SP Nitelife Review #2- Family - The Valley

#2 - THE FAMILY

Location: Family Nightclub, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane

Date visited: Saturday 8 September 2006

Time Visited: 11pm - dawn

Attendees: Dog, Pirate, Boris, Winnie, Ringo.

Guest Appearances: Toots, Cassi

dance floor view from level 2... out of mind

Background: After watching the Broncos get done by the Dragons, the boys were in good spirits. The Caxton provided a few beverages and the chance to show some social skills but the boys wanted dancing spliced with a little bit of 'crazy'. The Normanby was too packed (despite trying to sneak in), so it was decided The Family was the place to go. The undisputed reputation of Surf Park allowed the boys to jump directly to the front of the taxi queue that was 50m long, then the boys were at The Family in a matter of minutes.

After a short debate (won by 'it's better to be cooked than caught'), and short wait in the queue and a $15 cover charge later the crew were inside. It had been years since the majority of the crew had been in the place, and memories of '03 Uni Games came flooding back. And what a sight it was! Three levels of sweetness, from the raging dance floor at the bottom, the drinking section in the middle and the ulra chill out top floor. A few drinks later, including a disgusting pre-mixed Jagerbomb, the boys were gobsmacked with Leary's sneakiness as Cassi and Toots arrived, the latter promiscuously chasing a young man..... The more the merrier! Much boogying was to be had on the dance floor, cheeky texting, lots of water evaporating in mouths and subsequently, many toilet breaks. There was a fair but of talent, however it was a hard pickup place ("You just can't get a good read of these chics" - Ringo).

After dancing themselves silly, the surf park crew chilled out in the lounge, and departed circa 4.30am. However a ridiculous taxi queue added an hour to the night.



Ratings:

Location 7/10 - Other pubs are nearby but a taxi trip to and from is a pain.
Queue 9/10 - The 'new patrons' queue was shorter than the 'returning' queue meaning if you go in, you should stay in.
Cover charge 8/10 - $15 is reasonable considering the quality of the place
Music 9/10 - good variety at each level depending on your mood
Drink Prices 7/10 - expensive as is to be expected of nightclubs these days.
Females 8/10 - a few riggy-rig-rigs around - Brisbane chics are cool.
No. of Patrons 9/10 - a good number of people.
Pickin Up? 5/10 - pretty hard unless they are ugly.
Toilets 8/10 - Very impressive, lose marks for warm water though.
Fit Out 10/10 - Very very well done! Marvellous attention to detail. Minor problem is those silly little steps that you trip over all night (Tegan!)

TOTAL: 80 / 100

Ringo, Pirate, Dog (rear), Winny, Boris... walking with ghosts

Conclusion: The Family provided a great night out. The chances of picking up were slim, but the fit out, the music and the atmosphere ensured the night would be memorable. Definitely worth a trip every now and then, however a sober driver would be preferable to waiting in taxi queues to and from.

Learys hand how Ringo saw it whilst G-Mill is loving life (Right)