matter was always going to be a huge undertaking; a 2,600 capacity, three-floored juggernaut of a venue based at the hugely successful O2 Arena launched by the people behind Fabric. Somehow, they’ve pulled it off and have added another jewel to the O2’s crown. This is a beast of a club that will get your ears ringing, your heart thumping and your body rocking.

The Venue
It’s hard to remember back to the time when the Millenium Dome was just a big joke. Now the ridiculously successful O2 Arena, the dome is the perfect home for such a big addition to the London club scene. Easily reached by the Jubilee Line (North Greenwich), Thames Clipper or bus, the O2 Arena isn’t the hardest place to find. The flat surroundings of the Docklands make it viewable from miles around and it’s hard not to be impressed when you see its towering spindles and gorgeous curves extending ever upwards into the night sky.

You should be warned, although matter is located at the O2, it’s a long walk to actually reach its entryway. You can get to it through a little-known doorway via Entertainment Avenue inside the dome itself; however, all the signs point you around the exterior of the dome, which is preferable on concert nights when the queues to get inside are insane. Walking past handily located portaloos, and a short covered walkway complete with twinkling coloured lights, you’re suddenly thrust out onto an outdoor walkway adjacent to the Thames. Although a pretty walk in the summer, in the winter 10 minutes walking by the Thames is enough to test even the hardiest clubber. It is cold. Very cold. And if it’s raining, this trek is pretty miserable and seems to last forever as you walk sandwiched between the curve of the dome and the icy cold, dark water. The matter signs keep you focused and, eventually, you’ll spy the door – a pretty simple affair – with burly bouncers at the front and four different queues, separated out by gates. Yes, you’ll feel like herded sheep, but pre-buy your tickets or get on the guestlist and you’ll be merrily escorted to the fast queue and will be hard pushed not to feel smug as you stride past hundreds of chilly clubbers.

Past a bag search, a pat down and a metal detector, you’ll enter a dimly lit room, pumping with the sounds of the main room just through the large double doors. Hand over your tickets to staff safely encased in small glass booths and you’ll hardly be able to see anything past the large cloakroom queues. Luckily, the cloakroom is huge and there are lots of staff to help keep your wait to a minimum. There is also a cash machine, which is handy as it’s a long walk to get back to the tube station. Through the large doors, you’ll be thrust into an industrial world and undoubtedly be glad you made the effort to get here. Dimly lit with blue and pink lights emitting an eerily cool glow, it’s almost hard to take in just how vast this club is. The first area you’ll be met with is Room One – the main room. To the right is a huge stage for when bands play and to the left is a caged DJ booth where you can get up close and personal with the superstar DJs who play sets here. There’s also a raised area with some basic seating and a large central dancefloor. A bar runs the length of the room, tucked neatly away behind the DJ beside a few high tables. Look up and you’ll spy the mezzanine balcony where more clubbers will be making use of the space to breathe whilst still taking in the atmosphere. There’s also a clearly signposted smokers area just outside this room. The decor is stark, basic and industrial and there’s a definite warehouse feel, acting as the perfect blank canvas to the music.

Up some metal stairs, you’ll be able to watch the action below from the balcony or make use of the incredible toilets. There’s a unisex toilet here or up a few more steps a remarkably clean, well lit, almost chic ladies toilet, complete with mirrors galore, great lighting, more than enough cubicles, a central sink space and Dyson hand dryers. Located behind the unisex loos is the second, smaller room with another bar, easily accessed from all sides, another DJ booth and a smaller (but still large) dancefloor. On the second floor there’s even a sturdy gangway that stretches across the entire length of the club. It’s shielded on either side by secure metal wire mesh and it offers dizzying views of the club below. In all, it’s a well put together, carefully thought out space with a thumping sound system that reverberates to the point where the floor moves.

The Atmosphere
You’ll get a different crowd depending on what’s going on at matter, but even on house nights, which seem to make up the majority of the nights here, you’ll find a remarkably mixed clientele. Call ahead to find out the dress code and you’ll be told it’s ‘no suits’ and that anything goes: ‘This is no wanky West End club, after all,’ they’ll chuckle at you. In reality, you’ll get everything and anything here. Girls who look like they belong at the aforementioned wanky West End clubs dress to impress but look awkward amid a sea of jeans, trainers and funky tees. The trendy set are also present, in cool mini dresses and funky accessories, and you’ll spot the odd podium dancer wannabe, complete with barely there clothing. The tutu brigade are inevitably in attendance and a sea of neon colours is sprinkled across the dancefloor. Guys wear shirts, trousers, ripped jeans, tees, anything and everything. It’s an impressive mix and all the groups are happily tolerant of each other with an overlying feeling of people out to let loose and party hard. There aren’t a lot of drunks here, and any trouble that does start to rise is quickly and efficiently put down by a team of incredibly burly security guards.

The staff are startlingly efficient and the queues for the bar are minimal, even when the club is at capacity. The door staff are friendly and keep the line moving and there’s none of the attitude you get at many Central London clubs. You’ll find it hard not to get sucked into the whole atmosphere as people from far and wide join in the fun, spoiled only by the odd guy out to grope as many girl’s arses in a night as they can. Sad.

The Music
As you might expect, matter pulls in the big guns in terms of DJs and bands. Bands such as the Wombats and the Automatic have graced the stage, although the emphasis here is definitely on the DJs. Although a superclub, the intimate nature of the DJ booths means you can watch such geniuses as Carl Cox and Jon Rundell, Paul Van Dyk, John Digweed, Deadmau5, Mr Scruff, Zombie Nation and Eric Prydz kick out the tunes in seemless sets that pushes the sound system to its limits. As the music pumps so hard it seems to get your entire body vibrating, dancing here is an incredible experience. Standing within touching distance of Paul Van Dyk as he kicks out incredible tunes is worth every penny of the £15-£20 entry fee. It’s the music that makes this club, and the consistent quality of the acts keep matter firmly on the map and makes it reputable competition for such places as Ministry and even Fabric itself.

The Drink
matter isn’t the type of club where people come to get really tanked up, but there are a couple of large bars serving a pretty basic selection of drinks. Unsurprisingly, there’s no draught beer, but you can buy Becks and Magners cider in bottles. The spirits are also pretty standard, although branded, with such choices as Jack Daniels, Smirnoff, Bacardi and the like and the ever present Red Bull. If you’re expecting the kind of crazy bar bills you often get in London clubs then you’ll be pleasantly surprised here. A double vodka and Red Bull and a bottle of Becks will see you with change from a tenner, coming in at just £9, extremely reasonable for a club in the capital. There is Champagne as well (a must for the VIP area), but you’re not going to get many clubbers buying bottles of champers to show off to fellow punters, this isn’t that kind of place.

The Last Word
matter is the very definition of a super club. It’s vast, has a pumping sound system and regularly pulls in a great crowd of up-for-it clubbers and superstar DJs and bands. You can’t fail to be impressed.

venue information venue map view london review user reviews (30) image gallery (11) what's on