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Occupying former theatres, railway arches, factories and warehouses, many of London's major clubs started out as illegal party venues, and Londoners are used to descending into the ancient heart of their city for a big night out. There's indie, rock, pop and world music in the mix, but it's all-night dance music raves on Fridays and Saturdays that are the lifeblood of these huge spaces.
 333 333 Old Street, EC1V 9LE The 333/Mother bar complex was at the heart of the original Hoxton revolution. Its promoters and DJs helped launch the mullet movement and fanzine the 'Shoreditch Twat', which was later adapted for Channel Four. It's lost its cutting edge in recent years, but 333 is still a great venue, with basement scuzziness downstairs, and an ideal lounging and drinking space at the top. The music is entertainingly unexpected: the main dancefloor might play host to dark drum'n'bass, while banging Italo-disco happens below and there are cheesy reggae classics above. No East End venue has inspired more silly fashions, general japery and musical mayhem than this Shoreditch stalwart. Address: 333 Old Street, EC1V 9LE Phone: 020 7739 5949 Nearest Station: Old Street Tube/Rail 333 - Information   Corsica StudiosElephant Road, SE171LB A superbly designed two-room club and arts venue that captures the feeling of an illegal party in a squatted industrial space - while still being clean, well-organised and close to central London. There's absolutely no passing trade here (it's pretty hard to find, in fact), so if you want to be sure of a night where everyone is there for the music, this is the place to go. Corsica Studios is home to many of London's oddest and most daring clubbing experiences, with a consistent focus on the cutting edge of electronic and indie experimentation, all played out on two Funktion 1 sound-systems. The opposite of the bland superclub experience available across the road at Ministry of Sound. Address: Elephant Road, SE171LB Phone: 0207 703 4760 Nearest Station: Elephant & Castle Tube/Rail Corsica Studios - Information  EGG200 York Way, N7 9AP The fabulous EGG nightclub was well prepared for the smoking ban, with a fantastic garden and terrace which make it London's finest summer clubbing spot. There are three floors inside, and well-programmed nights of house, electro and dirty beats attract a wild polysexual crowd. It's at its most hedonistic for the Sunday morning after-party Breakfast at Egg, when North London's wildest clubbers converge to watch the sun rise and keep the rave alive. Address: 200 York Way, N7 9AP Phone: 020 7609 8364 Nearest Station: Kings Cross Tube/Rail or Caledonian Road Tube EGG - Information  The End16a West Central Street, WC1A 1JJ The End kick-started a new wave of clubbing in the capital with their killer sound-system, hi-tech innovation and user-friendly ethos. The baby of best mates and End residents, Mr C and Layo Paskin, the club has gone from strength to strength since it opened in 1995. Its success has lead to the birth of stylish sister bar AKA, and global recognition for the critically acclaimed End Recordings label. The cream of the world's DJ talent have all played in the famous booth in the middle of the dancefloor. Roni Size won the Mercury Music Prize while hosting a residency in 1997. Daft Punk did their first live show at The End in the same year and Fatboy Slim was a resident when he hit the Number One spot in the charts. Laurent Garnier, Jeff Mills, Ritchie Hawtin, Layo and Bushwacka!, and Derrick Carter are all regulars in the intimidating central DJ booth. Address: 16a West Central Street, WC1A 1JJ Phone: 020 7419 9199 Nearest Station: Holborn Tube The End - Information  Fabric77A Charterhouse Street, EC1M 6DR Built on the site of a Victorian meat cellar, London's original super club continues to boast the most sensational and eclectic line-ups in the capital. Its global reputation is founded on its diversity and willingness to showcase new talent alongside established residents such as Ali B, Andrew Weatherall and Tru Playaz. Feel the bass bleed through the speakers buried in the floor and recline in style on the famous bed seats at one of their top regular nights. Fabriclive on Fridays is regularly rammed and draws some of the biggest names in hip hop, drum'n' bass and electro. Saturdays are a more glamorous, house-orientated affair with the cream of the world's DJ talent. The bars usually stay open till 3am, thinning out the crowd to the hardcore as the sun rises over the sleeping city - and the serious party-people warm up for glamorous Sunday night gay/mixed party DTPM. Address: 77A Charterhouse Street, EC1M 6DR Phone: 020 7336 8898 Nearest Station: Farringdon Tube / Rail Fabric - Information  HeavenUnder the Arches, Craven Street, WC2N 6NG Apart from occasional touring nights like Bedrock and Gatecrasher, Heaven is gay, but thoroughly welcoming to all. It was once the home of Megatripolis and holds a fond place in the memory of anybody lucky enough to experience the rave explosion of the 90s. The venue is brilliantly laid out through a series of interconnecting rooms and there's plenty of space to chill out along with two sizeable dancefloors. The atmosphere in this deservedly famous venue is second to none - very weird, and equally friendly. Address: Under the Arches, Craven Street, WC2N 6NG Phone: 020 7930 4480 Nearest Station: Embankment Tube Heaven - Information  The Island180/182 Hungerford Lane, WC2N 5NG One of the West End's finest dance music venues, The Island manages to keep the drunken Soho crowds away by being exceedingly well concealed in an alleyway behind Charing Cross Station. Inside, there are three very smart rooms, all of them with Funktion 1 sound-systems producing a crisp acoustic that's perfect for the Friday and Saturday parties. It occasionally combines with Heaven nightclub to host really huge parties, but more often this is a good spot for a glammed-up house music night. Address: 180/182 Hungerford Lane, WC2N 5NG Phone: 020 7389 6622 Nearest Station: Charing Cross Tube/Rail The Island - Information  KOKO1a Camden High Street, NW1 7JH Following an epic programme of refurbishment, the former Camden Palace reopened as KOKO, a music venue with big ambitions. An eclectic set of regular club nights has turned this revamped North London landmark into a slice of cutting-edge cool. It always was a magnificent venue, and the refurbishment has more than done it justice: it's like going to a rave in an opera house, with swathes of opulent velvet and a huge arch rising three floors above the giant dancefloor. Fridays are indie nights, with bands followed by DJs playing whatever the skinny-jeans crowd are listening to this week, while Saturdays offer a varied selection of big parties, and the week is mostly given over to gigs. Low prices (by London standards) help ensure its popularity with students. Address: 1a Camden High Street, NW1 7JH Phone: 0870 432 5527 Nearest Station: Camden Town Tube KOKO - Information  SeOne41-43 St Thomas Street, SE1 3QX With 30,000 square feet to dance in and a capacity of 3000, SeOne is the largest true nightclub in London. It's a classic rave location, under a series of railway arches, and the music policy is definitely on the harder side, with massive techno, drum 'n' bass and old skool nights packing it out most weekends. There are a couple of fairly smart areas, but most of the club has been left deliberately bare, with the focus on lights and speakers rather than decor. A great place for very messy all-nighters. Address: 41-43 St Thomas Street, SE1 3QX Phone: 020 7407 1617 Nearest Station: London Bridge Tube/Rail SeOne - Information |
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