To ask when did The Young stop going to DISCOS

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Lovely DD (16) is sat here beside us watching Netflix. When I was her age (in the 70s/80s) I would have either been at a disco or in the pub. Obviously, now young people have to produce id to get served, the latter is out but I think it's a bit sad the young don't go to discos.

Did you go? What do your teens do on a Saturday night?

Do you specifically mean U18 discos? I went to one on a Friday night in 1991 when I was 12. I absolutely loved it and was excited that these were something I'd be doing for the next few years. But obviously, something went wrong/didn't work out for the organisers as they never held it again. I was semi-aware of Sunday afternoon discos happening at the same venue, but I never really wanted to go on a Sunday afternoon.

As I got a little older I spent most of my Saturday nights babysitting. Sometimes we'd go to the cinema. At 16, I had a boyfriend a few years older than me and we'd mainly go to the cinema/dinner or occasionally to parties. Once or twice we went to nightclubs. I looked young for my age but could get in with the older crowd. When we broke up the following year, I had a fake ID and went to the local clubs with the most lax bouncers.

Lockdown aside, there are a LOT more music festivals these days and young people (well, people of all ages) go to those to do their dancing and letting off steam. There are still some clubs too, but fewer than there were in the days of superstar DJs and ecstasy, or the disco days.

Personally I don't think it's a bad thing. Internet subcultures mean they have ways to find friends and partners with more in common - and meet in real life at fan conventions and suchlike - rather than going to a local sweaty box to get drunk/off their faces and cop off with some random.

That said, I still go out to retro discos and clubs in my 40s and love it! Without any drugs/copping off though, purely for the music and moves.

@liveforsummer

No one wants the trouble of being responsible for them now I'd guess.

Exactly! Pretty sure it’s safeguarding etc

I’d say the one in my town prob stopped around 1993 ish - can’t really remember the younger ones in my school going to it so it must have stopped not long after the time I was going. That’s almost 30 years ago! Yikes!! So not really a recent thing 🤣🤣

But all of the local secondary school children went to it back then (early to mid 90s) a mixed bunch! No fights I remember but chance for inter-school mixing / snogging 🤣

I often went to discos in my teens (1970s). They were held in village halls or pub function rooms. I also went to pubs quite a lot from the age of 16. No one worried about underage drinking in those days but in pubs we only drank cider because 1) it was cheap and 2) we were in Somerset. At pub discos we thought we were very sophisticated and drank Bacardi and coke!

My children never went to discos. As teenagers they went to people's houses for parties or smaller 'gatherings'. Once they got to 18 they started going to clubs and to university functions.

I wonder the death of discos is partly because children now have discos at primary school so they seem to be a childhood thing rather than a teenage thing.

I would agree that a disco is just ‘clubbing’ by another name.

The eighties brought in the cocktails, clubs and raves. The nineties continued with clubs, house and raves. Then I got way too old for it all.

There was still proper dance music in the 80s though. Michael Jackson, Kool & zThe Gang, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Earth Wind and Fire…..

@Pinkdelight3

Lockdown aside, there are a LOT more music festivals these days and young people (well, people of all ages) go to those to do their dancing and letting off steam. There are still some clubs too, but fewer than there were in the days of superstar DJs and ecstasy, or the disco days.

Personally I don't think it's a bad thing. Internet subcultures mean they have ways to find friends and partners with more in common - and meet in real life at fan conventions and suchlike - rather than going to a local sweaty box to get drunk/off their faces and cop off with some random.

That said, I still go out to retro discos and clubs in my 40s and love it! Without any drugs/copping off though, purely for the music and moves.

I must agree with poster above….it’s no bad thing really.

Discos with underage drinking being attempted and then moving on to trying to get into pubs, bars and nightclubs with fake ID when a little older…..it’s prob good that a bit of that drinking culture has died out as the generations move on and make their own history

I think it's a real shame that 'disco's' went out of fashion. Just not done these days. I think many teens would have enjoyed it, if it had stayed fashionable

Discos existed in school. There were no local discos in my area in the 90s for teens. I do remember when I was older seeing some local nightclubs holding under 18 nights.

Getting in any club/bar underage can be often quite strict: even in the mid 90s I looked far too young to get in most places without ID. Even of age It’s expensive with bar and club admissions so some choose house parties/ home drinking/pre drinking goes as it’s cheaper.

Also lots of younger people have different interests: the world online is a massive change, they can game, video call, social media is massive, browse the world, watch much more choice of tv and movies than we ever had.

