330 Kennington Lane,
Vauxhall,
London,
SE11 5HY
The ViewLondon Review
This night is a must for soulful lovers of a funky groove.
No matter if all your goldfish died malodorously on your pillow, if your boss threw up on your PC before firing you, if your pulling pants shrank in the wash while simultaneously clogging up the plumbing for the whole of your postcode, you will emerge from a night here suffused with chemical-free happiness and affection for all of human kind.
It’s fairly warm due to the high density of humans that pack themselves into the confines of the ground floor wine bar, but the dance floor opens onto a balcony so at least the heat doesn’t interrupt the serious work of the groove.
The crowd is young and stylish but poseur quotient is minimal, possibly due to the let-it-all-hang out infectious joy of the sounds.
Door (£5-8) and bar are the sort of price which you regret paying if you were bored but which seem like a bargain if you had a good time. It is possible for the watchful to grab a table but it’s not really the place for an intimate chat. It’s more for people who love dancing.
The dancefloor (complete with pole!) shakes to the sounds of 60’s and 70’s funk and echoes to the glorious rhythm of hammond organs. The tunes tend to be music you’ve never heard before (unless you’re a supreme funk and soul expert) but would love to hear again.
Additional comedy moments present themselves when you go upstairs as the venue hosts fetish nights on other occasions, so there’s a big room with a cage complete with mattress hanging from the ceiling and plenty of chains and mirrors. This constitutes something of a contrast to the colourful sunny funk atmosphere downstairs!
The upstairs bar and fetish room are quieter, if you do want to talk, and there’s certainly no lack of conversation points if your own momentum threatens to slow down.
It’s a busy venue, so not for the fragile, but the music’s fabulous and the atmosphere’s great.
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