FILM: Human Traffic
CITY: Cardiff

HUMAN TRAFFIC: “The weekend has landed. All that exists now is clubs, drugs, pubs and parties. I’ve got 48 hours off from the world, man. I’m gonna blow steam out my head like a screaming kettle, I’m gonna talk cod shit to strangers all night, I’m gonna lose the plot on the dancefloor. The free radicals inside me are freakin’, man! Tonight I’m Jip Travolta, I’m Peter Popper, I’m going to never-never land with my chosen family, man. We’re gonna get more spaced out than Neil Armstrong ever did, anything could happen tonight, you know? This could be the best night of my life. I’ve got 73 quid in my back burner - I’m gonna wax the lot, man! The Milky Bars are on me! Yeah!”

That just about sums up Human Traffic! It’s a great popcorn flick about a group of friends who live for the weekend and each other. It’s not going to win any awards and there are no mind-blowing stunts or special effects but if by the end of the movie you don’t find yourself smiling and wanting to grab a bunch of mates and go clubbing you must be dead inside!

The Asylum

The nightclub where a large part of the movie is set is actually Club X on Charles St in Cardiff although it isn’t owned by Cark Cox or his alter ego Pablo Hassan and I really wouldn’t try to get in the way that Jip (John Simm) does! When you get there you may notice that the outside is very different that’s because they only used Club X for the interior scenes. The exterior is Emporium on the High Street.

Warm Up Pub

The setting for a brilliant exchange between Jip and Felix (Andrew Lincoln) about how they would really talk to each other if the honestly said what they thought and the new national anthem is Gassy Jacks on Salisbury Road.

Morning After Pub

The pub where Moff (Danny Dyer) says that after last night he is going to calm down and start living clean followed by his order for a pint of vodka with a tequila chaser is the Philharmonic on St Mary Street.

Jip & LuLu Walk Home

For the romantics out there who would like to relive this scene in person then it too is filmed on St Mary Street but be warned there are usually a lot more cars about!

Like the late great Bill Hicks said: ‘It’s an insane world, but I’m proud to be part of it.’”

Filed under: Cardiff