Clubs

Ah, Bristol and Bath. Some good bands come from round here, you know. But sod them… Our vibrant club scene is every bit as deserving of your attention - as diverse, exciting and downright enjoyable as it was when it lent Massive Attack and Portishead an idea or two all those years ago.

Bath

Back To Mine Bladud Buildings. Tel: 01225 425677 • Once a legendary Bath venue, The Hub, this place has regained some of its original charm since reopening earlier this year under the auspices of original owner Ian Wood. As the name suggests, it’s more about relaxing than raving, but DJs play six nights a week from 11pm.

The Bath Tap St James’s Parade. Tel: 01225 404344 • Primarily a gay venue (but a friendly place whatever your inclination), this well-established pub has a weekend late licence and fun-loving soundtrack provided by DJs and live bands.

BlueRooms George St. Tel: 01225 470040. Web: www.bluerooms.net • Cosy little subterranean nightspot that lacks dancefloor elbow-room but boasts comfy sofas and great cocktails. Commercial house and r&b rule the roost.

Club XL 90b Walcot St. Tel: 01225 464241. Web: www.clubxl.co.uk • Two floors of unashamed, unpretentious party facilitation, with dangerously tempting drinks promotions and tunes from cheese to r&b and funky house. Student nights Mon & Tue.

Delfter Krug Sawclose. Tel: 01225 443352 • Head here in summer for the huge outside patio area. The perfect warm-up for a night on the tiles upstairs, where DJs from some of Bath’s biggest nights get you on the good foot with eclectic grooves.

Invention Studios Lower Borough Walls. Tel: 01225 461700. Web: www.invention.tv• Arts centre that hosts the odd gig and clubnight. Now scaling back its musical programming in favour of visual art/film events.

Moles George St. Tel: 01225 404445. Web: www.moles.co.uk • A cellar venue that’s full of character and roomier than you might expect. Unquestionably the king of the hill in Bath, with award-winning house session Metripolis (home of Simian Mobile Disco tour DJ Tom Maddicott) and Purr’s delightful afternoon matinees just two jewels in a glistening crown. Porter Bar upstairs is perfect for pre-club drinks

Po Na Na North Parade. Tel: 01225 424952. Web: www.ponana.com • Spacious club, refreshingly catholic in its approach to programming. Bath’s longest-running alternative night Discord (Wed), bawdy cabaret session Filth (Thur) and self-explanatory Squeeze the Cheese (Fri).

Downtown on Monday is Bath Uni Student Union’s official off-campus night out

QT’s Spring Gardens Rd. Tel: 01225 447187 • Due to reopen in September 2007 following a major overhaul (including probable name change). Two-room venue with outdoor area overlooking the picturesque weir and a reputation for letting up-and-coming promoters cut their teeth.

Qube South Parade. Tel: 01225 312800. Web: www.qubeclub.com • Devoted to students four nights of the week, so expect to be propping up the bar here regularly to the sounds of r&b, hip-hop, house and pop.

The Second Bridge Kingston Rd. Tel: 01225 465002 • News as we go to press that hardy Bath perennial Babylonhas been sold and will soon reopen as The Second Bridge. Sister venue to Oxford’s The Bridge, and set to be just as student-friendly.

Bristol Clubs

Attic/Full MoonStokes Croft. Tel: 0117 924 5007. Web: www.fmbristol.co.uk • High-concept backpacker hotel complex with two bars, both weighing in with the odd clubnight. The Hammond-funking Department S in the extreme sports-themed Attic is probably pick of the bunch.

Baja Canons Rd. Tel: 0117 922 0330. Web: www.bajabristol.com • Styles itself as a beach bar, albeit a bloody massive one, but we wouldn’t recommend a dip in the water outside. On the menu: commercial dance, pop, r&b and - weeknights, at least - wallet-friendly drinks promos. But possibly not for much longer: a planning application has been lodged to turn it into a casino.

Bierkeller All Saints St. Tel: 0117 926 8514. Web: www.bristolbierkeller.co.uk • Local institution with simple but effective charms, like offering a free shot with every drink. Phuct makes a punk/rock/metal racket on Fri. It’s sing-along-in-lederhosen time every Sat at the inimitable Oompah.

