When news gets out that One Direction *superstar* Harry Styles has been frequenting one of your favourite Dalston hangouts, it's time to re-evaluate your life. You have two options - get your coat and venture off in search of a new underground hangout on the Kingsland Road. Or - you get the hell down to The Alibi in the hope of catching a glimpse of this teenage vision. The time had come to pay this infamous Dalston party den another visit.
The Venue
You're strutting your stuff down the Kingsland Road, and you come to a long yet fast-paced queue leading into a particularly nondescript door: pass their 'Don't Be A Dickhead' test, walk down a set of stairs and find yourself totally immersed in a wonderland of plenty. All you tall folk will have to watch your heads as the ceilings are low... all the more reason to get down and dirty on the dancefloor. Regardless of the space in which you find yourself, you can look forward to a low-lit expanse of exposed brick, red leather booths and walls plastered with posters of great events past.
The Alibi is a small but perfectly formed Dalston party spot which needs to be discovered.
The Atmosphere and Clientele
A Dalston hot-spot, it'll hardly come as a surprise that this one pulls in a good-lookin' crowd of East London trendies. The owners proclaim that "something good happens every night of the week" - and it does, with the added bonus of free entry every single night. Monday night at The Alibi offers a free cult-film night, only to transform into a rowdy and raucous karaoke night from 10pm - no wonder Harry Styles loves The Alibi so much!
The Alibi attracts a diverse bunch, from booty shakers to scruffy-topped skaters - whatever the night, you can always anticipate a creative crowd of troublemakers. There is no apparent dress code: rather, punters fill in a stylish spectrum of low-key and casual all the way up to the bloody nines. Reliably diverse, but not without its eccentricities, The Alibi is a fun time party place that always manages to impress.
Decked out with intimate booths and plastered in event posters, The Alibi boasts an eclectic decor.
The Music
Hosting an eclectic bunch of DJs throughout the week, The Alibi has made quite a name for itself on the East London party scene; expect to hear everything from garage revival tracks and 80's ballads to electro beats and indie classics from the mid-noughties. The sound-system is impressive, playing out a bass-heavy rallying call that beckons its guests onto the small but perfectly formed dance-floor.
Harry Styles absolutely LOVES The Alibi - see, there he is!
Summary
If it's good enough for Harry Styles, then it's good enough for us, right? Well... yeah. Discreet and debaucherous, The Alibi is an underground pleasure den that excels in bad behaviour. A jewel in the Kingsland Road's already well-endowed crown, I couldn't recommend it enough.
