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What's it like at Market Place of a weekend night, anyone have an opinion... On music policy.... Type of punters.... Busyness levels.... ??
 
ska invita said:
What's it like at Market Place of a weekend night, anyone have an opinion... On music policy.... Type of punters.... Busyness levels.... ??
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It's usually pretty busy, loads of instagramming tourist types taking pictures of themselves and their food, plus a smattering of locals. The vibe can be pretty good in the courtyard if there's a good local DJ playing,
It's not my scene but I can see its appeal if you're visiting Brixton. It's miles better than Pop Brixton - that place has got so little local character you could be anywhere in London.
 
ska invita said:
What's it like at Market Place of a weekend night, anyone have an opinion... On music policy.... Type of punters.... Busyness levels.... ??
Click to expand...
It's become very variable. I can't say I'm a fan of the vibe, but maybe I've missed some great nights.

It does get busy some nights, but I think just about every Brixton venue can struggle some weekends these days.
 
I popped into the Albert last night and it was truly horrific with one of the worst DJs I've ever heard ruining every song by shouting over it without stopping.

I brought down two new friends who just moved into Brixton and they elected to get their drinks poured into plastic cups so they could get away from the noise and drink in the street instead.
 
Quick round up of Brixton hostelries around midnight tonight.

Dogstar - totally empty
Albert - looked very quiet
Market House - downstairs not that busy
Prince of Wales - looked like a modest crowd
Effra Social - rammed (wish I had this crowd for my night last night!)
Hoots - about to go in
 
Oh and the Village courtyard had a fair crowd early evening tonight although the DJs are wondering if the new owners will be prepared to keep on paying for the DJ eventsIMG_20240907_210052_189.jpg
 
editor said:
Quick round up of Brixton hostelries around midnight tonight.

Dogstar - totally empty
Albert - looked very quiet
Market House - downstairs not that busy
Prince of Wales - looked like a modest crowd
Effra Social - rammed (wish I had this crowd for my night last night!)
Hoots - about to go in
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I honestly don't understand how anyone can go out for the evening at a pub/club regularly in these days of the £6+ pint - it's just not doable, and no wonder places are empty.
It's the same around here.
A lot of places have shut down entirely as a result.
 
Epona said:
I honestly don't understand how anyone can go out for the evening at a pub/club regularly in these days of the £6+ pint - it's just not doable, and no wonder places are empty.
It's the same around here.
A lot of places have shut down entirely as a result.
Click to expand...

Exactly this. It's so sad to see empty bars on a Saturday night in London, and venues on the brink of closure or closed down.

I have nice bars walking distance from my place that I'd be in all the time if a pint was between £3-£4. But £7 is ridiculous to the point where I just bother unless its a really special occasion now.
 
skyscraper101 said:
Exactly this. It's so sad to see empty bars on a Saturday night in London, and venues on the brink of closure or closed down.

I have nice bars walking distance from my place that I'd be in all the time if a pint was between £3-£4. But £7 is ridiculous to the point where I just bother unless its a really special occasion now.
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So often it’s seven quid plus a pint and twenty quid for simple food like burgers.
 
Epona said:
I honestly don't understand how anyone can go out for the evening at a pub/club regularly in these days of the £6+ pint - it's just not doable, and no wonder places are empty.
It's the same around here.
A lot of places have shut down entirely as a result.
Click to expand...
To my surprise I bumped into a currently serving Lambeth councillor on Monday - but that was in the Beehive (Wetherspoons - Monday club - ales £2.49)
 
Epona said:
I honestly don't understand how anyone can go out for the evening at a pub/club regularly in these days of the £6+ pint - it's just not doable, and no wonder places are empty.
It's the same around here.
A lot of places have shut down entirely as a result.
Click to expand...
If you put on an entertaining enough night, there's plenty of people who are prepared to spend their hard earned in the pub.

When I was was younger, I'd regularly skip meals so I could afford to see a band/go to the pub, but different people have different priorities.

And of course there's nothing stopping you getting tanked up on cheap booze at home and then just drinking water/one pint/slops/whatever when you're at the bar.

