Roman
nightlife retains
some of the smart ethos satirized
in Fellini's film
La Dolce
Vita, and designer-dressing-up
is still very much a part of the
mainstream scene. Entrance prices
to the big
clubs tend to be
high (as much as L40,000,
including a drink), but there are
a few smaller, more alternative
nightspots, where your
travel-crumpled clothes will be
perfectly acceptable. To get
around the licensing laws, some of
Rome's night haunts are run as
private clubs - usually known as
"centri culturali" - a
device that means you may be stung
for a membership fee, particularly
where there's music, though as a
one-off visitor some places will
let you in without formalities;
and some places charge no fee at
all to be a member. In recent
years these sorts of places have
sprung up all over the city,
particularly in the suburbs, and
these are becoming the focus of
political activity and the more
avant-garde elements of the music
and arts scene.
On the live music scene
, summer offerings are plentiful,
with several venues all over town,
featuring concerts of every sort,
including practically free events
in Testaccio. However, the chances
of catching major rock and pop
acts are virtually nonexistent,
and getting worse. Rome has been
all but abandoned by most big UK
and US acts because of its almost
complete lack of organization and
a suitable venue. Big promoters
book the cities up north,
especially Milan and Bologna, and
leave Rome entirely out of the
loop. However, there is a chance
you can catch up-and-coming US and
UK indie bands playing some of the
city's more alternative venues.
Rome's clubs run the
gamut. There are vast glitter
palaces with stunning lights and
sound systems, predictable dance
music and an over-dressed,
over-made-up clientele - good if
you can afford it and just want to
dance (and observe a good
proportion of Romans in their
natural Saturday-night element).
But there are also places that are
not much more than ritzy bars
with music, and other, more
down-to-earth places to dance,
playing a more interesting
selection of music to a younger,
more cautious-spending crowd.
There is also a small group of
clubs catering specifically to gay
or lesbian customers.
Whichever you prefer, all tend to
open and close late, and some
charge a heavy entrance fee - as
much as L25,000, which usually
includes a drink. During the hot
summer months, many clubs close
down or move to outdoor locations.
As for location , Roman
nightlife can be found all over
the city, including neighbourhoods
on the very edge of town. However,
in the central zone the best areas
tend to be Testaccio (especially
in summer), Trastevere, and the
centro storico from the Jewish
Ghetto to the Pantheon.
For what's on information,
there's Romac '่ (L2000,
Thursdays), with its helpful
section in English, and, if you
understand Italian, Time Out
Roma (L4500, Thursdays).
Otherwise the main Rome newspaper
, Il Messaggero, lists
major musical events, and " Trova
Roma " in the Thursday
edition of La Repubblica is
another handy guide to current
offerings.
