A new monthly open-mic night has started in Bristol, and there's no danger of having one too many or being accused of being miserable while others get merry. It's from Sober Spaces, which describes itself as "a collaborative project that aims to provide events, community and music for the alcohol-free population of Bristol".
"Whether you’ve chosen a sober life, are in recovery, don’t drink for cultural or religious reasons, or you’re simply not fussed if there’s alcohol on sale, then Sober Spaces are here for you", say the organisers. Last week I went along, joining permanently sober musicians and students seeking sanctuary from the drinking culture they had fallen into.
I’m not an expert on open mic nights but the Sober Spaces night was like no other I can remember going to before. The music and poetry was uplifting and full of meaning with an interesting variety of performances which felt authentic.
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The venue being a coffee shop meant there were no mocktails or alcohol-free drinks to sample and seeing as it felt too late for caffeine, I stuck with an apple juice which was enough to see me through the whole evening. I enjoyed it so much, I stayed until the end and the night out came to a grand total of £1.50.
As I mingled with a range of friendly faces, conversation flowed easily and the alcohol-free environment created a whole different atmosphere. The transformation made by those who are now sober was inspiring and made me reflect on the normalisation of a drinking culture where those who don’t participate can sometimes be viewed as oddballs.
That was my experience when I went through a period of abstaining from alcohol in my early twenties. People would buy me alcohol and try to push me into drinking or just view me as a boring person who didn’t want to have fun.
Prior to that I had believed my high alcohol tolerance to be a gift. Even when the following day was a complete write-off, filled with anxiety and regret- I would do it all over again and again and again.
I just wasn’t capable of going out on a Friday night and staying sober or remaining satisfied with just one or two drinks. Fortunately I realised soon enough that my regular binge drinking was no gift but a curse.
For those with addiction, going sober can be a long bumpy road, filled with dark tunnels and U-turns along the way. But with the growing number of sober nights, there are now more ways to socialise in an alcohol-free environment.
In 2023 sobriety in Britain is becoming more popular and not just among people recovering from addiction or those who abstain due to religion. One in five university students are now teetotal according to a recent UCL study and sober curiosity has become a growing trend, with numerous books being written on the topic.
The Volunteer Tavern in Bristol hosted an alcohol-free night during Dry January this year with a range of alcohol-free drinks on offer. In Manchester, a local DJ is now hosting ‘sober’ raves after struggling with addiction himself.
I must admit, it felt odd at first going out on a Friday night for an apple juice and when I arrived, I didn’t expect to stay for the duration but I’m glad I did. Some of the heartfelt lyrics in the songs and poetry almost brought me to tears and the last act managed to hypnotise the whole room into a mutual trance-like state.
The slender flute player's quiet performance suddenly exploded as he leapt among the audience chanting in an unknown language. While the crowd speculated at first over whether his words were real or invented, by the end everyone had joined in, blown away by a night full of music, fun and laughter.
There was a sense of togetherness and mutual respect in the room which I’ve never experienced at an alcohol-fuelled event, a feeling that carried me into a hangover-free Saturday. I might even try a ginger beer next time.
Sober Spaces takes place on the second Friday of every month at Space 328 on Stapleton Road from 7.30-10pm. They also host sober nights throughout the year, you can find more information about the charity on Facebook.
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