The Black Swan Stapleton Rd , Easton . Tel: 0117 939 3334 • Ramshackle multi-room venue complete with gigantic garden, which earns it extra kudos in this post-smoking-ban climate. Breakcore, reggae, techno… whatever’s on, the ‘dutty burd’ is all about bass.

The Blue Mountain Stokes Croft. Tel: 0117 942 0341 • Another club whose stock has risen with smokers, thanks to the huge roof terrace. Essentially a big house, it has a party atmosphere to match at big events like breakbeat/d&b session Break!. At risk from the Stokes Croft redevelopment, but fingers crossed it’ll endure for a while yet.

Carling Academy Frogmore St. Tel: 0117 927 9227. Web: www.bristol-academy.co.uk • Among Bristol’s biggest venues and largely geared towards live music, but the likes of Seen hold bumper one-offs and there are massive d&b and happy hardcore raves every few months, too. Home to all-conquering alternative night Ramshackle every Fri

Castros Old Market St. Tel: 0117 922 0774 • Three rooms of music, invariably of the relentless variety, with the stay-up-for-ever mantra at heart. If happy hardcore, hard house and hard trance well past daybreak is your sort of thing, you’ve come to the right place. Popular with the gay crowd, too.

The Cavern Club All Saints Lane. Tel: 0117 934 9996 • Underneath the Crown in St Nicholas Market, this takes subterranean nightclubbing to survive-a nuclear-war levels. Musically, it’s a mixed bag, from new rave to balls-out metal, but you can always escape for a game of pool upstairs in the pub.

Clockwork Stokes Croft. Tel: 0117 330 8260. Web: www.clockworkclub.co.uk • The success story of last year. This cavernous dual-floor sweatpit is the first place promoters look when they want to supersize their regular offering, which means seriously big names from the worlds of hip-hop, house, techno, breaks and just about every underground genre you can think of. Fantastic soundsystem with Funktion 1 throughout

The Cooler Park St. Tel: 0117 945 0999. Web: www.clubcooler.com • Tidy, sociable haunt with a great location. The popular Espionage and Klub Kute have Fri and Sat sewn up, with live bands featuring prominently in the mix of funky eclectica and good old-fashioned indie respectively. Bedminster sister-bar Salt hosts regular warm-up parties

Cosies Portland Square . Tel: 0117 942 4110. Web: www.cosies.co.uk • Wine bar by name, but not by reputation, Cosies is a horizontally relaxed little gem where early evening drinks blend seamlessly into late-night d&b, hip-hop and reggae. Bristol originals like Smith & Mighty are regular faces. Bash’s dubstep line-ups would fill clubs threetimes the size. Reggae Sunday is a local institution

The Croft Stokes Croft. Tel: 0117 903 0796. Web: www.the-croft.com • Undemonstrative but consistent, The Croft has an atmospheric back room that lends itself well to intimate events, and music in the front bar as well. Check local d&b showcase Liquid Lounge and bashment session Ruffnek Diskotek.

Dojo Lounge Park Row. Tel: 0117 925 1177 • Another early morning special, though recent licence changes have curtailed that slightly. Barbecue in the garden and a roster of quality nights, from Zoo’s weekly disco, house and techno Saturday to monthly liquid funkers Intrigue.

Elbow Room Park St. Tel: (0117) 930 0242. Web: www.theelbowroom.co.uk/bristol • Not as big as its counterparts in London and Leeds, but still over two floors, with the top dedicated to dancing. Residents on rotation rustle up a block party on Fri, house and broken beats on Sat and reggae on Sun, none of which will cost you a penny. Flamingos West St. Tel: 0117 955 9269. Web: www.flamingosbristol.com • The south west’s biggest gay club (around700 capacity), but you’re welcome whatever your predilection. Arena one is shameless pop with live Pas. Arena two takes a more credible house route. Special offers let you drink the bar dry for a set price.

