Let's be straight: clubbing in Prague can be a little hit and miss...

Every now and again a guest DJ comes to town but invariably you find the venue too big or too small, or somehow just lacking in a genuine feelgood atmosphere. The indigenous scene is more intense and serious - perhaps humourless is the word - than a typical Ibiza-style experience.

This is not to be overly critical of Prague clubbing, which is its own unique entity, but simply to say that the Pete Slong, Judge Jules scene is not really practiced out here yet, perhaps explaining the problems mentioned above when it is attempted.

Considering the Czech Republic neighbours Germany and is only a 12-hour drive to London, there is no real reason for this malaise. The Czech Republic has the potential for being a clubbers paradise, with a history of outdoor festivals, large venues and a general Bohemian take on partying, i. e. not like your hardcore, robotic, thumping, slightly sinister Dutch/Grerman experience can be. I've been living here for three years and have lately seen some very promising signs: with Carl Cox, Basement Jaxx, Human Traffic and others all coming in the last two years.

Now this mostly untapped potential has been realised 30-minutes from Prague in a town called Benešov. The club's name is KC Karlov (www.kckarlov.cz). I have been there twice in the last six months and have actually been putting off writing this article for fear of causing a soul-stampeding bumrush.

On returning to Prague from Benešov, one has that feeling of having discovered something frankly very cool. This is made all the better by the fact that while everyone else was sweating it out in Roxy, being bored closed to ears in Karlovy Lazne or bopping to "comme ce comme ca" in Letna, you had seen top DJ's from The End and Fabric.

The venue is spot on: big pumping halls and small, more personal rooms all playing a wide variety of styles. (Unlike Booby Centrum with five-plus rooms and five-plus false DJ's all pretending to mix whilst a cassette recorder churns out the same dia tune.)

The feel is of a club and not of a temporarily altered warehouse. There is also no ludicrous token system which can single-handedly wreck an evening when you realize you are a bit under for your Red Bull and Vodka and the queue for the coats is at least two hours thus forcing the legendary Erektus compromise, inevitably triggering the nervous system to release excess saliva into your oral orifice, consequently inducing vomitus.

A peculiar scenario, but we've all been there.

If the clubbing gets too much for you, just take a break with a Thai massage, play baby foot or just sit back in a comfy seat and watch the good times roll. The other benefits to KC Karlov's postion are that you escape Prague prices for food and accomadtaion - and the locals are sweet.

The reason I have decided to finally spread the word is that a new club from the same company is opening soon in Prague and it is time to get as many people in to this as possible and make Prague and its surrounds the Ibiza/Ionapa of Eastern Europe, and hopefully at the same time rid ourselves of the badly behaved stag night jokers currently plaguing this city.

On the 4th of May two Space Dj's played (Ben Long and Jimmy Bismirk), so be there if you harbour any like for clubbing at all: however hardcore or disco you are, you will love it. Or come if you just want to hit the guy who wrote this piece.