Reading Roars!

I am hungover today. I have a head as heavy as an anvil and a stomach like a bin that hasn’t been collected for three weeks, but frustratingly, I also have the urge to be productive and creative. These two states of mind tend to clash somewhat and it puts me in a bad mood for the rest of the day, until I get home and crack open the beers again and…well, you can see where I’m going with this. 

The ease in which I find myself falling into this vicious, viscous circle is compounded by the fact that once I’ve had the odd can at home I tend to get the urge to leave the house and share my drunken creative frustration with others. There is always something going on that is worth seeing at The Oakford Social Club, and so this tends to be where the like-minded head to in search of inspiration and hydration. 

It can be a funny mix of people at times, most notably between 5 and 7, when you have the be-suited middle aged types with their laptop bags and overcoats discussing the monthly sales figures, or comparing Jean from accounts with Margaret from marketing rubbing shoulders with the woolly jumpered, tattooed body piercing models that roam behind the bar and in the darkest crannies of the place.

But it’s friendly, and compared to a lot of places in town it’s very open minded. It serves a decent array of ales and beers, and there’s plenty of entertainment on offer, pretty much every day of the week.

They arguably have the best selection of live music nights in town, most notably the weekly BBC Introducing nights which happen on a Wednesday. Run by local promoters Mr Blind Pig and backed by BBC Radio Berkshire, they usually showcase an up and coming national act (recently they have hosted the likes of Chew Lips, Oddyssey and Baddies), and throw in some of the top local acts as support. Usually exceptionally well supported, you’d be lucky to find a more lively and interesting night midweek in the town centre.

Coming up over the next couple of weeks are I Blame Coco, Vienna Ditto and She Keeps Bees. Keep an eye on their website for more details and upcoming acts.

In fact it was there that I found myself last night and so it is to blame for today’s foul mood. So maybe don’t bother.