What are your favourite Dublin clubs/venues?

Zascar

Out of all the places that have regular nights in Dublin, what do you think is the best venue? Which ones do you like, and why?

jonny68

Well i would probably say Tripod but not when there is a big DJ on as it's carnage and they simply cannot cope and it usually descends into a farce, although Saturdays are a different kettle of fish and ive always had a good night there on a Saturday ,nowhere else really appeals to be honest ,Twisted Pepper is ok but too small

MikeHoncho

Hmmm thats a tough one. I like Twisted Pepper the music policy is spot on and they really pay attention to the sound etc but its just missing something I cant put my finger on. Dont like the way you come in at the back of the rooms either as the traffic flow can be a pain in the arse with people coming and going.

POD has gone to the dogs. I swear to god you think they would have sorted out those manky toilets by now. And the lack of certain types of booze and only stocking ****e cigs puts me off too. Music policy Ok but its really not the same since Bodytonic left.

Tripod is great for gigs but rubbish for dance nights.

Kennedys is pretty cool. Like the fact its really small and there is usually a great vibe.

Think Tank has potential but why the hell they put 2 rooms down there seperated by a curtain is beyond me. Should be one big room.

Probably have to go with Button Factory though for best. They really did a top notch job on the room there. Love going up to the balcony and surveying the madness below. Nightflight are putting on some great nights at the moment.

Worst is Spy. That goes without saying.

Zascar

I definitely prefer the smaller venue's. I hate tripod. It's too big for a normal weekend night - and then for big DJ nights they cram every last person in there possible so its horribly uncomfortable. The back bar can be cool though. Quing for coats etc is a complete joke too. POD used to be good but I never go there any more.

I kinda prefer little places like Twisted pepper but I have not been there in ages. I was in the Cavern a while back and thought it was brilliant but its closed down for the moment. Not the most central location either.

Button factory is defintiely very good. It's actaully pretty big but holds the crowd well and still remains intimate, yet plenty of space to wander and different areas like the smoking area and the balcony too.

I've yet to go to Kennedy's but I hear its great. McGruders was an interesting venue - had a few good nights there and it definitely works well, but I always thought it needed a bit of work to make it look even a tiny bit less than a country pub with a set of speakers.

t0mm

I'm going to come out and say I'm not a massive fan of the Button Factory. My main night going there would be Musik on a Thursday, and that night is promoted to the max. Fair do's to Mick Birmingham, he does his job well. The crowd are there to look cool, I've heard two lads talking saying how crap the music was but cool the place was. I've been to gigs there though and they were cool.

Tripod is cool too, different rooms with different music means you get different vibes in the same club. They need to sort out the toilets and cloak room though.

The Academy (upstairs) I like for gigs, mainly for simplicity. Bar, railings, dancefloor, stage. You can grab a pint and still be in the room to enjoy the music, something you can't do in a lot of clubs (Button Factory included).

Andrews Lane Theater would have to be a favorite for me. The music might not be fantastic, the crowd are a bit, lets say "alternative", but it's a great place to just loose yourself. Everyone is there to have a good time, plain and simple, and you can walk up to anyone outside and start chatting away to them. That said it might not be the kind of club most people on this forum would frequent...

Clank

Used to like Wax when Electric City+Acii Disco were there, always had good stuff on.
Kennedy's is grand but it needs a new PA, badly.
Always liked Twisted Pepper too,its quality rather than quantity.
Mcgruders RIP!

Pace2008

The Academy was tidy enough for a while but it's gone down the ****ter. Look at the promo for their new night:

At ‘HOT ROCKS’ we love LADY GAGA,CALVIN HARRIS,DIZZEE RASCAL, GROOVE ARMADA,DURAN DURAN,MGMT, BEYONCE and loads more where that came from!

Is Mcgruders definitely gone forever?

Zascar

Actually I used to love Spirit for the first year or so when it opened, very many great memories in there. Kinda got crap towards the end though...

insert-gear

Used to love wax years ago. Session in your sitting room kinda vibe. Then the d4's came and raped it.Twisted pepper is good but awkward to get in and out of the main room.I hate Tripod, always have. It's just a big huge hall and they pack it way too tight for the big DJ's. As was mentioned, its good for bands.That said the AAA gigs on this summer are great. Went to the Diplo/Fake blood/Skream one few weeks back and it was savage being able to move around, dfferent vibes in each room and reduced the squeeze majorlyKennedy's Underground is a nice little spot, would like to go there more, seems like it's the right size/shape to get a good atmosphere going.Button Factory is also good, the nightflight gigs have pulled some decent names over. Crowd is fairly irritating at the muzic gigs.Andrews lane is a similar buzz, but more directed for the kids who think theyre too cool now for the button factory. The high ceilings on the dancefloor kinda stop the atmosphere building a little bit imo.And I agree with the ridiculous curtain thing going on in Think Tank, but apart from that they did it up nicely. Seems to get a bit lost though, with most people heading to twisted pepper or button factory. I suppose Button Factory would be my fave, I'm yet to be wowed by a venue tbh

DUB1

This thread has just damppend my spirt as i was hoping to find out wat good clubs are out there as iv been stuck in a timewarp

insert-gear

Button Factory, Twisted Pepper and Kennedy's I suppose. Depends where youre stuck going to at the mo

Not the tripod

jonsnow

Coppers.
Late opening hours,relaxed door policy,cheap drink and beautiful ladies.What more do you want.

beertons

Clank wrote: »

Used to like Wax when Electric City+Acii Disco were there, always had good stuff on.
Kennedy's is grand but it needs a new PA, badly.
Always liked Twisted Pepper too,its quality rather than quantity.
Mcgruders RIP!

