By Wen Jun and Jiang Qiongji (Shanghai Star)
Updated: 2006-06-29 17:23

In today's Shanghai, nightclubs and bars are booming, with venues opening and closing faster than night can turn into day. To catch the eyes of barflies, many bars have sought unique features to make them stand out, such as using red colours to create a warm atmosphere, or cozy sofas for a more relaxed feeling, or even hiring lap dance girls to tout for clientele.

The sophisticated shows and delicate atmospheres rarely come cheap, however. It is quite normal to pay 50 yuan for a beer, 80 yuan for an entrance fee, or 500 yuan for a cognac, in Shanghai bars today -- far more than low-income students could afford.

C's Bar provides a more affordable alternative. It is a cool place to hang out, but the drinks are cheap-only 10 yuan (US$1.25) for any soft drink.

In C's Bar, there's no dress code and no VIP rooms. As long as you have 10 yuan, you can enjoy the hip-hop music and the relaxed atmosphere among a majority student crowd.

The bar is an underground bar, located on Dingxi Road, with the capacity to hold as many as 300 people. It can be a little difficult to find at first, since no noise can be heard at street level due to the basement's soundproofing. But when you walk downstairs after 10 pm, you will find crowds raving to crazy dance music.

Unlike the many bars decorated with elegant glass walls, C's Bar only has coarse brick walls covered in graffiti, creating a warm and friendly feeling. It seems like a frat house, plain and casual, with wooden chairs and tables. Small TVs are cattered in the corners, usually surrounded by soccer or car-racing fans.

Besides the cheap drinks, another reason to check out the bar is the electronic music parties by The Antidote, regularly held on the last Thursday of every month.

The Antidote is an independent electronic music party band, hosted by five DJ musicians: B6, MHP and Emcore from Shanghai, Amnijk from Japan and O Zone from the United States. They are not merely DJs, but also original electro music writers and recording artists.

Unlike traditional DJs, The Antidote call themselves "digital DJs," playing music sing
laptop computers and peripherals-effects instruments, mixing consoles and even home-made instruments. Some of their music is original live digital, some is DJ mixed live with various software.

If you like to dress up elegantly, if you want splendid lighting effects and vibrating dance floors, or if you hate noisy crowds, C's Bar is definitely not the right place for you. But if you want to spend a fun party night in a friendly atmosphere for only 10 yuan, or if you want to meet some expats from different cultures and practice English with them, C's Bar makes a good choice.

C's Club
Location: B/F, No.685 Dingxilu (between Fahuazhenlu and Yanan Xilu)
Tel: 021-62940547