Oh, and to finish off my Saturday survey, Hootananny was well busy on Saturday:

1726063404248.png
 
Epona said:
I honestly don't understand how anyone can go out for the evening at a pub/club regularly in these days of the £6+ pint - it's just not doable, and no wonder places are empty.
It's the same around here.
A lot of places have shut down entirely as a result.
Click to expand...
Hootananny is £5.70 for a pint of Amstel which is still pricey but not so terrible in the grand scheme of things
 
editor said:
Hootananny is £5.70 for a pint of Amstel which is still pricey but not so terrible in the grand scheme of things
Click to expand...
Anything under £6 seems pretty decent these days!

I think in terms of my earlier point, it stands to reason that the places putting on good nights will draw in the crowds - but due to austerity and rising bills as well as the cost of a pint, the crowd is in of itself smaller than it was a decade ago, for sure more people will make an effort to go to something on a Friday/Saturday night if there's good entertainment to be had (or somewhere nice to sit for a quiet chat, for the other sort of crowd who prefers that), but fewer are able to go out so regularly - these days we tend to go out once a month rather than once a week for example, and we always did like going out places!
So yes am in agreement with your point that putting on something decent (or being a pleasant place to socialise in a quieter fashion) is crucial for success of a pub/club especially in these times.
 
I had some beers by Goose Green Friday at two different pubs, one was selling their normal range for about 5.60, another was about 6.10.

Plenty of hipsters and such in both (even saw a Sky News broadcaster at one).
 
TopCat said:
So often it’s seven quid plus a pint and twenty quid for simple food like burgers.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure whereabouts food and drink is 'often' that expensive, that's the kind of prices you would shell out in Mayfair or an airport. I'm sure £7+ pints do exist in Brixton and surrounding areas, but that is usually if you are silly enough to order 'Neck Oil', where you are being conned by colourful marketing from Heineken. Stick with the more traditional brands or go for a beer with lower ABV such as Amstel (coincidentally also owned by Heineken) and you'll struggle to break the £6 mark. An exception to this that immediately springs to mind however is The Academy which have long been churning out tins of shitty Carlsberg for wild prices. The last time I was there about 4 years ago I think it was over £7, I dread to think how much it is now.
 
jimbarkanoodle said:
Hootananny still do walk ins for 'sold out' events, right? Thinking of going there tonight for Congo Natty etc
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I guess it depends how sold out it is (if you get my drift). I don't think I've ever seen latecomers turned away, although their policy of charging full whack on the door right until the end of the night seems a bit off.
 
Thanks, I thought as much. I suspect they took tickets off sale earlier to charge full whack on the door. To be fair a few days ago when I checked tickets were £8 online which these days is great value for the strength of the line up.
 
Here's my round up from Friday night:

Brixton village courtyard: busy

Effra Social - packed

1727618484535.png

Albert: not very busy for a Friday but a fun vibe around the DJ booth

1727618870624.png

Dogstar: catastrophically, embarrassingly empty.

1727618935312.png

And further afield on Saturday:

East Dulwich Tavern - packed but dominated by geezers, jocks and shouty men. Lovely staff but horrible vibe. Wildly expensive beer (£7.50 for a Jubel!)

Railway, Tulse Hill - busy, fun, friendly folk but no live music thanks to neighbour complaints
 
My pick of the bunch this weekend was The Hand in Hand off Brixton Hill. It's a Craft Union pub so very agreeable prices (£4.25 a Stella), last night they had a soundsystem with good music blaring out of it in one room, and the other full of happy drinkers of all ages.
 
jimbarkanoodle said:
My pick of the bunch this weekend was The Hand in Hand off Brixton Hill. It's a Craft Union pub so very agreeable prices (£4.25 a Stella), last night they had a soundsystem with good music blaring out of it in one room, and the other full of happy drinkers of all ages.
Click to expand...
Yeah the Hand is an excellent boozer. What's the opening hours there now?
 
editor said:
View attachment 444695

And further afield on Saturday:

East Dulwich Tavern - packed but dominated by geezers, jocks and shouty men. Lovely staff but horrible vibe. Wildly expensive beer (£7.50 for a Jubel!)
Click to expand...

I was complaining this Proms season that the Imperial College Union bar was now commercial prices - but maybe they have some way to go?
Jubel is £6.20 a pint at Imperial College union (or £11.85 for a Megapint - double size plastic glass ergo a quart?) [Prince Consort Road]
 
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