Tokyo Jo's reunion - for one super night we were back in da club

There had been a lot of buzz on the social channels.

The Tokes reunion is coming back this summer read more here: https://www.lep.co.uk/best-in-preston/bars-and-pubs/preston-s-tokyo-jo-s-reunion-was-such-a-success-it-ll-be-happening-again-later-this-year-1-9723159But mostly chat between friends’ groups – who was in, who was ‘out, out’ for a big night on the town – potentially until the early hours of 4am.

More than anything most were simply wanting to seize a rare opportunity to go out for an evening of fun, adult conversation (about children) and a opportunity to wear ‘going out’ clothes.

Could we really all relive the Thursday night of Thursday nights of our late teens, washed down with bottles of VK and ambling home via Yum Yums?

Babysitters, mostly grandparents, were roped in to ensure all bases were covered, not just the night but a proper morning lie-in seeing as we were going to be out ‘all night.’

With so much expectation, could the team behind the former Tokyo Jo’s really pull off a return to the 90s and noughties in spectacular fashion?

There was something quite surreal about joining a queue, an actual queue of veteran club-goers in Church Street on a Thursday night.

What a pity the Daily Mail didn’t have a snapper on hand for happy drunk people, wearing clothes.

Credit where it’s due, the buzz about ‘town’ was rather extraordinary.

Live music at Baker Street, cocktails in Stratos, what a great way for the other local bars and businesses to capitalise, and no signs of trouble, just a very happy group of people enjoying the home city of their youth.

None of us could quite recall as we wandered up to Evoque, the last time we had walked through those neon-lighted doors.

This most likely because you had to be a reasonable level of sloshed before entry.

In part because the £25 you could have a night out on back then would have been well eaten into and you still had a taxi and a takeaway to pick up at 2am.

With VKs a £1 a bottle this was not a problem, at £4 a go on this occasion – the drink didn’t go down so easy.

Were you there? In pictures the Tokyo Jo's reunion April 18: https://www.lep.co.uk/best-in-preston/bars-and-pubs/pictures-legendary-preston-nightclub-tokyo-jo-s-stages-reunion-1-9722973I don’t know what everyone else was expecting but the relocation of the ticket entry had me all confused when I finally made my way in, with no need for a fake birth age and the corresponding star sign.

My little sister felt all out of sorts, without having to pull out my driving licence.

After a bit of critique on what was right and all wrong with the redesign of a club, I’m not likely to be again until the next reunion, we headed to the ‘third floor’.

It was one of those moments you had to be there to really get it but the room was literally bouncing, an electric vibe and one hell of a party.

Rozalla Miller back on stage nearly had the roof off.

It was a night of top tunes and nostalgia all round.

In the taxi home, I realised the sister had taken mum and dad’s house key home with her.

Dad was no doubt delighted with his 2.45am house call from Yum Yums to make sure the door was left open – just like the old days indeed!