Fuchsia Nelson St. Tel: 0117 945 0505. Web: www.fuchsia-bristol.com • Above restaurant Shanghai Nights, this ostentatious lounge-bar aims itself at a well-heeled clientele. It seems to be working: Girls Aloud and CharlotteChurch have both knocked back the champers here.

The Hatchet Frogmore St. Tel: 0117 929 4118. Web: www.thehatchet.co.uk • Upstairs function room looks nremarkable but it’s where the real action is, with retro nights like Bang and Gimme Shelter!. Downstairs in the pub proper, it’s anthems to make rockers of a certain age weak at the knees – with the help of cheerfully priced booze.

Java Park St. Tel: 0117 930 4561. Web: www.javabristol.com • Not a lot of info to be had on this new members’ club as we go to press. Exclusivity and luxury are name of the game though, and the space that was once Bar Three has plenty of potential.

Joe Public’s Queens Ave , Bristol . Tel: 0117 973 1249. Web: www.joepublics.com • First and foremost a live venue,but Fridays and Saturdays bounce to a different beat. Hip-hop, funk and house are the main staple, but expect the odd selection that’s as idiosyncratic as the decor. Food served daily till 10pm

K2 Whiteladies Rd , Bristol . Tel: 0117 973 4388 • You can’t move for watering holes around here, but they shut up shop by 1am, so if you’re looking for a late night, this is the easy option. No surprises from the r&b and club classics on offer but it’ll do nicely for a dance round the handbag.

Lakota Upper York St. Tel: 0117 942 6208 • Once somewhere people would flock to from round the country, this labyrinthine five-room club is likely to be mostly flats before too long, thanks to the gentrification of Stokes Croft. It’s going out in some style, thanks to a new soundsystem and much-needed spruce-up, and still has plenty to offer hardcore, d&b and techno ravers.

Luna Richmond Terrace, Clifton. Tel: 0117 973 0986. Web: www.lunaloungebar.co.uk • Discreet little lounge bar with a nice line in jazz thanks to resident James Morton’s well-connected sax grooves. Fri & Sat nights see DJs playing smooth funk and soul.

The Mandrake Frogmore St. Tel: 0117 927 7438 • Underground (literally) no-frills club that’s been around long enough to see plenty of more fashionable venues rise and fall. Open Thur-Sat, playing reggae, r&b and garage.

Motion Avon St , St Philips. Tel: 0117 922 1262 • Ever danced in a half-pipe before? This skate park is a sprawling club by night, complete with squint-a-bit-and-you’re-somewhere-exotic river terrace. Nights here are mostly confined to balmier months, but when the likes of Just Jack are in residence you shouldn’t hang about.

Mr Wolf’s St Stephens St. Tel: 0117 927 3221. Web: www.mrwolfs.com • Started as a miniscule noodle bar but has since twice extended into adjoining properties - expect world domination by 2012. Bands rule the roost early doors, then dance till 6am to beats of all persuasions.

Native Small St. Tel: 0117 930 4217. Web: www.nativebristol.com • A small outdoor smoking area is the kind of smart manoeuvre that keeps this local heavyweight ahead of the pack. Plus a knack for coaxing acclaimed nights like The Blast and Byte to join the family. Saturday block party Western Soul and Tue d&b bash Run are two of the best weekly nights around

Oceana Canons Rd. Tel: (0117) 942 3166. Web: www.oceanaclubs.com • A cancer on the club scene or an unpretentious fun palace - depending on who you ask. We say that, with seven themed rooms, multiple student nights and midweek drink promos, you should be able to find something to amuse yourself.

Panache All Saints St. Tel: 0845 241 7185. Web: www.panachebars.com • Phenomenally popular Wed-nighter Propaganda means indie selected by Ramshackle’s DJ Dan and guests from big-name touring bands. Rest of the week focuses on easily digestible anthems. The evergreen Soultrain (bank holiday Sundays), is always worth the entry fee.

