King’s Affair is billed as an antidote to the traditional balls of May Week, and this year, the antidote was administered with fantastic success. With at least five different rooms for music to choose between, guests were never left wanting in their search for some Sick Beats. The main stage was in fact slightly less popular than the bar, which hosted killer sets from Dark Sky and Eliphino, and was packed all night. It makes you realise just how shallow the novelty of having an act like S Club of Big Bruvaz just for the sake of nostalgia really is. The Bunker provided for some established regulars at King’s ents, such as the illustrious Tom Scott, but overcrowding, lack of ventilation and hordes of sweaty dancers perhaps made the venue more humid than was ideal. Nevertheless, the ambience of the whole affair was sustained by the varied but consistently enjoyable ents on offer.

The vibes created by the bands were continued by the decs. King’s does not pretend to be a classy ball to wander through as you slowly sip your champagne. Rather, sheets of foil and tissue paper were draped onto the walls and came to pieces over the course of the night, adding to the raucous atmosphere but characterised the Affair. Moments of calm could be found in the chapel and in the comedy tent. Every May Ball has a “chill out zone”, but every May Ball does not have King’s Chapel. Mattresses were strewn across the floor to lie on as you gazed up to a trippy light show on the roof of the chapel. The spacey atmosphere was enhanced by folky sets from Mo’s Gold Teeth and Femi Origon-Williams, who themselves provided the ideal antidote to the madness going on just across the court.

With all the great ents on offer, the food and drink are never the main draw of King’s Affair. Drink choices were simple – beer, mixers or water –but they kept flowing all night, and were well spaced out across the college. Copious bottles of water were welcome as the night went on. All of the food stands were concentrated in one area of the college, and given the long queues this meant that one corner of front court was crammed with people throughout the night. However the food on offer was generally worth the wait. Hot dogs, burgers, and donuts were energy boosting staples, whilst falafel, crepes and artisanal pizza were a great addition to the menu.

All in all, King's Affair lived up to its subterranean reputation for an alternative May Week choice