My 2 Cents on my first Attrition Experience

Yesterday @BaasDeBeer and I made our way to Aandklas Hatfield in the late afternoon to catch the monthly edition of Attrition.

More info about Attrition

For those of you who did not know, Attrition happens once a month in the capital city and is basically a Goth / EBM / Industrial party. People dress up in their black tights, leathers or corsets and rock out to some of the best goth / EBM / Industrial music. Most of regular readers are probably thinking that this is not really my scene, and they’re probably right. But I thought what the hell, and I gave it a shot this time around.

I’m pretty much a mainstream rock, alternative and metal fan, but I’m not heavily into goth, so this was kinda new territory for me. I must admit that I was pretty surprised when I first walked into Aandklas on Sunday afternoon. The vibe was basically like any other afternoon vibe at Aandklas, but something was definitely different. There were just a lot more people dressed up in goth clothes around. I was particularly amazed by the amount of corsets the ladies were showing off. The front side of Aandklas was playing quite normal tunes and the back side was playing the heavier less known goth stuff. There were also vendors selling goth clothes, gloves, bracelets and other thingamajigs.

The best part of Attrition for me was the cheap cocktails. Most of you Joburgers reading this post are probably going to faint if you read this next bit. Pretoria has always been known for its cheap alcohol and tons of specials and Attrition was no different. If you are dressed up in Goth / EBM / Industrial gear entrance will cost you only R50. If you are not dressed up, entrance costs R60. For the entrance fee you’re allowed to go and get yourself two cocktails at a time from the back bar. The organizers make enough for everyone (around 150 – 200 people) and they only run out of cocktails at about 8 to 8:30 PM. So, do the math: If you’re there at 4 or 5 PM you could probably work through at least 10 cocktails. A bonus is that you get to see all the stunning goths (and you can’t do that in many places in Pretoria nowadays).

Its amazing how fast these cocktails fly off the counter when the bar staff puts them down. I’ve never seen 50 cocktails vanish from a bar counter so fast. When someone found out that it was my first Attrition I was ordered to down one of the green cocktails and I didn’t even hesitate to comply with their request (#SoosBaasDeBeer some might say). I was also amazed by how friendly most of the Attrionists were to me even though I wasn’t dressed goth-like at all. I wasn’t judged or ridiculed or thrown head first into a mosh pit at the dance floor in the back of Aandklas or anything nasty at all. And I was blown away and comforted by the conversations that I had with a few of them. I wasn’t in the best of emotional states but those conversations truly cheered me up. Bottom line: Attrionists ROCK! You can check out the full album of photos on my Photography page at this link.

Don’t forget that you’re still able to order food from the normal Aandklas Hatfield menu. For those of you who are not regulars like me: It’s lank cheap and reasonable and its damn good too. Try the Chicken Strips and Chips (for only R35) or enjoy a 500G T-Bone and Chips with a free drink (for only R65). Aandklas Hatfield also has a selection of Rock Themed Pizzas.

My first Attrition was an awesome experience and I’m pretty sure that I’ll be making my way here again next month. Yes Pieter, Henkie, Alex, @ElmarieMay and @BaasDeBeer, you have converted me to an Attrionist, but I will not be dressing up. I have considered getting a black jean though…

Did you go to Attrition this Sunday? Drop me a comment and tell me about your experience.

Watch this space for updates in the Entertainment category on Running Wolf’s Rant.

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