electric hugs and spinning

Last weekend I went to a Silent Disco in the Big Top – a venue that’s erected for the Galway Arts Festival every year.

The premise is that everyone is given a pair of wireless headphones, and there are two channels where different DJs compete for the crowd’s affections. At first I thought it would be quite weird, but it turned out to be great fun.

It’s a strange combination of feeling liberated by wearing headphones and yet being part of a crowd experience. It’s interesting to watch the dynamics of the responses in the crowd as one DJ falls out of favour and another one catches on.

There was a great lightshow, and during it two guys dressed up in Tron-like electric outfits wandered around the crowd. They hugged people and had their photos taken.

There was a cool, upbeat atmosphere during the night. At one point, at the back of the tent, a guy starting spinning lights around him, until he was interrupted by a security guard (it was no doubt a safety issue for some of more inebriated people stumbling about).

I had a great time, and I expect I’ll attend another one in the future.