175 Stoke Newington High Street,
Stoke Newington,
London,
N16 0LM
(020) 7241 5511
The ViewLondon Review
A conventional basement with a leftfield music policy, The Drop is a great place to shake a leg.
The Venue
Hiding under the Three Crowns Pub at the right end of Stoke Newington’s Church Street, The Drop has all the feel and charm of a dirty basement without the muck and weird smell of piss. From Thursday till Saturday the club opens around 10pm, which means time for a couple of pre-rave pints upstairs, and a snack from the delicious menu, before venturing south to take in the sounds of new cosmic disco, dub or pogo to saccharin pop punk. The single basement room is lined either side with functional in-built seating that doubles as a platform for dancing and viewing. The bar is situated at the back of the room, it’s well-lit and full of friendly cool kids all waiting to pour your poison. The toilets are one per sex which often makes for long queues on busy nights – if you’re smart you will go upstairs for a tinkle.
The Atmosphere
The club is dark and benefits from the back bar lighting. The venue is a blank canvas given life by the friendly bar staff, DJs, bands and dance groups that take over the space. Each night draws a different crowd with billings that embrace a myriad of genres. On Monday you can jive with aspiring rockabillies at the swing classes. Tuesday nights dance toe-to-toe with the salsa crew who set the floor on fire with Latin rhythms, or if you already know the moves then why not check out some cosmic disco with electronic icons Andrew Weatherall and Sean Johnston.
The Music
Housing everything from open mic nights to one-off secret gigs for the likes of Tyler The Creator, Mike G and Mellow Hype of OFWGKTA (Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All), The Drop is gaining a cult following, particularly for residents Andrew Weatherall’s and Sean Johnston’s cosmic disco and dub night A Love From Outer Space. The night takes place every third Thursday of the month and has been at venue since May 2010. It draws a crowd of music train spotters - some who’ve been with Weatherall since the beginning - and those in search of an eclectic mix of future disco and electronica. Much to the delight of their fans, Andrew and Sean always start the night by going back-to-back playing everything from twisted disco edits of Iggy Pop’s Nightclubbing to DJ Harvey’s Locosolus before each taking to the turntables. Expect to hear rock ‘n’ roll records ride into Krautrock and 808 snaps till 2am. Punters have travelled as far as Dublin to attend A Love From Outer Space. It’s a real Thursday night treat with music that bypasses the conventional 4/4 basement dance music nights happening around the East End.
The Drink
The thoughtful bar menu includes bespoke cocktails and shooters with the aptly named Glitter Bomb, a shot made of Goldschlagar and energy drink. The bomb deals are reasonable with group deals of three for £11, or if you’re having a big one, you’ll get six for £20. The bar also offers Red Stripe (£3.90) and London Pride (£4.10) on draught which is a massive bonus as most underground venues tend not to pipe that low. There is also a good selection of bottled beers with San Miguel costing £3.70 and spirits with mixer at £3.85.
The Last Word
It’s not just Stokey locals who get to enjoy Andy Weatherall taking it back to basics in this basement club – people are travelling from far and wide to sample The Drop’s intimate vibes. A cult classic in the making.
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