People like talking about themselves, she said, so ask a lot of questions. You'll do better if you're confident and happy. Don't talk about ex-partners. Don't go when you're sad, you'll attract the wrong people.

I'd forgotten everything she'd told me; listening back afterwards, the advice was golden. But with none of that in mind I went to CitySwoon's 'adventure dating' night: a speed-dating slash pub crawl.

You're matched with people based on a short questionnaire and have 15 minutes together before a text shows you where to meet your next date, their name and picture.

Approaching the bar in Kingston on a weeknight, I was sweating. It was a nightmare at first. Grabbing my free drink I sat in the quietest corner I could find before my phone told me to meet my first date.

A woman sat at my bar table and asked if I was speed-dating. She wasn't, but she knew it was on and had a friend there who was single. Was I into blondes? Was I circumcised? (Kill me now.) Was I into rough stuff? I'm a depraved man who speaks like a Melbourne stevedore, but I've never blushed like that. I was mumbling, ready to bolt.

I thought about other bad decisions I'd made in my life. I remembered the shark-like smile my editor gave me when she asked if I wanted to do a 'we tried', followed by 'are you single?' She knew she'd sent me to die.

My first date saved me. My phone told me to meet her at the bar. The date was lovely, but I was distracted by the woman following me, miming to me over my date's shoulder.

The woman gave up and then loudly asked a nearby table of dudes the same questions, occasionally pointing at me. When the next date came along, she'd disappeared.

None of my actual dates were like that. You could tell how you were going by how soon they left for their next date. Meeting could be awkward, looking for faces that matched with the one on your phone, shuffling past dates you'd already spoken to.

As the night goes on, chatting is easier; drinking helps. For one date my phone told me to ask a bunch of 'ice breaker' questions as we giggled on a couch.

I'm on Tinder, and I'm hopeless, so 15 minutes face-to-face helped, or made it worse. No one was a pro, everyone was sceptical but they felt speed dating had its merits over swiping right and hoping for the best.

Instead of asking for a number, you could send your date a message through the website the next day making for a much easier 'goodbye'. It was all a bit salacious, but all in good fun.

Verdict: I couldn't remember the last time I tried talking to a stranger at a bar or a gig since I moved back to Australia five months ago. I should try more; actually speaking with someone was a lot more fun.

Details: CitySwoon regularly hosts speed dating events in Canberra. You can sign up, make your profile and get tickets for events at cityswoon.com.