Impactuated: Impact Play Cupid

For one night - and one night only - Abi and Matt arrived at Nottingham’s The Bodega for a blind date with one another, to see the hellishly flamboyant Walt Disco. Post-gig, I chatted with them separately to see how it went. Call me Cupid.

How did you feel when you first arrived tonight?

Abi (A): You know what, I wasn’t too nervous. I think the rain made me forget about anything else because I really hate the rain. Matt (M): It was okay because I knew her before, by accident. She was at a party I’d been to.

What were your first impressions?

A: Oh, I fancied him! I think he’s fit [giggles] AND also very nice, but that’s less important. M: She was really welcoming. She was bright… in terms of her aura.

How was the beginning of the date versus the end of the date?

A: We had a nice little conversation before, and we got some drinks downstairs. During the gig, we got a little shoutout from Walt Disco, and at the end we got pictures with them, like celebrities of the night! M: Great question. At the start of the gig, we were unhinged – we didn’t mean to be, but we went to the bottom floor and we had a pint on our own, and had a bit of a chat.

Would you have preferred a different location or event in hindsight?

A: Before I came, I thought a gig was a weird one. I thought it might be like going to the cinema, where you just get off instead of getting to know each other. I think The Bodega is the perfect location though, because it’s very chilled out, so I actually think it went really well. M: Yeah, at the start, I thought ‘why on earth have we been put here?’. But as the night went on, it kind of made more sense.

Did you get any icks?

A: I actually didn’t. It’s really nice because the last guy I dated gave me about twenty. M: Erm, she drank a pint really slowly. It wasn’t really an ick. She just drank slowly.

What did you think of Walt Disco?

A: I’d never listened to Walt Disco before, but they are so fun! I literally texted my mum during the gig to tell her how much of a fun band they are. I had a really great time. They were crazy, and amazing. M: I had a little gander at their songs before. The only song I actually listened to was Be An Actor and it was during that song when they basically outed us as lovers.

Yes, you got a shoutout from the band before they performed Be An Actor, which has the lyric maybe I’ll “be an actor or get married soon” – so, would you get married to your date?

A: I’m pretty desperate, so I’ll get married to anyone. M: Within reason, yes!

Would you go to a gig on a date again?

A: I would! Especially at The Bodega, or maybe somewhere like Rescue Rooms, because they also have a little bar area. Maybe not something like Stormzy, but something like this - perfect! M: Yeah, I would! It was really fun. I did struggle to chat at the start because it was really loud, but then we had a pint.

The question everyone wants to know: would you go on a date with each other again?

A: Of course! M: Yeah, I would.

By Nieve O’Donnell

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