iPod-crazed youths invade London station
By Stephen West
Published Thursday 4th November 2004 12:34 GMT
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/11/04/mobile_clubbing/

It's 6:45 pm on a drizzly Wednesday evening at Waterloo Station. The
main concourse is crowded more than usual due to train delays. Anxious
faces stare at blue screens hoping for their cue to sprint to a
platform in the hope of a seat. The middle aged lady with handbag in
one hand and mobile phone in the other looks down for a second and
stares in bemusement at two young ladies who begin dancing to the sound
of their personal stereos. She shakes herself to check her senses are
not playing tricks as a Conga line streams past behind her with 20 or
30 people listening to their own personal stereos. Other commuters look
on dumbfounded.

Throwing a few shapes, mobile styleWelcome to the world of Mobile
Clubbing. Simply, mobile clubbing is turning up at a pre-arranged
public place on mass where you begin to dance to the sound of your own
personal stereo. It is unclear where the concept of Mobile Clubbing
originates but one thing is clear and that in the world of spontaneous
mass public gatherings, it has replaced Flash Mobbing. Throughout the
UK, events are organised on the Internet, informally among groups of
friends and the word passes via chat rooms and news forums. But what is
the point of meeting on mass and dancing to the sound of your own
personal stereo?

"The point is that there is no point, we do it for fun, we do it
because we can." explains Ben Cummins, a musical artist who with his
friend Emma Davis organised this and other Mobile Clubbing events in
the UK.

Emma (28) wants to dispel the myth that this is about trendy
metropolitan London twenty-somethings. "We have had families turning up
at events. We have had older people and we have had suits but everyone
has fun and there is no trouble." she explained.

The people who attend these events are diverse for sure but they are
not sad, they have friends and are mainly intelligent and articulate
people.

I bumped (literally) into Beth Parker, a trendy metropolitan
twentysomething from West London, who told me: "I enjoy dancing and had
fun at a previous event at Liverpool Street Station." She's listening
to James Zabiela & Sasha's Breakbeat. She floats off with the rhythm,
unfazed by the attention from the media and from frowning commuters.

I meet a pair of middle aged ladies who would not have been out of
place on Strictly Come Dancing. Mary from Norwood and Penny, originally
from Hong Kong but now of Streatham Hill met at a dance class. They
have been dancing partners ever since and told me about their
repertoire of Argentinean Tango, Charleston and Samba dancing. Mary
whisks me away and before I know it she is leading me in a Tango. Aware
of my rapidly increasing heart rate, I rapidly disengage and thank the
two ladies for their time.

"We need more men," she declares.

All around the main concourse there is a polychromatic array of
multicultural mixed sex, mixed aged groups doing their own thing. The
common denominator seems to be a sense of fun. Many of the stranded
travellers are snapping pictures with their mobile camera phones, some
even get into the spirit and join in. The majority look on in
bewilderment.

The station staff and the police, who have clearly been tipped off,
look on. They are prepared for the worst case scenario but the event
passes without incident and with the minimum inconvenience to
commuters. In the corner I see the British Transport Police
interviewing Ben and Emma but even they have to admit that while there
was a potential public safety issue, they could not fault the conduct
of the hundred or so participants.

Ben was happy with the result.

"Everyone had a good time and there has been no trouble." he said.

Asked about the next event Ben explains: "It will just happen, we don't
do this to seek publicity, the whole point is that anyone can come
along and have fun."

Check out http://www.mobile-clubbing.com for future events. ®