Dave the Taxi Driver's

 

Guide to London

Ray DaviesIntrepid Fox LondonMcCartney, Roundhouse, LondonCream

London Nightlife:
Clubs and Music



Cabaret Pigalle club londonAs you would expect, with a musical pedigree such as that of London, there is a fantastic selection of clubs and music venues. Many of the clubs play a mix of music styles on different nights of the week, with live bands as well as DJs. For instance, the cool, Jazz Café in Camden Town, mixes Jazz, Soul, Funk, Dance and Hip Hop. Some of the famous clubs from the 1960s,like the Marquee and the UFO Club, where the likes of Pink Floyd, The Who, Cream and Jimi Hendrix performed, sadly are long gone, but the well loved 100 Club has been packing them in for over fifty years. Since 1959, the legendary Ronnie Scott’s has been king of the jazz scene. The Dublin Castle in Camden, has seen the start of fame for the likes of the Arctic Monkeys, Madness and Travis.

The Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club, which harks back to the 1950s, despite its title, is not as misogynous as you might think. A quirky irony of themed nights include Burlesque and a special night for those of a Sapphic disposition.

For some years now, Lap Dancing and Gay Clubs (see below) have become established in the London scene. The secrecy and the smoky old strip joints of the 1960s are firmly in the past. Since 1980, when Peter Stringfellow opened in Covent Garden, a respectability has grown around the sexual element of entertainment. Stringfellow’s is one of the most famous in the world. The club scene now includes the VJ experience with techno walls of videos. The 24 London in Kingly Street has a bar that can sense when your glass needs refilling, but politely leaves the decision up to you. Not every club in London is listed below, but there are enough I think to cover everyone’s taste.

The grand, well known stages of the Royal Albert Hall, Wembley Arena, Earl’s Court and Wembley Stadium have now been joined by the former Millenium Dome, which has become the O2 Arena, hosting the biggest names in showbiz.

Dance/House/Garage/Techno/Electro/D&B

Area,67-68 Albert Embankment,SE1

Aquum, 68-70 Clapham High Street, SW4.

Boutique 60, 60 Hyde Park Gate, SW7.

Big Chill Bar, Dray Walk, Brick Lane E1.

Cable,33a Bermondsey Street, SE1.

Club 49, 49 Greek Street,W1.

DIU,12-13 Greek Street W1.

Mango Lounge,306 Earl’s Court Road,SW5

Ministry of Sound, 103 Gaunt Street, SE1.

Mo*Vida, 8-9 Argyll Street,W1.

Plan B, 418 Brixton Road, SW9.

Ruby Blue, 1 Leicester Place, WC2.

Tamarai,167 Drury Lane,WC2.

Vibe Bar, The Old Truman Brewery,91-95 Brick Lane,E1.

Cabaret/Burlesque/Alternative/Retro

Apothecary Bar,3 Vale Royal,N1.

Black Gardenia,93 Dean Street,W1.

Pigalle Club, 217-219 Piccadilly W1.

Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club,42 Pollards Row,E2.

Roundhouse,Chalk Farm Road, NW1.

Comedy

22 Below,22 Great Marlborough Street,W1.

Comedy Store, Oxenden Street,SW1.

Pork & Pickle Pie Comedy Club, The Britannia 360 Victoria Park Rd London, E9 7BT

Disco 70s/80s

Anam, 3 Chapel Market,N1.

Club Aquarium, 256-264 Old Street EC1.

Infernos, 146 Clapham High Street, SW4.

Purple Turtle,61-65 Crowndale Road,NW1.

Renaissance Rooms, Miles Street,SW8.

Strawberry Moons, 15-17 Heddon Street,W1.

The White House, 64 Clapham Park Road,SW4.

Folk

Cecil Sharp House,2 Regent’s Park Road,NW1.

Old Queen’s Head, 44 Essex Road,N1.

Phoenix,37 Cavendish Square,W1.

Gay/Lesbian and Fetish

The Arches (Electro & Classic House), 53 Southwark Street, SE1.

Candy Bar,4 Carlisle Street,W1.

Bistrotheque, 23-27 Wadeson Street, E2.

