This weekend's pretty dead… Wooohahahhahahaaaa. No, in reality it’s the busiest party weekend this side of New Year. Almost every bar and club in town is hosting something at least vaguely Halloween-y. Some places think they can get away lightly with “spooky cocktail” specials and a prize for the best costume. Punk ass. Most are trying much harder.

Here are the major things going on, but first, a refresher on what we’re shooting for:

A dungeon horrible, on all sides round,
As one great furnace, flamed. Yet from those flames
No light, but rather darkness visible
Serves only to discover sights of woe,
Regions of sorrow, doleful shades, where peace
And rest can never dwell, hope never comes
That comes to all; but torture without end…

No, not Amber Lounge at 9:45 on a Sunday morning, we’re talking about Hell, of course. Regions of sorrow where hope never comes. Torture without end, and two-for-one drinks for sexy vampires between midnight and 2am.

Thursday:

Prize for the earliest man at the party goes to Pubcrawl Shanghai, who have a zombie crawl leaving O’Malley’s this Thursday at 9:30pm (180rmb on the door, includes an hour of free open barness). They follow that up with a Halloween pubcrawl on sat night (180rmb with RSVP, meet at Rico Rico at 9:30pm) and another zombie walk on Wednesday 31 (130rmb, meets at Zapata’s). That Saturday event is apparently Shanghai’s “OFFICIAL” Halloween pubcrawl, which must mean they have an OFFICIAL endorsement from Lord Beelzebub.

Friday:

Clampdown give us this ethnic pagan disco at 390 Panyu Lu (50rmb, starts 10pm). Marks for remembering its pagan roots and for the fleshy pagan bums on the flier. Same night, Technow have MAO Livehouse for a Halloween party (100rmb on the door includes a drink, 10pm). They used to do big Halloween parties a few years ago. Dresscode for this one is “black and white,” which seems to piss on most costume ideas, unless you’re planning on going as a zombie piano. But marks again for the flier, with this disturbing picture of DJ Boro Lo melting your brain with the power of his mind.

Meanwhile, Bar Rouge has another one of its Disney Trash parties. Sorry, that's Diisney Trash, don't want no trouble with the lawyers. That's two parties over two days where patrons come dressed as undead cartoon characters, zombie ballerinas, headless fairies and generally twisted stuffs along that line. 200rmb to get in on either night. Starts on the Friday and happens again on the Saturday.

Saturday:

This is the big night, and it’s a toss up between the two largest parties in town: S.T.D. has its five-year anniversary at an abandoned club on Wulumuqi Lu and The Ice Cream Truck has a big do at that new music venue up by Suzhou Creek, the Qianshuiwan Creative Art Center.

S.T.D. has brought in Surkin from France and Strip Steve from Boys Noize Records, plus there’s a live show from Queen Sea Big Shark from Beijing and DJs Sulumi, R3, Linfeng, El’se, Drunk Monk, Tzusing and others. Two rooms. Venue sounds great and it’s abandoned so they’ll be able to dress it up all strewn with guts like the inside of a tauntaun’s stomach. Look at this animated flyer. The way the dead man’s T-shirt seems to be laughing at him. That’s really twisted. Top marks. 100rmb on the door.

TICT have Swedish producers Savage Skulls, who have certainly got the better name for a Halloween party. TICT DJ MauMau tells us that’s one of their favorite producers, so if you’ve been dancing at Ice Cream Truck parties over the summer, you’ve probably been dancing to Savage Skulls. It’s quirky, fun, big-room party stuff, which should go down well at this venue. The sound system in the main room is meant to be the dog’s. It’s a very large venue and drinks are going to be about 30rmb. Lots of plus points for all that. 100rmb on the door, 80rmb presale from The Source, Le Cafe des Stagiaires, and ID Hair on Nanchang Lu.

So which one do you do? The night is long and the prince of darkness rules. Our advice, hit both of those. Costumes mandatory.



Other options: this goth party at Inferno looks good if you want something legitimately evil and gloomy. Respeck to DJ Nikita and gothic-shanghai.com.nu for that one.

ShanghaiLGBT has its own Halloween Pub Crawl hitting seven gay venues with some free drink action. Otherwise, 390 Panyu Lu has Gay-O-Ween, with Russian gayness dance team “the V. Boiz” and the usual smear of hard partying and dark corners. That’s also the last stop on the LGBT pubcrawl, so if you miss the bus, link up with them here. 100rmb with two drinks (or free if you’ve been on the LGBT crawl).

It’s also Midi Festival on Saturday, which runs throughout the day and finishes about 9pm. No Halloween crap, but may be a place to dance before you suit up. Presale tickets are 80rmb cheaper if you buy them here.

Wednesday, October 31:

For the pagan purists, there’s next Wednesday, Halloween Proper. School night, so nothing overly crazy, but here’s a few ideas: Shanghai 24/7 have this party at C’s with Heatwolves, Cavia and TZNM playing death hop and horrible disco. 50rmb with a drink or free if you dress up.

Sub-Cinema are hosting a Halloween edition over at the Shelter, screening two films about witchcraft – the 1922 Swedish silent movie Haxan and the British film from 1971 The Blood on Satan’s Claw. Doors will open at 8pm with the first screening starting at 9:15pm. Doors close five minutes before the film starts so no latecomers, and Sub-Cinema people tell us this is a screening, not a club night, so only come if you want to shut up and watch the movies. Tickets are 50rmb, but that includes a silk-screen print made up specially for the night. Everyone paying admission at the door gets one. The Blood on Satan’s Claw sounds especially twisted. Hail Satan!

Cantina celebrates Dia De Los Muertos a day early, with free-flow margaritas, beer and sangria, plus all-you-can-eat Mexican street snacks for 150rmb all in. Party goes 7-10pm, after which, selected drinks are 25rmb.

After the sun goes out:

Ibiza bucks the trend by getting nasty at the back end of Halloween. They host a three-night apocalypse starting Wednesday 31 and continuing on November 1 and 2, promising that “the Ark of Hell will be loaded to take passengers into an whole new demented dimension (sic)”. Man, that really does sound horrific. Free with a costume so suit up, otherwise it's 80 presale or 100rmb on the door, tickets include a drink. Reserve throughinquiry@ibiza-shanghai.com / 6113 5668.

Finally, as if there hasn’t already been enough blood spilt, there’s a Halloween roller disco ( Nightmare on Funk Street), on November 2 at Minxin Roller Rink. DJs Sal and B.O, with Friend or Foe doing a CD-listening bit, plus Panda Xpress, One Love, Shanghai Fun. Jesus, is there anyone not involved in this party?



That’s it… It just remains for us to thank Satan and all his little devils for making this whole thing possible. Oh, and hail Adrian, too, for he shall overthrow the mighty and lay waste their temples. He shall redeem the despised and wreak vengeance in the name of the burned and the tortured. Hail Adrian! Cheers Satan! Nice one, pal.
For a complete list of Halloween parties, go here.

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