The Cause

Nightclub / Arts Space

Ashley House, Ashley Rd, Tottenham Hale, N17 9LZ

£30.00

Based in an ex car-mechanics depot, Tottenham based club The Cause has a distinctly industrial feel to it, reminding me of many of the venues I went to in Sheffield whilst at University there. They describe themselves as a ‘DIY space for London’ which celebrates dance music, London nightlife and positive mental health. They are an independent club, their draught larger and rum are supplied by independent brewers and distillers, and everything about the place feels decidedly home grown and cosy despite the hard-industrial shell it is housed in.

My first venture to The Cause I initially thought would be my last – as its New Year’s Eve 2019 event was supposed to be its grand finale before permanent closure. I have since heard that this will no longer be the case, however, it did add an element of excitement and hype to the event itself (which is probably why it was so damn busy when we arrived). It has now transformed into a multi-functional community project, that not only supports the arts and independent businesses but also a community garden from their neighbours, Grow, another Tottenham club.

A mix of indoor and outdoor spaces: the venue itself is pretty large, with a big room in centre and two smaller rooms either side. It promotes electronic music, so you can imagine the general feel of the place, and also gather how many people remain on the dancefloor until 6am close. We queued for around 15 minutes to get in at 1am, had a slap dash bag search, and were guided straight in by friendly and approachable staff. When we first arrived, the space was insanely busy, getting to the bar was an absolute mission, and we all felt a little disgruntled at the prospect of being sardines for the rest of the evening.

However, due to the fact this was supposed to be a ‘closing’ party, The Cause also had an alternative space on the go: you could catch a 'party bus' to a Warehouse they were trial running for opening later this year. This was our initial idea to escape the madness, but due to unclear timings and a bit of waiting around we somehow abandoned the motive – leaving it to all the others who had a similar mission to clear out and give us a bit more space in the main venue. In fact, we never made it to the other venue after all, which was just as well as the feedback from anyone who had gone wasn’t positive and spoke of a 20 min bus journey, a single loo and a flat atmosphere.

Meanwhile at The Cause, the music was great, the vibe was there, the crowd was friendly and the bar prices weren’t too steep. A covered smoking area is gold dust on a rainy London evening, especially one which still gets you the fresh air and allows you to feel like you’re ‘outside’. The gender-neutral toilets were surprisingly clean, even at 5am, although did have a decent queue (que the additional portaloos in the smoking area). We left just before close at 6am and were wished a Happy New Year by the cheery staff on our way out – who were about to enter a serious clean-up job.

Overall, The Cause was a really fun and pleasant experience that I would definitely recommend. Tottenham seems to be and up and coming area for London Nightlife and it’s easy to see why: relaxed venues with in-tact morals, friendly staff and a community feel really do hit a sweet spot not only on the night, but in your memory of it afterwards.

(Some images not my own)

OVERALL RATING: ****

https://www.supportthecause.co.uk/

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