by Amelia McGlynn and Fred Byrne
‘RARE’ has announced an end to its Tunnels Thursday club nights, reflecting changing student habits.
The nightlife brand, which began in Aberdeen before expanding to venues in Glasgow and Edinburgh, informed its patrons of the closure via Instagram. Thanking clientele for a “wild ride”, the post celebrated more than 359 Thursday parties, and over 143 thousand dancers since September 2015.
The post garnered teary goodbyes with one comment labelling the moment as “the end of an era.”
One second year student UoA student said:
“I’m heartbroken it’s closing. [It is] one of Aberdeen’s best nights out for sure!”
Speaking about the closure, RARE founder and director Rory Mason told The Gaudie that as numbers have begun to dwindle, now is the time to call it a day:
“As numbers are falling with people drinking less overall and having less disposable cash to spend on nights out, it’s time to bow out whilst we’re at the top of our game.”
Ms Mason says the brand started as “house parties”, quickly establishing itself in local venues:
“At the time, Snafu [nightclub] was where you went for underground nights, it shaped my music taste and the people around me. It’s now the extra seating area for Brewdog, which says a lot about the change in nightlife culture.”
Mr Mason says their unique nature drew in loyal crowds:
“We’ve always straddled the line of being underground but not scary for newcomers. Once folk came once, they tended not to return to the mainstream clubs.
“Pulling in acts like Bicep, Daniel Avery, Mella Dee, HAAi, George Fitzgerald, Partiboi69, Skin on Skin and loads more on a Thursday night in Aberdeen was big for the scene and I think helped push it forward in the city.
“It gave local Aberdeen DJs a platform to play out to big crowds that no one else was offering.”
Other party organisers offered solidarity to the club, with Herd club commenting:
“The clubbing landscape is shifting, and small promoters across the UK are struggling to keep up with a rising culture of viral moments, excessive booking fees, and closure of club spaces.”
Resident RARE DJ Herbs reacted to the news:
“It’s a great shame and reflective of the economic state of Aberdeen, and the wider clubbing scene in the UK, which is definitely dying off, probably as a result of young people all being boring these days.”
In September, AUSA President Christina Schmid told BBC Scotland News that partying is becoming a less popular outlet for students as a result of heightened awareness of issues such as spiking, gender-based violence, and mental health, as well as changing demographics of the student population alongside the increased cost-of-living.