+1.

Tripod sucks.

insert-gear

Coppers? Fail you

Zascar

jonsnow wrote: »

Coppers.
Late opening hours,relaxed door policy,cheap drink and beautiful ladies.What more do you want.

My Dignity

francois

jonsnow wrote: »

Coppers.
Late opening hours,relaxed door policy,cheap drink and beautiful ladies.What more do you want.

Good music, an enviroment where the bouncers aren't cnuts, not to mention a drunken and coked fuelled aggression perhaps?
Coppers is a KIP

Cray92

copper face jacks a good club.id rather set fire to my balls than go there.

VinylJunkie

That is not a club its more like a brothel for country folk!

Wheely

jonsnow wrote: »

Coppers.
Late opening hours,relaxed door policy,cheap drink and beautiful ladies.What more do you want.

While I disagree with the stated contention maybe if you exchanged the two adjectives we'd be closer to the the same page.:P

Zascar

Right, enough copppers talk. It's a country disco in the big schmoke. It's not a 'club' in the way most people here think of a club.

Let me ask you this - if you were to start your own night - where would you have it? A small reguar one so Tripod etc is out. Some great nights have been started in places like McGruders and Kennedy's which were not actual clubs before, just basic pubs/venue's that were converted. There is a real need for more venue's like this, so many have spaces that are not yet properly utilised.

shane86

Ive never been at a big headliner night in Tripod but on a regular Saturday I found the soundsystem was sh1te, way too quiet. Compared to the old Redbox, that place was animal, the sound would blast the ears off you.

One of the best nights I was at last summer was Francois K in the Button Factory, pumpin venue, good crowd, wrecked it :pac: Vaults is pretty decent and all.

Bouncers were pricks mind, I hadnt confirmed I was comin with my mate who was playing beforehand and by the time I arrived they said guestlist only unless you were buyinf a FK ticket, he was kicking off inside so I couldnt give him a buzz, only got in after running into his oul one at the door, she had turned up to see what it was all about :pac:

VinylJunkie

Id have it in Kennedy's, I was always trying to push it when we where deciding on a place to host the Kitchen Sync gig, its so small and out of the way that people who go there are generally well educated on music!
I played in Mc Gruders before it closed and that was a great spot.

Zascar

Yep Kennedy's is cool, only thing is they are booked up fully and there is no chance of a weekly gig. Very few options really! I need a few other suggestions....

g5fd6ow0hseima

I was in McGruders once, had perhaps the best night ive ever had out in Dublin there. For me, no other place ive been in compared to it, it was a gem. A small, kippy pub with cracking floorboards, great smoking area, zero pretentious crowd, not a drainpipe / hip top shoed **** in sight. All this located in the Liberties.... beautiful.

Did Dublin have anything like this to offer in the past?

Dragan

Zascar wrote: »

Let me ask you this - if you were to start your own night - where would you have it?

Am doing so but i think it might be foolish to give up the location before i finalise the booking, so as soon as i do i'll say where it is! :pac:

For clubs etc, i like Andrews Lane, although the crowd can be ****ing tards at times. Whelans can be fun, depending on who is playing (big crowd = nightmare, medium crowd = savage vibe ).

The Button Factory is pretty cool, doesn't really feel right in some ways but it's a nice venue.

Radio City was a sweet enough spot for the gigs i saw in there, shame it's gone.

McGruders was a good spot, would have been ****ing excellent for what i want to put on but once again it's dead.

My favourite place is most likely the Tivoli, due to sentimental reasons about having my ear drums crushed by Hype in there.

It should be noted, i don't drink, so none of my picks take into account things like bar service and q's for booze, just the basic like room to move and retard incursions.

jonny68

shane86 wrote: »

One of the best nights I was at last summer was Francois K in the Button Factory, pumpin venue, good crowd, wrecked it
:

aye that was the best night of last year brilliant night:cool:

bellapip

Hannigens in Parkwest has re-opened, a whole new scene and company in there now.
They are doing lots of promos, and bringing big bands in on thursday nights,.
It is a bit slow to start off, but the crowd is nice, and they are getting busier by the week,.

Tripod is a great venue, but like others have said on the nights that they need to fill it they do it to a painful level and the only thing you want to do is get outside and breathe.

Bell:D

Hard Shaw

Coppers is my favourite for the following reasons

1. It has very little pretentions about itself. Easy going.
2. Reasonable drink prices
3. Good mix of people and ages The bogger stereotype doesn't ring through anymore.

