How to be a good sport

Perhaps it's a male thing, but I'm not a big fan of dressing up. In fact, the words "fancy dress" fill me with dread. So it came as a huge surprise to find myself relishing the prospect of Sportsrave, the latest club to combine dressing up with getting down.

Sportsrave was conceived in April as the first of a series of themed costume parties. After enthusiastic feedback, the founders stuck with their original concept of sportsgear, moving it to their now regular venue of Platinum in Shoreditch, which is, ahem, a "gentlemen's club" during the week.

Despite the area's usual crowd of nu-rave kids, city boys and fashion scenesters, I'm feeling shy: my outfit stays firmly in my bag until I'm inside. But passing a group outside the bar in ski visors, tennis whites and luminous leggings as we arrive at midnight, I'm glad I made the effort.

Even the most rugged male wardrobe becomes a dressing-up box for such an occasion, so there's no excuse for not joining in. Those who do pay only £7 to get in, rather than £10.

My friends label my own effort - a mix of gym kit and luminous accessories - "PE teacher": Not the pinnacle of sport, but already I feel part of the fun.

Set across three floors, Sportsrave has a more underground music policy than most other nights of its ilk. The ground floor, where we enter, is a dimly lit lounge bar, painted black and filled with comfy leather sofas, playing deep, minimal house, rather than Seventies or Eighties pop. It's silliness, but with seriously cool and edgy music.

There's an atmosphere of unselfconscious fun - and the skimpy outfits help oil the wheels of new friendships. There are gorgeous girls in micro-shorts and crop tops everywhere, only too happy to accept some refreshment from us boys.

At the bar, bottles are £3.50, shots £3 and a JD and Coke £4. Our wallets are pleased to discover a BOGOF happy hour until 1am, but a quick glance at our stopwatches reveals time for cheap drinks is running out, so we stock up and limber up for the night ahead.

In the basement, beneath a huge glitterball, we discover the rave. DJ Sophie Oliver mixes minimal and tech house to give the busy twentysomethings dancefloor a good workout. Girls dressed in Seventies-style track gear are giving Eric Prydz's Call On Me video a run for its money, while the boys get physical around them.

Making a few moves of our own, we recognise some familiar club kids. Chatting with John, a friend of a friend, we discover there is a core of regulars who enjoy the excuse to dress up every month. Sportsrave's most popular feature is its games room on the top floor, which causes a rush when it opens at 1am. Boasting colourful projections and DJs spinning tunes from laid-back funk to original rave anthems, this is the sporting arena.