The Jazz Cafe
Spoek Mathambo presents Batuk + Afrikan Boy / A celebration of Fela Kuti 15 OCTOBER 2016 / 26 OCTOBER 2016 £15
"One of London's most iconic live music venues"
The Jazz Cafe in Camden has been running for 25 years and is renowned for hosting some of the best live music events. The space itself is well located, just across the road from the Tube Station. The Jazz Cafe has opened it's doors to the likes of Amy Winehouse and Adele - who both can and could (RIP Amy) sell out stadium's. The key difference between The Jazz Cafe and other live music venues is the size: The Jazz Cafe has a capacity of 440 people - meaning that you get to really immerse yourself in the music you are seeing.
The venue has two spaces - the main standing area (tickets £15) or you can book a table at the upstairs restaurant (tickets £35 - but then £20 is taken off your food bill at the end - more like a deposit). I've only been to the venue twice, and both times I was standing, but I would thoroughly recommend getting food here . Not only has it had good reviews, but one tends to find themselves waiting a while for acts to begin if they arrive before 10pm - the perfect time to fill up on some grub. Once you've finished your meal you are welcome to either stay in your seats (guaranteed good view) or make your way downstairs into the standing (and slightly more fun) crowd.
Surprisingly, drinks prices here are pretty reasonable: a beer will set you back £5, whilst a single modka mixer £7 (double is 9 I think) - not as cheap as chips, but better than what I was expecting from a venue like this. Not only were the prices better than I expected, but so were the staff. Having read pretty negative reviews about the staff here I was pleasantly surprised. Yes, there was a girl behind the bar who could definitely do with smiling a bit more, but the majority of staff were friendly enough and didn't deserve the bad reputation they've been given.
The two nights I went to filled up pretty quickly once it was gone 10pm, and once they were full, they were full. If you left the crowd to get a drink/go to the bog, there was no chance of getting your space back - although, even at the back of the venue you're still closer to the acts than you'll ever be at a bigger scale gig. Both nights I went to at the Jazz cafe were thoroughly enjoyable; it's a highly original venue which I would definitely recommend trying out at least once if you haven't been already!
OVERALL RATING: ****
http://thejazzcafelondon.com/
