29 Dec 2023
“Sing along with the common people… Sing along and it might just get you through…”
Five years ago a collaboration of unrepentant and maturing indie kids decided that what St Albans really needed was a celebration of the music they grew up listening to, from Nirvana and Rage Against The Machine to Happy Mondays and Oasis.
The first Common People night took place at The Pioneer Club in February 2019, and raised funds for Jossie Lever, a Harpenden schoolgirl undergoing treatment for a rare form of cancer.
It was the brainchild of Jon Prayer, Ed Hornsby and Colin Toms, and packed the dancefloor with a mix of ‘nineties classics and forgotten gems.
Run by unpaid volunteers, with alcohol donated by Farr Brewery, Tring Brewery and Watling Street Brewery, it proved a phenomenal success.
Common People has since returned to The Pioneer for a further 15 follow-up nights, snowballing to expand into other towns like Hertford, Hitchin and Ely, all raising money for local good causes.
“It’s like pretending you’re a teenager again for one night,” explained co-founder Jon Prayer when asked to explain its success. “People associate this music with the best time of their lives, and it takes them back to their youth.”
Jon, who grew up in Cheshunt, spent the ‘nineties at events including Club X at The Astoria and Feet First at Camden Palace (now KOKO), and cites The Charlatans as his favourite band from the era.
The idea behind Common People was to create a night which had no pretensions, which people could just turn up and enjoy.
“It’s a really nice, friendly night, where everybody is happy and chirpy and there’s never any trouble. The DJs know what’s going to kill it, but you can’t just turn up and whack on a Spotify playlist, the dancefloor moves, it’s fluid, and you have to know what to put on at the right time.”
Floorfillers include the likes of Killing In The Name, Teen Spirit, Sheriff Fatman, Where’s My Jumper and of course, Pulp’s Common People. “It always goes insane when that comes on!”
He refers to the recent regeneration of the club, which included the creation of the new Suet Yard bar, a new sound system and backscreen projection: “The Pioneer Club has always been the second biggest venue in St Albans, and after years of being a massively underused resource it’s now getting the attention it deserves.”
Celebrate the fifth anniversary of Common People with a special night at The Pioneer Club on February 10 – tickets from www.indienights.co.uk