The Park Triangle West, Clifton. Tel: 0117 940 6101 • Extended in April, this bar still isn’t large by any stretch of the imagination but has a DJ roster to put bigger clubs to shame. Fruity Antics, Brazilian Beatz, Detectives of Perspective and Byte are all here, tempted by the expertly mixed bespoke cocktails.

Po Na Na Queens Rd. Tel: 0117 904 4445. Web: www.ponana.com • New Fri-nighter Soul-A-Go-Go is one hell of a retro curveball, but beyond that it’s business as usual for this perennial student favourite. Everything from Latino grooves to bubblegum pop and funky house. Check out the new smoke-friendly ‘secret courtyard’

Queenshilling Frogmore St. Tel: 0117 926 4342. Web: www.queenshilling.com • Gay-focused but straight-friendly, Q/- has a fun-loving disposition that attracts partygoers of all persuasions. Warm up for the weekend with commercial dance and cheese at Camp as Tits on Fri. Free entry Wed with NUS

Red Room Canons Rd. Tel: 0117 907 4287 • Discerning oasis in the desert of identikit conformity that is its waterfront setting. Local hip-hop labels Hairy Parents, Leisure Recordings and Sit Tight all run socials here, with d&b notables on Thur.

The River Canons Rd. Tel: 0117 930 0498. Web: www.theriverbristol.com • Red Room’s neighbour shares its mission to offer a welcome reprieve from predictability. You’re unlikely to finish your evening here but, with local heroes laying down hip-hop, funk and soul, there are worse places to start.

Soho St Stephens St. Tel: 0117 929 2521. Web: www.sohobristol.com • Flagship night Funksta Boudoir is good for glam house antics, but these days you’re just as likely to find a tearing breaks night making use of the disconcertingly mirrored dancefloor. Garden backs onto a church – convenient for atonement of last night’s sins.

Syndicate Nelson St. Tel: 0117 945 0325. Web: www.thesyndicate.org • Self-styled superclub - biggest in the city, with capacity not far off 2,000 and spectacular sound and lighting. Sat house and trance sessions are the only place round here to see private jetsetters like Paul Oakenfold and Ferry Corsten. Midweek offerings like Octopussy are a budget-friendly night out

Thekla The Grove. Tel: 0117 929 2658. Web: www.myspace.com/theklabristol • On a boat, in case you haven’t heard. Recently it’s been probably the city’s best club, with a second-to-none Fri-night roster of BlowPop (beats and breaks), Fruity Antics (house), Hospitality (d&b) and more. Need to cool off? There’s seating out on deck

Timbuk2 Small St. Tel: 0117 94 58459. Web: www.tb2.co.uk • Barely a week passes without owner Said making some improvement or other to T2’s unique underground charms. Fans of Kingpin’s electro and techno We Like to Party’s kitchen-sink funk and Loco’s minimal are the chief beneficiaries.

Trinity Centre Trinity Rd , St Philips. Tel: 0117 935 1200. Web: www.myspace.com/trinitybristol • Historically this former church has been a big club venue, second probably only to Lakota, but it’s now largely devoted to live gigs and community events. Still one to watch, though.

Hardcore night Thrillseekers is the place for a proper stomp Tube Unity St. Tel: 0117 930 4429. Web: www.tubebar.co.uk • You’ll struggle to find anyone with a bad word to say about this 150-capacity ‘microclub’, owned by famous Bristol sons Massive Attack and run by promotional ninjas BlowPop. The musical calendar is perfectly programmed, from the futureshock sounds of dubstep at H.E.N.C.H to We Don’t Play’s block-rocking antics.

Vibes Frog Lane . Tel: 0117 943 9076. Web: www.vibesbristol.co.uk • Space for 500 gay clubbers over two rooms of fun. Tue’s 4play is exclusively for requests. Weekend means funky house and disco floorfillers.

Warehouse Prince St. Tel: 0117 927 9279. Web: www.warehouse-club.co.uk • Brilliant venue blessed by the gods of layout, sound and light, but cursed in recent years by inconsistent management. Now, with a proven team in charge and patronage from some big promoters, we’re expecting big things.

Watch out for Wonky, one of Bristol’s biggest straight-friendly gay nights

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