Not all teens are fussed by alcohol and big nights out these days, my niece was 19 before she went out more but she’s now early twenties and rarely does it now. She would much rather go out for food, shopping or cinema and a catch up. Just doesn’t interest her. People also don’t need to go out to clubs (discos) meet the opposite sex others thanks to apps.

@liveforsummer

No one wants the trouble of being responsible for them now I'd guess.

Yes, I think this is correct. I remembers going to youth club discos for 13-16 year olds. We had a brilliant time, people used to smuggle alcohol in and everyone used to smoke outside/ cop off with each other round the back of the hall. No one would want to take responsibility for this sort of event nowadays! My DC did go to youth club, but it was aimed at a much younger age group, year 6/7 I think.

Good points about different types of gatherings such as festivals or meeting up with likeminded others. Like I said it’s easier to meet those you have interests with thanks to online media, forums and the like.

DD and two friends went out on Saturday. IN THE AFTERNOON! They went for Thai food (sat down in restaurant) then to the indie cinema to see a French film.

I thought, surely it would be more fun to do that in the evening when it's DARK and town is buzzing a bit.

DD came home and studied and then settled down for some Netflix with ma & pa. I'm sure she'd love to be out dancing and snogging but the opportunity doesn't seem to present itself.

She's at the gym now then off to her part time job. Honestly, young people ...

We had school discos, sports club and youth club discos in the 90's. Normally held in the school hall, sports club or village hall. Usually very tame and aimed at 12 - 16 yr olds.
They don't do them anymore - not sure why.

“What do 15-18 yr olds do in the evenings these days?”

Seven years ago when I was 15 I mainly spent my evenings watching detective show reruns on ITV3. That was the life!

But the music...

I was 16 in the 80s and we went to discos every weekend. But there was nothing to do at home - no Netflix, internet, mobile phones. The telly only had a few channels and was commandeered by my mum and dad. Teens nowadays don't have to go out to have fun.

I had great fun. It was tremendous.

In the late 70s and early 80s we were in pubs watching live bands. Nobody checked id but the landlord did keep an eye out for silly amounts of drinking. We kids didn't drink like teens seem to now and a couple of pints lager, snakebite or shandy was it really. There were the big clubs around but they weren't my scene with all that dancing round handbags and yelling over the music.

At 16 I had a fake id and we'd be at the pubs or clubs.
Ds is 16 and she's usually either going for sleepovers at friends or house parties. Definitely never been to a pub or club, I think it's pretty strict now regarding Id so she wouldn't even want to try!

So hard to get into late night bars and clubs under age these days, unless it's a dodgy type who don't care - and then they're probably not the type you'd want them in anyway!

At 15-17 Dd and friends had house parties and weekend get together. They'd often be music and dancing, but at home. Sometimes the local park. A bit of drinking but it want the priority for most - it was the socialising and dancing,

Dd turned 18 in the first lockdown so had her club/bar start delayed but this summer has made up for it with friends! Lots and lots of dancing in clubs and bars, usually ongoing til 5am etc.

I have loved this thread and it brought back great memories of underage drinking/discos/nightclubs in the 80s & 90s... like most of you.

I have a 15 yo dd who only occasionally goes out and is very far removed from my 15 year old self. I guess it's just a sign of the times, and the digital age. And of course COVID/lockdowns haven't helped.

The other glaring difference is today's music is SHITE. I don't know about your teenagers, but dd and her friends like the music we listen to - 80s, 90s, 00s... The Beatles/Queen/Oasis/Arctic Monkeys. What music would they play at a 2021 disco for teenagers?

lazylittlelucy yes, my Dd listens to Nirvana, the cure, the smiths, all the stuff I liked 30 years ago & opening her wardrobe is like opening the door back to my 1991 wardrobe - it’s very odd!

'sDid nobody go to roller discos in the 90's?

The other thing about disco style dancing is that it was fantastic exercise. And it was joyous.

@liveforsummer

No one wants the trouble of being responsible for them now I'd guess.

I agree. I can't imagine why it would be worth it for a venue to run a U16 or U18 party now. Little profit to be made and huge potential for trouble, all of which would be meticulously documented on social media.

@CounsellorTroi yes they have a dance as well at prom, I meant when I was teen early 90’s school had lots of disco’s. We seemed to have end of term and random Christmas and Halloween ones.
My 2 DD’s have only ever had one disco at school.