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NOBODY IS WATCHING: REVIEW -
NOBODY IS WATCHING: REVIEW -
TWO YEARS IN THE MAKING - PARTY AT THE PICKLE FACTORY
TWO YEARS IN THE MAKING - PARTY AT THE PICKLE FACTORY
Nobody is Watching’s first in-person event turned The Pickle Factory into a world of pickletinis, a confession booth, Ottertopian visuals, and dancefloor chaos all in an exciting new Bristol venue– celebrating two years of online community coming alive in person for the first time.
Credit - Otis Walsh.
After two years of mostly digital presence, finally gathering in person and celebrating the two year anniversary together felt pretty exciting. The Pickle Factory in Easton, Bristol, became a playground for creativity and a shared sense of wonder for new and familiar faces to converge. It seems that everyone's very familiar with pre-existing venues in Bristol so The Pickle Factory brought this curiosity that a lot of people had when they first moved to Bristol- discovering new spaces again. It was clear that the community that’s been built over the two years could finally complete part of the mystery - who and what Nobody Is Watching is, and what it’s evolving to be - and that existing physically, together, and all at once was the first piece of the puzzle.
From the moment guests arrived, it was clear this was a safe space to play as well as party, where wholesome meets freedom. A cosy fire warmed one corner of the venue, drawing people together for conversation, laughter, and the occasional cuddle. Pickletinis – vodka kissed with pickle brine – circulated, and seeing people walking around with martini glasses with a pickle hanging out filled us with laughter. DIY pickle bobbing commenced – a brine-based chaotic contest . Plenty of cheers erupted, brine splashed, and everyone felt ten again.
Interactivity was something we felt necessary at Nobody Is Watching's first event and it was definitely done right. The hand built Confession Booth (which very big brother style) invited honesty and a touch of absurdity, with voice command prompts inside turning the screen to display hidden messages, playful monologues, and questions like normal from 'Nobody' - giving everyone a chance to participate in the storytelling of the night.
Nearby, the Nobody Crossword challenged guests to explore their engagement with the space, while the Trick or Treat Set let the crowd vote for either a crowd-pleasing tune or a funny throwback, blurring the line between performance and play as DJs responding to requests with either a “Trick” or a “Treat” for the ears.
Music carried the energy, with acid house, techno and disco providing the groove to lock into, dance, and sing along. With Bristol's JPEG, BLUFF doing a unique B2B set and getting everyone moving.
Art and installation made the night feel immersive. Otter Produces, familiar to many from Bristol's Balter Festival or Wake the Tiger, contributed interactive installations, including The Rubox and huge spiral spinners - games and illusions that had many hooked throughout the evening.
The Otter Visuals' Fractal Fiascode podium, where the crowd can play with the joystick and control the projections behind the DJ - this allowed guests to become part of the performance, blurring the line between audience and participant into something a bit more ambiguous.
The closing set from Grantly of Little People Parties and Glastonbury's Rabbit Hole stage was a highlight, having not played in Bristol much and with a notable house scene appealing more often amongst friends in venues from the likes of Lips Sealed Club, Dismantle and more- it was great to incorporate this genre with such an icon and inspiration.
Meanwhile, a glowing dolls’ house mirrored the main space in an inception style with miniature skeletons, pickles dangling from the ceiling, a tiny soundsystem of its own (matching exactly to the real thing just a bit smaller), all in impressively intricate detail. We hope this invited exploration and curiosity, turning a glance into something creative and completely new.
At its core, the Nobody is Watching's Halloween Pickle Party celebrated being together, granting permission to be weird, silly, and to create shared experiences between people with a similar interest into Bristol's' music scene. It felt like a glimpse into a new night for Bristol and despite this seeming bias in many ways, from hearing what the punters had to say- it was overall good things and a want for another party.
Of course, it wasn’t perfect. Timing of acts and extending their DJ sets to at least an hour each would've made the night feel easier to 'get into'. With the night ending at 2am, it felt premature due to all the décor and installations set ups but in ways people were left wanting more.
Ultimately, the Pickle Party was a celebration of the people, creativity, and connections that have made Nobody is Watching possible over the past two years. It showed us what worked, what can be refined, and how much potential there is for the future.
Many asked for hints at another party but it seems that nothing from nobody is quite on the cards just yet.
All image credits to Otis Walsh
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Thank You For Watching :0 x
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