I liked McGruders as well when it was going for similar reasons.

Zascar

You like Coppers and McGruders for the same reasons? Thankfully I've never been to Coppers, but if it is like McGruders, but with crap music..............

Hard Shaw

Zascar wrote: »

You like Coppers and McGruders for the same reasons? Thankfully I've never been to Coppers, but if it is like McGruders, but with crap music..............

I like pop music as well so I always have a decent enough time. Girls are always a plus.

15Pete

The Button factory on a Thursday night is usually a guarantee of a good time. Always a good crowd and gets some good DJ's like Felix Cartal. The toilets and upholstery are quality and the bouncers have always been very sound to me and my friends.
Add this to the fact there is rarely a queue after about twelve and you have yourself a very good club, in a great location. Also it isnt polluted with knackers like a lot of clubs are, which is always a plus.

Lia_lia

I like the Twisted Pepper alright. Getting in and out is pretty annoying though. They sometimes have good things going on in Crawdaddy. I bloody hate Coppers. Why was that place mentioned? Don't live in Dublin so can't really give a proper answer!

Nedermeyer

Personally in terms of clubs, it's definitely the twisted pepper !

in terms of 'venues' however, there seems to be some interesting things going on such as :

-The Box social. Held in a house on the south circular, I was at the last one ( which i think might have been their 10th ), didn't turn up until 3 am and the place was kicking. there was a full blown RAVE going on in the sitting room, then as I went down through the kitchen, there was people EVERYWHERE, right out to the garden and the shed at the back !

There had been bands on during the day, and they were charging 7e in, (BYOB and a bbq if you brought some nosh) seemed like a good price, there was a huge line up of bands and what not.

-The pint on Eden Quay. Saw a couple of nights advertised for here, seems to be a relatively new spot. Anyone been ?

-The Melody bar on Capel St. 'Reach' a dublin promoter had a night there last saturday (18th) - dubstep night. Wasn't there myself but saw some forum chatter saying it was a good spot for it.

-Thomas house, thomas St. Kaboogie! are hosting their thursday night clubs there. Again, haven't been. it's right across from vicar st.

- Could either of the previous 3 be the new McGruders'?

-Further to this, i think the Bernard Shaw is a good spot if it's the right type of night. Went to see DJ Derek there (reggae,ska) on a saturday a while back, and it was great, whole place dancing, nice personal feel to it.

Gotta agree though, RIP Mc Gruders.:(

MikeHoncho

Was in POD on Saturday. Really gone to the dogs. It seemed to be House music of varying degrees of cheesyness in all the rooms. Music in the lobby room was really not to my tastes. Club was slightly better. Didnt make it in to the stage room but had a peek and it looked empty. I was fairly hammered after a rake of Guiness however so maybe I was being over critical as I tend to be when drunk.

JC 2K3

McGruder's was the best place evar. RIP.

I like the Button Factory, but not Thursdays when there's crap music and a crap, drunken, student crowd. Tetric on Wednesdays used to be awesome, pity it's gone.

Wax was awesome until it was ruined by posers and D4s. The early days of Chemistry were great.,

Tripod's not bad, not great though. I only ever go when there's psytrance on really.

Radio City was all right except that it was overcrowded. Waaaay over priced though, even overcharged for water, and the taps were always conveniently broken. Is it closed for good?

My favourite venue, however, is the Tivoli, whenever there happens to be a decent gig on there. Only been there twice - AfterLife in 2007 and Infected Mushroom last year. Both two of the most amazing nights of my life in a really great venue.

jonny68

When and why did McGruders close?

Executive Steve

Nedermeyer wrote: »

-The Melody bar on Capel St. 'Reach' a dublin promoter had a night there last saturday (18th) - dubstep night. Wasn't there myself but saw some forum chatter saying it was a good spot for it.


- Could either of the previous 3 be the new McGruders'?

Melody bar will never be the new mcgruders; too small, too clean, too respectable - but it's a pretty sweet little venue - crystal sound and a nice little light show, easy enough to fill, central enough too, can afford to take a risk on someone you'd be wary of filling the twisted pepper with. That night was the first night of a new Reach spinoff called "Standard!" which will be focusing on UK Garage, Dubstep, UK Funky and Grime stuff, next gig is Brackles. Expect an announcement about a regular DnB & Dubstep night down there too in the next wee while.

Nedermeyer

[cm]tyranny wrote: »

Melody bar will never be the new mcgruders; too small, too clean, too respectable - but it's a pretty sweet little venue - crystal sound and a nice little light show, easy enough to fill, central enough too, can afford to take a risk on someone you'd be wary of filling the twisted pepper with. That night was the first night of a new Reach spinoff called "Standard!" which will be focusing on UK Garage, Dubstep, UK Funky and Grime stuff, next gig is Brackles. Expect an announcement about a regular DnB & Dubstep night down there too in the next wee while.

Brackles ? Good booking, best of luck with the monthly gig, will definitely try and make that one.

JC 2K3

jonny68 wrote: »

When and why did McGruders close?

The start of this year, and because of noise pollution...