It was snowing as I loaded the car and left Surrey to head down to Brighton. An evening of style, murder, suspense and humour awaited me. A normal combination for a Saturday night!
I was doing the after-dinner disco at a Murder Mystery Evening at the Ship Inn Hotel on Brighton’s seafront. The theme was 007 Secret Agent. As I finished setting up the equipment, the guests started arriving. There was a mixed bag, including a group of young 20-year-old girls celebrating a birthday, a couple of smaller groups of more elderly guests and a large party of ladies, who had made a particular effort with their “costumes” that evening - one in gold lamé (Goldfinger?), one in a Spanish gypsy dress (From Russia With Love?) and a couple in clown outfits (Octopussy?).
They were greeted by three actors playing various roles including James Pond, Pussy Allure, Oldfinger and Miss Bunny-Penny. Between the courses of their three-course dinner, the plot was played out, with various characters being murdered, the suspicion cast on all the others, and a lot of Pussy jokes! The guests then had to decide who was the murderer and list the reasons for their actions. The team who uncovered the correct assailant and the best motives won.
Surprisingly, because they hadn’t looked like they were really getting into the evening, the team of younger girls were the winners and received their bottles of Champagne.
Throughout the meal I had played some appropriate 60s lounge music, with some Bond themes thrown in for good measure. But now the disco started properly. With the large mix of ages amongst the guests, I wasn’t too sure how to pitch the music. I started with a couple of recent releases to gauge the room. Quite soon a representative from the fancy-dress table approached me and asked for some Motown. As soon as I obliged with the Isley Brothers’ This Old Heart of Mine, that group was up on the dance floor. Since I wasn’t getting any requests from the other tables, who seemed quite content to remain at their tables and continue drinking, I pandered to the desires of the much more lively, costumed ladies. They remained dancing through a variety of soul, Motown and 70s disco classics.
I tried to lure the 20-year olds up with a couple of club tracks, but they clearly felt uncomfortable dancing with ladies dressed as clowns and gold lamé catsuits! Around 11.30 they left no doubt looking for more youthful entertainment that could be easily found in Brighton on a Saturday night.
As they left, one of the men from another table came up to me and said... “I’ve got to drive home soon, and I need to wake up. Have you got Ace of Spades?” Fortunately at that point the dancing queens had retreated to their table for some refreshments, so I explained over the mic their fellow guest’s predicament and with an apology allowed Lemmy’s dulcet tones to blast out. (Don’t get me wrong, I love Motörhead, but there is a time and place!) Still, it seemed to work in waking him up, as he and his wife then danced most energetically to the B52s Love Shack.
The evening finished at midnight, and I was left, as always :(, dismantling my equipment, as the remaining revellers departed into the chilly night.
All in all a most entertaining evening. Congratulations to Murder Mystery Events and their talented actors for organising the event. Check out their website... they’re dying to please!
http://www.murdermysteryevents.com/
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