Brixton Jamm
Brixton's Winter Carnival 12 NOVEMBER 2016 Free before 11pm
Brixton Jamm has been open as a club for over 10 years. This was my first visit, despite hearing a lot about it in the past (both good and bad things). A pal from Uni was coming to stay and this seemed much more ideal than the other options, most of which in Dalston (fine to get out to, not so fine to get back home). All hail the future of the night tube.
Jamm boasts a massive history of acts which have played in it's doors: from Adele to Massive Attack, MGMT to Basement Jaxx. Having seen Dawn Penn at Tramlines festival in Sheffield that summer I was keen when I saw she was headlining the night, keener when I saw that it was free entry before 11pm. Bluewave were also doing a set, some chaps from Sheffield which we often saw and enjoyed at Uni. After some deliberation we decided: this was to be our night out.
Jamm has a much younger crowd than I was expecting, think mostly 18-20 year olds... and those younger who have got a good enough fake ID (not being a snob here - I'm only 21...) Although, maybe this was just the specific night I attended. The actual venue is quite comfortable - when we first arrived only the bar area and dance floor were open, spacious but still feeling homey, kind of like a pub. Drinks were pricey, so be warned. If I recall correctly (and don't hold me to this) I think a beer was £6.50 whilst a vodka mixer was £8 - not awful, but you would expect cheaper at a venue like this. A good note, however, was the spacious and comfortable smoking area - I imagine it's great in summer.
The other room opened at about midnight, was much bigger and felt a lot more like a club. Dawn Penn was underwhelming, bless her, but props for the effort (and the fantastic pink velour diamante garms). Before and after Penn there was a huge mix of pretty weird and sort of wonderful acts, including an elderly rapper who said 'yeah' a tad too much. The acts were enjoyable and fun if taken lightly - after all, we didn't go entirely for the music. One thing which did stand out were the on stage dancers - from 'Tone and Twerk'. Whilst they were great, I didn't really get what the point of having them was, it felt awkward and unnecessary (or maybe I'm just jealous).
Overall a good night in a comfortable yet fun venue, would recommend, but don't go spending £££'s on a ticket; with free nights like this, why would you?
OVERALL RATING: ***
http://www.brixtonjamm.org/
