Download PART II:The City that Never Sleeps

The City that Never Sleeps
It flashed up onto the wall of Buckingham Palace for only a few minutes, but it
was long enough. The image was photographed and captured for prosperity. Among the
most familiar logo in London’s clubland, the projection read: “Ministry of Sound –
Lasts longer than a royal marriage.”
Five years ago, when the Ministry of Sound opened in a former bus shelter in the
most undesirable area of south London, few people thought it would survive more than
a few weeks. With its sparse decor, black walls, industrial scaffolding and few comforts,
it didn’t seem to have anything to offer. True, it had the most sophisticated sound
system in Britain, and it flew in the best DJs from New York, but it also had the worst
toilets in London and no drinks licence. How could it work? Yet it did work and has
become a huge success. So far one and a half million people have paid to get into the
Ministry and dance and sweat the night away. The Ministry has also started a retail
division selling clothes, a record label producing more than three million records and a
touring company that this year will produce 200 events worldwide.
From Acid House to Techno, Handbag to Ambient, Garage to Jungle, there is
now a London club to satisfy every taste. As each new craze begins, an old club
changes or a new club forms to accommodate it. The so–called “super clubs” like the
Ministry have their roots in the warehouse parties and illegal raves that sprang up all
around London during the late Eighties and early Nineties. Then you would find your
club in an empty warehouse or in an open field, but all that was never as much fun as
was made out. Now, things are easier. Provided you have got the money to get in and
that your clothes are in, you can get into a legal, custom–made location. The Ministry
was constructed to provide clubbers with exactly what they wanted: state of the art
sound system, chill–out rooms where you could sit down and take a break from the
dance floor, and water for dehydrated dancers. With its success, there have been
improvements: a computer games room, a cinema, an alcohol licence for those who still
drink and, thankfully, new toilets.
But certain basics remain the same. Drugs, for example, particularly Ecstasy or
E, are available to keep your energy levels high. Ecstasy has been around for ten years
and has become a permanent part of youth culture. It’s illegal of course. Although
officially condemned by the club, there are stories about employees turning a blind eye
to drug dealers, or supplying Ecstasy tablets themselves. More worrying still is the
limited information available about the long-term effects of taking this drug. All
London clubs are waking up to the seriousness of the drug culture and some, including
the Ministry, have begun projects to dissuade their customers from using drugs. But it is
unlikely that this will do any good. The one single factor which could seriously dent
Ecstasy’s popularity would be a change in dance culture fashion. Ecstasy only really
works to high-beat music, like House and Techno.
The Ministry of Sound is now setting its sights on expanding and establishing a
string of superclubs in the Far East and maybe opening a Ministry Bar in Soho. But
others think that Ministry’s high-energy electronic music has become almost obsolete.
New clubs are now opening and offering young Londoners ambient sounds, like the
electronic music of the early Pink Floyd. They’re playing Techno-Trance music that
mixes fast beats with esoteric messages, or Lounge Core reminiscent of the New
Romantic melodies of the Eighties.
There are still crowds queuing up to get into the Ministry of Sound, but, over the
next five years, the club’s popularity will have probably come to an end. But there’ll
always be another club, attracting another style of music.
DECIDE IF THESE SENTENCES ARE TRUE OR FALSE ACCORDING TO THE
TEXT
A) Buckingham Palace was used as a “screen” for a publicity stunt.
B) The Ministry of Sound’s luxurious decoration helped overcome the fact that it was
located in an unfashionable area of London.
C) The Ministry of Sound has developed into something more than just a disco.
D) You may be refused entry to a club because of your appearance.
E) The Ministry’s employees are unaware of any drug pushing taking place in the
club.
F) A new music style could put an end to the use of Ecstasy.
G) New clubs tend to offer music by previously unheard-of-groups.
VOCABULARY. FIND SYNONYMS IN THE TEXT THAT CORRESPOND TO
THE FOLLOWING WORDS
H) not abundant (2nd paragraph)
I) trend, fashion (3rd paragraph)
J) appeared
(3rd paragraph)
K) pretending not to see (4th paragraph)
L) damage (4th paragraph)
M) chain, series (5th paragraph)
KEY