Bethnal green Working Men’s Club,42 Pollards Row,E2.

Club Wicked,2-4 Tooley Street, SE1.

Fire, South Lambeth Road,SW8.

G.A.Y Club, Heaven under the Arches, Villiers Street, WC2.

G.A.Y. Late,5 Goslett Yard, WC2.

Green Carnation, 5 Greek Street,W1.

Heaven, The Arches, Villiers Street, WC2.

Hidden,100 Tinworth Street,SE11.

The Green,74 Upper Street,N1.

The Hoist, 47c South Lambeth Road, SW8.

Royal Vauxhall Tavern, 372 Kennington Lane, SE11.

Hip Hop/R&B

333 Mother, 333 Old Street, EC1.

Big Chill House, 257-259 Pentonville Road N1.

Dalston Superstore,117 Kingsland Road E8.

Gramaphone, 60-62 Commercial Street,E1.

Jazz Café, 5 Parkway Camden Town NW1.

Lost Society,697 Wandsworth Road, SW8.

Moonlighting,17 Greek Street,W1.

Sound London, 1 Leicester Square,WC2.

Jazz/Soul

606 Club,90 Lots Road, SW10.

Charlotte Street Blues, 74 Charlotte Street,W1.

Jazz Café, 5 Parkway, NW1.

Madame Jojo’s, 8-10 Brewer Street,W1.

The Halo, 317 Battersea Park Road, SW11.

Pigalle Club, 217-219 Piccadilly, W1.

Pizza Express, 10 Dean Street,W1.

Ronnie Scott’s, 47 Frith Street, W1.

Vortex,11 Gillett Square, N16.

Gentlemen’s/Lap Dancing

Mayfair Club,50 Dover Street,W1.

Metropolis,234 Cambridge Heath Road,E2.

Platinum,23-25 Paul Street,EC2.

Secrets:- Euston-34-38 Eversholt Street,NW1.

Hammersmith-62 Glenthorne Road,W6.

Spearmint Rhino,161 Tottenham Court Road,W1.

Stringfellows,16-19 Upper St. Martin’s Lane, WC2

Peter Stringfellow’s Angels,201-203 Wardour Street,W1.

Windmill International, 17-19 Great Windmill Street,W1.

Rock/Metal/Indie

93 Feet East,150 Brick Lane,E1.

The 100 Club, 100 Oxford Street, W1.

Barfly, 49 Chalk Farm Road,NW1.

Boogaloo, 312 Archway Road, Archway, N6.

Borderline, Manette Street,W1.

Buffalo Bar,295 Upper Street,N1.

Camden Rock, 18 Kentish Town Road NW1.

Cargo, Kingsland Viaduct,83 Rivington Street, EC2.

Dingwall’s, Middle Yard, Camden Lock NW1.

Dublin Castle, 94 Parkway NW1.

Electric Ballroom,184 Camden High Street,NW1.

Electrowerkz, 7 Torrens Street, EC1.

Filty McNasty’s, 68 Amwell Street EC1.

Fly, 36-38 New Ocford Street, WC1.

Garlic & Shots,14 Frith Street, W1.

Hobgoblin,33 Kentish Town Road, N1.

Intrepid Fox, 15 St. Giles High Street,WC2.

Koko, 1a Camden High Street, NW1.

O2 Academy Brixton,211Stockwell Road, SW9.

Peter Parker’s Rock & Roll Club,4 Denmark Street,WC2.

Proud Camden, Stables Market, Chalk Farm Road,NW1.

Scala,275 Pentonville Road, N1.

The Underworld,174 Camden High Street,NW1.

UpMarket places to be seen (mostly for members only)

24 London,24 Kingly Street,W1.

Almada,33 Dover Street.

Aura,48-49 St. James’ Street,SW1.

British Luxury Club,70 New Bond Street,W1.

Chinawhite,4 Winsley Street,W1.

Groucho,45 Dean Street,W1.

Mahiki,1 Dover Street,W1.

Tramp,40 Jermyn Street,SW1.

Any questions? E-mail me

For tours of London Nightlife, transfers and other taxi services see Dave's Taxi Page



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