Personally I always have a great time when I go to the Good Ship!The live music is always of a wide range and even if you don't like it the DJs are on till 4am with huge and very popular playlists like rock/funk/pop etc.
Yes, its true there are a few dodgy guys in there sometimes but in general there are always people there to make friends with by the end of the night. Drinks are fairly cheap and the staff are very friendly, keeping the whole atmosphere laid back, as opposed to the increasingly intimidating feel to the bars opening up around London recently. The fact that the Good Ship is not too well-known is a bonus too because you don't get people constantly trying to put a modern twist on the bar or the crowd - basically it's just a very good, humble venue with great music and an uplifting atmosphere.
A piece of advice for those who feel that there is a dodgyness about it, remember that its not really the venue itself, its the area of Kilburn, however you always get the odd randomer in every pub.
Please don't be put off by some of the more negative reviews because the Good Ship really is a very enjoyable venue, and as long as you go on a night that a band you are interested in is playing (which is obvious from the website), you shouldn't be disappointed.

the staff here were some of the nicest i've come across: the bouncer was friendly and helpful, and the barman gave us a beer on the house. all in all a really great night out.

"A musical haven on the bustling Kilburn High Road"(View London Review)Are you having a laugh??This is no music haven by any stretch of the imagination, and Kilburn is about as bustling as a morgue. Also, please don't insult the readers here with: "You really get the feeling you’re seeing some raw talent and you can guarantee to hear fantastic new music whatever night you visit"I'd hardly call MC Hammer and "Hello Irene" up and coming...But on a better note the venue is laid out better that it looks from outside and the bar staff are actually friendly. Drinks are priced well and the door staff are polite (but a tad creepy!). The clientel are either too young looking or some look like regular drunks that have been booted out of the pubs.

I was here on Sat night and had an average time. It wasn't very busy and there were just too many dodgy guys in there! It is a great venue for live music and has great potential as there is not much else open late in NW London. THey just need to get a better crowd in here - on a Sat night anyway!

Went here on a Saturday night and it was interesting. The music was really good, a dj playing mostly soul and reggae, lots of people dancing, friendly local ish crowd but there was just too many very drunk guys in here - at least the music made up for it otherwise I would have probably left early!

The Good Ship is an awesome bar/club. It's a great place for checking out new up and coming bands. I have been there on numerous occassions and have been pleasantly surprised by the the amount of talented artists that have played there. The staff have generally been friendly and helpful which isn't always the case in plenty of the bars in London.


They also seem to have a good sense of community spirit in there, helping out numerous causes and other artists and events. If you haven't been to The Good Ship yet, check it out!

The music at The Good Ship rocked last Saturday. It was red hot and the place was filled to the max. The music that was played by the bands and the DJ got everyone dancing and the barstaff were damn friendly and actually up for a laugh. The Good Ship is better than most pubs I've been to in Kilburn. I would definitely go there again.

Ouch. As the manager of the venue I am sorry you had a bad time. The flies were a problem that we had when the whole cooling system in the pub broke down during the really hot summer. Apparently British cooling systems all used to be built to withstand a certain high temperature only plus the wait list for new ones was huge as you can imagine. It is all completely sorted now.



Shandy should be half and half so I cannot offer any excuse for that beyond that all the staff have been told. As for fast food in the venue, the reason we allow people to bring food in is that we do not sell it. Usually this is bands and on this occasion we obviously have had people abuse our hospitality and leave a mess. 99 per cent of the time people eat and dispose of their stuff like any civilised human being would. Again, I will remind the staff to be vigilant in this situation.



One part of your piece that I do take issue with is where you suggest that the staff are appalling. Please let me have further info on that because they are our most important asset. You obviously have had a bad experience but I am told all the time how good all the staff are.