Skip to main content

CLUBHOUSE OF HOUSE

Brixton Clubhouse goes POW!

With Cable gone and East Village pending a license review, the Big Smoke ain't as smokin' as it should be — and not because of the smoking ban.

With the 5-0 swooping in on London club culture under the guise of Operation Condor, the capital has been crying out for an intoxicating shot in the arm, and it looks like we might have got it.

Switching attention to Brixton because he's “bored of East London”, Chris Greenwood, the man behind Bedroom Bar on Rivington Street and Croatian boutique beach-fest Stop Making Sense, took control of Brixton Clubhouse (on the corner of Coldharbour Lane and Brixton Road) earlier this year — now known as The Prince Of Wales, it's all the better off for it.

Having undergone a makeover that's seen original art deco features of the venue restored and a brand new Turbosound system fitted, the likes of Derrick Carter, Simon Baker and Andrew Weatherall have played there so far. But the real cherry on top is the 700-capacity roof space, where recent parties from Motek, Sancho Panza and Trouble Vision have enjoyed perks of an unusually sunny summer in London. That's right, POW survives as a legitimate source of outdoor clubbing in the capital, and it's hosting some pretty sweet parties.

 “Of course, there are restrictions on sound, but welcome to London,” Chris tells DJ Mag. “But we have enough decibels to get a good vibe going.”

Blessed with a 24-hour license, DJ sets under the white canopies on the buildings can run until 11pm, but the party continues downstairs in the fully-fitted club space with room for 400, and there's a smaller bar behind it if that gets rammed.
“It's an incredibly versatile place,” Chris explains. “We have a big pub, a roof with two terraces, a club room able to handle live gigs and a 100-capacity cocktail bar.”

So far, John 00 Fleming, Kites and Tribal Riot, among others, have stepped onto POW's newly installed live stage inside, but the focus of the booking policy remains on the finest DJs in the land, driven by “the kaleidoscopic schizophrenia” implemented at his previous club Cargo and currently at Stop Making Sense, Chris says.

Stretching from cutting-edge deep house and techno to rare groove, disco and Latin funk, the coming weeks will welcome Hot Chip and Norman Jay, while Mario Basanov, Rick Wade and DJ Derek played last month. With amiable door staff, quality BBQ food and a friendly crowd to boot, POW could be exactly what the capital needs!