PIMMS Refills Our Expectations
Natasha Franks reviews PIMMS: Refilled, a night of fizzy fun.
It is a commonly accepted fact that an event will not pick up until midnight. From Ma Bells to The Vic, arriving at eleven can guarantee an empty dancefloor and several bored bartenders. The Lumsden Club managed to defy these expectations, either through an impassioned marketing campaign or the lure of free Pimms, and filled The Rule by 9:30 on Tuesday night.
A pricy £12, PIMMS: Refilled easily gave guests their money’s worth with nearly unlimited Pimms on offer throughout the night. Flowing from the Lumsden girls’ pitchers to guests’ waiting cups, No. 1 Original sated the thirst of the hundreds in attendance. Despite the large number of people, the crowd spread evenly across the main dancefloor and the pub’s back area, now transformed into an array of Pimms Pong stations. These stations exemplified the event’s balance of British and American: Pimms and Union Jacks populated the venue alongside red solo cups and the crooning of Bluesberries’ vocalist Sam Burbank.
A highlight of the night, The Bluesberries were an inspired choice on the part of The Lumsden Club. Oftentimes the first performer in a lineup falls flat, as the DJ attempts to hype what is typically a sober crowd. By choosing a blues band over a DJ, Lumsden perfectly matched the mood of the early evening. Guests danced two-by-two and sang along to “Valerie,” a smashing success that had the room clamouring for an encore by the set’s end.
DJ Joe Grimeh then carried the rest of the night. His string of modernised throwbacks (including a brilliant remix of “Hollaback Girl”) welcomed late arrivals into the already-packed club. Conveniently located on The Rule’s balcony, the DJ station allowed Grimeh to read the crowd from above, never faltering in between mixes.
PIMMS: Refilled did contend with the already well-established Ma Bells Tuesday, which led to many Pimms-fuelled attendees departed from The Rule in favour of The Scores. Still, the marvellous music kept the dancefloor occupied until close, and a large contingent of loyal guests alternated between dancing and ponging. When the last drop of Pimms was finally spilt, we left in high spirits, already anticipating the next Rule-based or Lumsden-organised event.
Proceeds from PIMM: Refilled will be donated to Fife Women’s Aid.