Rome

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Clubs & gigs

A recent increase in city council arts and culture funding has had a happy knock-on effect on Rome‘s once-comatose nightlife scene, propelling the Eternal City towards becoming a recognised European music and dance capital.

 

Clubbing
Rome still has a plethora of commercial venues playing what’s basically Eurodisco, even though they dress it up as ‘exotic’ or ‘lounge’. Established fashionable venues like Goa or La Maison can always be relied on to offer good-quality DJ sets, as can newcomer Micca Club. For something alternative, check out what’s on at places like La Palma, Fake or the tiny Metaverso.

 

Live music
Annual attendances at live music performances have begun to outstrip those for sporting fixtures in Rome, a phenomenon that the city council puts down to the Auditorium (see box p104), a multifunctional complex that hosts classical, pop, jazz and rock events by top artists from all over the world.

 

But Rome’s new-found live music vocation has also been spurred by a spate of openings of smallish new live clubs, and by the reopening
of the huge (and, sadly, soulless) PalaLottomatica events venue in the southern suburb of EUR and the cool Teatro Palladium. Strangely, the thing that is still lacking in this oh-so-outdoors city is a major venue for open-air musical events.

 

Centri sociali
Centri sociali were born almost three decades ago when restless youths looking for spaces in which to indulge their passion for art, music and/or politics occupied disused public buildings and renovated them, turning them into concert halls, meeting points and cinemas. Some – such as the Spazio Boario/Villaggio Globale in the holding pens of an old slaughterhouse – are located in unique buildings. Over the years they’ve played a key role in the city’s ongoing transition from historic showcase to vibrant European capital by bringing cutting-edge artists and musicians to Rome. With more on offer elsewhere, their importance now seems to be waning, but they still have plenty to offer at bargain prices (admission is usually €4-€6). Activities are listed in the Rome pages of La Repubblica daily.

 

Gay Rome
The times seem to be a-changing for gay men and lesbians in the Bel Paese, and gay life in the Italian capital is undoubtedly becoming more mainstream. Civil unions are up for debate (albeit in the teeth of fierce Vatican pressure) and flamboyant transgender campaigner Vladimir Luxuria (www.vladimirluxuria.it) comfortably won a parliamentary seat in the 2006 elections. New organisations, venues and facilities have appeared: the historic Mario Mieli group (www.mariomieli.org) is now flanked by the hyperactive Di’Gay Project (www.digayproject.org), which is doing an excellent job of adding yet more goodies to the social shopping trolley.

 

Likewise, the gay market continues to diversify and cater for distinct clienteles, with restaurants, pubs, clubs and bars attracting punters of all ages. A proliferation of mixed one-nighters also mirrors the increasing number of places where men and women can have fun under the same roof. Or, for that matter, in the open air: one of the big successes in the Roman calendar is the Gay Village each summer.

 

Rome’s gay venues open and close at an alarming rate, so a phone call to check that the establishment still exists is a good idea before you slip into something sexy.

 

To enter many venues you’ll need an Arcigay Uno Club Card (www.arcigay.it). This costs €14 for annual membership, though a €7 monthly version is available for out-of-towners. The card can be bought at any venue that requires it and is valid throughout Italy. Some places, though, have their own membership cards, valid only at the individual venue. In most bars you’re given a printed slip on which the bar staff tick off what you consume; you pay the total amount on leaving. Be careful not to lose your slip, or you’ll have to pay a stiff penalty. Where we haven’t specified an admission price, entry is free.

 

Information
For details of upcoming events, consult the listings magazines Trovaroma (it comes free with La Repubblica on Thursdays), Roma C’è (weekly, on newsstands) or the trendy Zero6 (monthly, free in shops and pubs).

 

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