Electric Brixton is one of the select few venues in London where you can really party from dusk till dawn. I recently had the opportunity to attend one of the bigger scale club events at Electric Brixton, where Julio Bashmore was hosting one of his 2013 UK Tour shows - and I'm happy to say, I really enjoyed it! Special thanks goes to Wayne, John and the Bugged Out! crew who invited me along for a high-quality night.
Venue
Electric Brixton is just a 2 minutes walk from Brixton tube station, which is handy as you won't have any energy left once the party has finished. The dècor has all the features of a theatre; featuring a big stage area, surrounded by viewing ledges and a central dance floor, with the bar stretching the entire length of the opposite wall. The seldom smoking area upstairs might be too small in relation to the club capacity of 1,700, but the only way to reach it is through the narrow ledges looking out onto the stage, and that's a brilliant view.
Fellow reveler Jessie Ware took this photo from her viewing point!
One tip about the ledges: to avoid overcrowding, bouncers will swiftly herd you out of the way so be sure to be quick getting your pictures! The sound engineer/VJ booth is right between the stage and the main bar, perfect to lose yourself watching (and not getting) how they regulate all the visuals and effects while you're waiting for a drink. Vintage lamps hanging from the ceiling were especially drafted in for the occasion and brought a real touch of class to this Brixton club.
Music and Atmosphere
Julio Bashmore was headlining on that night with a 2.5 hours DJ set, supported by Rinse FM's T Williams: the result was a mix of deep and tech-house with garage influences which kept the uncontrollable audience dancing until 6 in the morning. 'Au Seve' was Bashmore's last tune and that's when Electric Brixton literally exploded! Generally speaking, this is one of the London clubs that is usually found hosting highly anticipated music events ranging from top names in electronic music, as well as across the mainstream scene. The sound system is pretty good and sometimes even too loud: wearing a pair of earplugs wouldn't be a bad idea.
As a variety of events and promoters will host parties here, entry fee prices will change, usually ranging from £10 to £25. Drink prices tend to be pretty expensive (expect to spend around £10 for a double mixer), but it's justifiable by the venue and unique guests.
Summary
If you're into electronic music, and you love banging nightclubs in London, then Electric Brixton is certainly one to check out. The venue itself is not particularly refined, but the lighting and sound systems, plus well selected acts certainly make up for it.
