So its general chitchat outside a bar, the conversation with the group is the same old stuff "where are you from etc..." Recently I've started opening completely random/absurd threads just to spark some life back into the situation.
Asking something like "what's your favourite flavour of sticker?" throws people off completely, usually guarantees a smile and opens up the conversation to lots of weird new routes. I enjoy this

its like verbal peacoking in large groups, you certainly stand out from the crowd
I don't know where but I'm pretty sure I've read about this sort of stuff somewhere before, I'd love to hear your thoughts on these questions and would love any great examples of them.
Ta
R&B