(cityweekend.com.cn)
Updated: 2008-04-01 11:14

Ladies' nights. The mere mention is enough to make even the most experienced Shanghai resident shudder in fear. The words conjure images of overly sweet drinks, dated music and usually restrained women gyrating alongside men whose names and faces will be forgotten the next day (or at least they'll wish they had been forgotten). But now there's a new kid in town. A new breed of ladies' nights seems to be popping up-Cthe man-free ladies' night where women can hang out with their girlfriends, gossip and make fools of themselves away from the prying eyes of the soon-to-be-faceless men.

So why now? On a scene already dominated by ladies' nights, why are clubs suddenly turning to a more woman friendly evening? Aimee Groom, marketing director at Sugar, says, "The weather's warming up, people are happier to leave the house, so we thought we would provide a night for women to get together, chat and have fun." And fun it seems they shall have. With the ultra luxe Sugar providing manicures, goodie bags and decadent treats, all that was missing from the aptly titled "Slumber Party" was the obligatory pillow fight.

According to Simon Adams, one of the organizers of No Man's Land, now held at Dragon Club, "The people who come to No Man's Land are looking for a fun night out with good music and a friendly zero-attitude environment." But do women really want to be segregated?

As much as we deny it, isn't it nice to have free treats and a bit of flirting on the side (although it has to be said, just because the event may be lacking in men, doesn't mean it is lacking in flirting). "The man-free part of the evening actually only lasts for two or three hours, so women can come for a drink after work, unwind and stay on later if they want to hang out with men," says Carsten Warga, manager of Mural, who, like Sugar, is providing ladies with entertainment and goodies albeit of a slightly racier variety. "What we don't want is to make this a meat market." Deisys Blanco of Urban Blast and Slumber Party throws in, "Being among all women is different, there's a different energy. Certain topics can be discussed more openly amongst your girlfriends or women. When you throw a man in that mix, the energy or atmosphere is different." So will these new events last the distance? As Cyndi Lauper sang, "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun," and these events are certainly injecting some life into a stale scene.