Posts Tagged ‘music’
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Superclub, surprising prices
I love a night of clubbing – from basement bars that require a password for entry, to Balearic balconies and zone one superclubs, if the music’s chest-thuddingly loud and the crowd is up for it, I’m in.
But clubbing is not, alas, the most oola of activies. In fact, it can be proper pricey. So when some visiting friends suggested an epic London club night, sans epic price tag, how could I resist the challenge…
As it turns out, this one was easy: we went to Matter.
Matter is the new superclub (2,600 capacity over three levels) run by the clever minds behind Fabric. And right now, Matter is hosting a series of summer specials: huge nights out at just £5 for Fridays and £8 for Saturdays.
We went to Night Music on Saturday 13 June, and I paid £8 (plus booking fee, so £10.75) to see Moby and Trentmoller, amongst others. (In a word, excellent.) This was a full £20 cheaper than the other clubs on our shortlist.
people in matter -- thanks bigaila for the photo
Getting to Matter is easy, too. You can hop the Jubilee line (alas not when we went – engineering works) or take a bus or boat. There’s also a queue of licensed taxis for the ride home, should you feel like splashing out (a big splash if you’re going into Central London, though).
Here are a few of the reasons – oola and otherwise – that I love Matter:
Unexpected prices: Not only is admission ridiculously cheap for such a brilliant venue, but coat check (£1/item) and drinks (£4 for wine, beer and spirits; £2 for soft drinks and water) are also really fairly priced.
Mega space and sound: Epic without being intimidating, the venue has the same steel-and-concrete industrial feel Fabric has, and the first-rate sound and light you’d expect. What’s more, you can feel the bass through the bouncy (they call it ‘Body Kinetic’) floor. Our visitors were impressed.
Powerhouse staff: The place is run with dazzling efficiency. Staff are polite, non-intrusive, and always cleaning. What’s more, just as at Fabric, the loos are huge and unisex, so there’s no queuing for hours to get into the women’s toilet (one of my clubbing pet hates).
The morning after: Spat out the door into morning, those who don’t jump in a taxi get a blissful riverside walk back to the car park and transport links. It’s perfectly quiet and the empty river is awash with orange sunrise. You couldn’t ask for a better exit.
early morning Greenwich -- thanks Andy Lockley for the photo
I paid £10.75 for my ticket, £10.00 for drinks, and £1 for coat check. Tube to North Greenwich and from zone 1 (and then back again the next morning) was £1.60 each way. All in, that’s £24.95.
Given that I’d normally spend up to £80 on a big club night, that’s a savings of £55.05 — enough to warrant another night out!
Posted in Entertainment
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See the latest bands in London for £0
For me, one really annoying thing the recession has really impacted on is last-minute purchases, especially when it comes to entertainment.
But with ticket prices to bands costing up to £60 for two, I’m finding it really difficult to justify the expense. I usually only find out about a new gig at the last minute, so I haven’t had time to allow for it in my budget. Which means that I keep missing out on my favourite bands.
But I’ve managed to catch quite a few new bands – and a couple of favourites – at one of my favourite record shops in London, Rough Trade East. I signed up for their newsletter last year, and they email through weekly updates about upcoming instore concerts. They’re always free gigs, but sometimes you have to turn up at the store and queue to get a wristband to guarantee entry. But it’s well worth the effort. Last year I got an email about an upcoming Spiritualized show, so I headed over to the Shoreditch store to get my wristband. The show was brilliant, and I also got my new CD signed by the band. One of the best things about instore gigs is the size and intimacy - I’d never get that close to a band at a concert.
Check out the free gigs coming up over at Rough Trade - there’s Paper Cuts on Monday 13th April and Marianne Faithfull on Wednesday 15th April.
Many record shops in cities around the world have free in-store gigs from time to time. In New York, there’s Sounds Fix in Williamsburg.
What about you? Are there good record shops with free in-store gigs near you?
Images courtesy of Spiritualized (that’s them playing at Coachella - yep, couldn’t afford those tickets!) and Rough Trade East.
Posted in Entertainment
