The Conga Club is a monthly event which is organised by Strictly Salsa and is held at The Royal British Legion, Saint Marys Street, High Wycombe HP11 2HE.
Classes for all levels are held at 8.30pm and dancing is until 2am.Entrance is £10 for members and £12 for non-members.
These nights generally have a live band, and on this particular night the band was Orchestra Cache.The band was upbeat and lively, and they played a good selection of well known tracks, that were all of a speed and length suitable for dancing to – unlike some bands.They played two sets during the evening, but the first set had already started when I arrived so I missed some of it.
The room was a decent size and had a separate bar area to the side.The dancefloor was good and it was a busy night with plenty of people in attendance.
This was the first time I had been to this gig, and it’s a long way from home for me, but as at most salsa events, no matter how far from home you are, you always see some familiar faces.This gig was no exception, and there were quite a few people I knew there, as well as a lot of unfamiliar faces.
As well as the band, we were also treated to a show by one couple from the Swing Latino Troupe.These guys from Colombia have been doing the rounds in the UK over the last couple of months, and I have seen lots of their shows, so expected that this show would be one I’d already seen.I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was in fact a new one on me.This couple were full of energy with amazing footwork and equally amazing acrobaticsApparently the organisers had been expecting all three couples from Swing Latino, but one couple was just as good, and these dancers never fail to deliver a top notch performance.
In-between the band sets, and afterwards, DJ Lorenzo played some great tracks that kept the dancefloor full.Numbers did drop significantly though after the band had finished, but even so, there were still enough people left right up to 2am.
The bar prices were cheap which is always a bonus and the organisers had provided a small buffet of fruit, cakes and biscuits which was a really nice touch.
Overall this was a good night……………… except for the heat………OMG!This was quite possibly the HOTTEST gig I’ve ever been to – and it hadn’t even been a hot day.For me the heat was unbearable right from the first dance, and it made me start to feel sick which made me reluctant to dance too much.If you go to one of these gigs, my advice is wear as little as possible!
I think it’s great that the organisers are providing live Latin music on a regular basis – you can’t beat live music, and in my opinion there aren’t enough opportunities to see good Latin bands.It was just a shame that the heat in the room put a downer on the night. www.strictlysalsa.uk.com
