistically launch within the next two years.
His must-have list for a perfect nightclub includes, apart from dim lighting of course, a friendly atmosphere, low prices and music that does not follow trends.
“We stick to it and the customers like that,” he said.
“I’m very happy with the After Dark in Reading and I would like to be here for some time.
“What makes the After Dark good is that a lot of customers come in and say to us they are glad it’s here – it’s the best encouragement to continue.”
To check out the latest news and listings from the After Dark, visit http://www.theafterdarkclub.com.
