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Small Unappealing London-Area Venue?

Tom Tit's Tot: A Girl!

20:07 / 06.12.05

It's all in the summary, really - not much of a thread for conversation, just a question that I thought could be best answered by Londoners.

Thanks in advance!

Regrettable Juvenilia

08:32 / 07.12.05

The Metro on Oxford Street is a horrible dive.

ONLY NICE THINGS

08:47 / 07.12.05

There's a whole bunch of awful tiny venues around Manet Street - the Crowbar, the 12 Bar Club, that sort of thing...

Mono

09:33 / 07.12.05

I had my bag and passport stolen at the crowbar. and then the next time i went for a drink there, some girl was gave a friend of a friend a blowjob in the girl's toilet. it is a classy joint, i tell ya.

lord nuneaton savage

10:19 / 07.12.05

Christ, it sounds alright to me...

Quantum

10:26 / 07.12.05

ROCK 'N FRICKIN' ROLL! Nuneaton, you should book that dive for B.I.N.

pointless & uncalled for

10:37 / 07.12.05

The Ivy House in Nunhead is small and quite rank. I've never been in there but the bands that I see pouring out at closing time seem at least diverse. Other than that the Waterats in Kings Cross is known for being a small place for good bands. Decent PA but the beer can be quite rough.

foot long subbacultcha

10:48 / 07.12.05

Pleasure Unit in Bethnal Green - some friends of mine had a night there called You're So Old Street that included Do Me Bad Things on one line up. Not sure if they'll have another night there any time soon, though

doozy floop

12:04 / 07.12.05

Seconding the Pleasure Unit. Small and dark and fairly rank, full of people with deeply asymmetrical haircuts. Some dreadful bands, some a bit better.

Mon Oncle Ignatius

13:21 / 07.12.05

The Metro on Oxford Street is a horrible dive.

I would second that opinion, and then some.

Goodness Gracious Meme

14:30 / 08.12.05

The GMT - Goldsmiths Music Tavern, in New Cross, *was* dark, dank, sold beer to all hours and had a wide quality range of gigs. Fun place. Might be worth a look, although I'm informed that it's had a clean-up/refit.

ZF!

14:45 / 08.12.05

Mmm, The Garage up in Highbury, I've always found to be a suitably sleazy venue.

Music is tops. At least for my tastes.
Only seen one name band there so far but have missed a few good acts. Also it's close to home.

I would say one of the least pretentious clubs around. I realised why on a sober night out. Everyone is ridiculously drunk.

No punch-ups though. At least in my experience.

mondo a-go-go

15:59 / 08.12.05

Surprised no one's mentioned the Venue in New Cross, if it's still going. The only bands that play there seem to be dodgy old punk bands or covers/tribute bands.

Mike Modular

00:56 / 09.12.05

GGM, the Goldsmiths Tavern is now a brightly lit, refurbished and respectable venue for clean living students to frequent (so I believe, not been in since it was done up, but pass it now and then and am always taken aback, when I remember how it used to be...)

The Working Men's Club in Bethnal Green is a pretty good venue. Maybe not all that dive-y, but not exactly plush... Although, last time I went to something there there was some weirdness with licencing/membership, so it might be more hassle than it's worth.

The Arcola theatre in Dalston hire out their basement for gigs and parties. It used to be an old clothing warehouse, so lots of iron girders and dankness ahoy. And mice!

Um, the Bull & Gate?

Goodness Gracious Meme

02:36 / 09.12.05

the Goldsmiths Tavern is now a brightly lit [...]respectable venue

*faints*

Lilly Nowhere Late

05:08 / 09.12.05

The Red Rose Club in Finsbury Park? All the little illegal places around Stokie, i.e. The Octopad, Andre Street, The Others(not v. illegal anymore) and the worst venue of all time, Bardens.
What about Water Rats in Kings Cross and most of Camden's back rooms?

Lilly Nowhere Late

05:09 / 09.12.05

o yeah! Top of the worst list, On The Rocks on Kingsland Road. Where you never want to touch a sparkle.

Mon Oncle Ignatius

08:24 / 09.12.05

Further information: Octapad has changed its name to something else - can't recall what now. Bardens is still closed as far as I know.

There's also Upstairs at Thr Garage, where we used to host Kosmische - it's a great dive in many ways, horrid in others. Tiny, sweaty, but with a great sound system and room to boogie once everyone has actually left.

In Camden there's the Underworld, beneath the World's End, which is actually an OK venue, apart from all the pillars. 93 Feet East on Brick Lane has a similar problem, and tends to shut early. The Spitz is probably a bit too nice (they are cool people there) and not dank enough, maybe?

Mon Oncle Ignatius

08:31 / 09.12.05

Oh, I forgot another update: Andre Street is now called Speaker Palace, and is as underground as anyone could want. In fact, Quintron & Miss Pussycat are playing there next weekend on Saturday 17th December, a gig I cannot recommend too highly.

Bear

08:54 / 09.12.05

The Metro has come up as a possibility venue for a future night out. Anyone want to fill me in on why it's so bad?

Mon Oncle Ignatius

10:18 / 09.12.05

Bear: The Metro has a weird layout in an L-shape, with the stage at the junction, and that stage is tiny. The sound actually OK, and my negative feelings come from playing there on a very crowded stage (I think there were at least 11 people playing on it at one point, plus a ton of gear), so it might be OK for smaller bands, as longs as it wasn't packed out and you suffer from claustrophobia.

Smoothly

10:24 / 09.12.05

Top Tip: Stand at the bar unless you are able to survive an evening with neither air nor fluids.

Mon Oncle Ignatius

10:39 / 09.12.05

Stand at the bar unless you are able to survive an evening with neither air nor fluids.

This of course is general advice for all circumstances and venues?

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

10:44 / 09.12.05

I went to the Metro for an indie night a few weeks ago. It was shit.

foot long subbacultcha

11:40 / 09.12.05

The Windmill in Brixton. Old regulars playing cards in one corner, a floor-level stage in another. Should be intimate but once the maximum sized intake of about 30 people gets in there, it becomes a cramped crowd. Some good music, though - Clor and Jeff Lewis have played there.

And more locally for me, The Hope and Anchor in Islington - has been hit and miss for me so far depending on chance - it's small enough to depend on what kind of crowd has happened to be in the pub on that particular night.

haus of fraser

12:58 / 09.12.05

I'll second the windmill as a very odd dive that sometimes has great bands- Club clor is always worth checking out if they still do it ( i doubt it but you never know?)

Nobody has mentioned The Buffalo Bar- very shit venue underneath the crappy pub next to Highbury & Islington station- live bands most nights. It hosts nights for artrocker, and loose lips sink ships among others- its been documented on the (frankly frightening) website of underground stalwart Rattail along with several other dives.

The dirty water club/ boston arms hosts a Buff Medways gig once a month so also worth a mention...

foot long subbacultcha

14:31 / 09.12.05

I didn't want to mention Buffalo Bar because I actually really like it as a venue. For some reason I don't really see much dingyness in the place despite its size, underground location and lack of beer on tap. I guess I have a soft spot for it ever since I was welcomed in as a stranger to join a goth wedding reception.

The pub upstairs is cocking awful, though.

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