I've heard about invite-only events and raves over the years but never one in Belfast and when I received an Instagram direct message inviting me to something called Jam Raves I was definitely intrigued.
What got me even more interested was the venue which was a local chicken shop, Wing It on the Lisburn Road to be precise. I am told that the venue is changing every time so there's no issue in sharing where it was before.
This is the very first in what is going to be a series of secret raves that will take place in new and interesting venues across Belfast. With the first taking place in a chicken shop I think this sets the tone for just how cool these venues will be.
With about 100 people invited it felt like something exclusive and exciting when you were in the room and that really adds to the atmosphere. It felt like an old school speakeasy style event and allowed you to actually chat to people and meet new mates while enjoying the music.
The name Jam intrigued me because it could mean a lot of things. Was it the organisers initials? Was it related to jamming to music? Although these might have been true they were actually serving toast with jam on it at the event and I was shocked but I absolutely love toast and jam so I definitely indulged in it and thought it was a really funny touch.
Given the venue of this first one I wasn't shocked to see some wings being given out too. I will always take free wings if they're being handed out and they were very well received by me and the people I brought with me who loved the mid-rave snack.
We were treated to a drink on arrival which is always going to go down well in my eyes. The drinks didn't stop there though and there was a range of cocktails on offer like margaritas, coconut pina coladas, espresso martinis and passionfruit martinis.
I had the passionfruit martini while I was there which was fantastic. They came in cool cups with lids on them that you'd usually find an iced coffee in which I liked as someone who is prone to spilling things.
Any hints of where's next for these events? Well the answer is I'm not sure but I'm told that it will be equally as exciting as the first one and they will be taking place every month across the city.
The tunes on the night were top notch too with local DJ Stephen Latimer on the decks which backed out onto the Lisburn Road. The 'dance floor' was full the entire time which always shows just how good the music was on the night.
This is definitely an event that peaked my interest when I received the invite and while I was definitely unsure how this would go. It did not disappoint and one of the coolest things I've been to in a good while.
It's rare to see something original held on this scale and I know it will definitely be something I will keep going back to as long as I keep getting invited that is.
Keep an eye out for this one it is already making waves and if you get an invite it's not one to miss and something I will definitely be telling all my mates about because it is genuinely exciting and original that is right up my street.
Check out my TikTok from the night to get an even better idea of the vibes:
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