The Bussey Building

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Comment Be the first to comment on this review for The Bussey Building

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• 
  Owner's comment

  clfartcafe, 23 October 2012:

  Not sure if this is the same venue i go to, but events average at round £5 per and that includes shows with MJ Cole, Adamski, Kode 9 + more. Events hosted by Bestival, The Jungle Brothers, Adamski were all charged at £10 [Less in advance]. Events Like The South London Soul Train, The Funk Soul & Rare Groove Review, Disco Inferno, Manga Tuesdays, U Tube karaoke + More are all Free Entry.

  The Opus sound systems on each level are warm and the atmosphere always good + the security about the friendliest i’ve met. Furthermore The Arts project isn’t run by Peckham Business Park, but The CLF [Chronic Love Foundation] which is a non profit organisation who alongside Peckham Vision helped save the building from demolition by TFL for the building of a Tram Depot the size of four football fields and helped stopped the destruction of the Town centre. Hence i would like to clarify taht this is a community driven project.

  As am one of the co-founders of The CLF who has watched the space evolve from a collection of storage spaces and churches into an ever evolving centre of the arts and having watched and been involved with literally hundreds of events at the space with amazing acts like Caribou, Omar-S, Mark De Clive Lowe, Wunmi, Omar Sosa, Wedding Present, Secret Sundaze, Krank Brothers and plays with the likes of Panta Rei, Jackdaw and The Royal Court Theatre [who have kitted out the 3/F as a fully functioning Theatre] i kinda take offense to your inaccurate and all together mystifying description of the space.

  Anyone who truly knows the space gets the deal + if you’re looking for info on whats really going down, pls visit the Bussey Building AKA CLF Art Cafe website at http://www.clfartcafe.org/Site/HOME.html Now Open daily from 5pm – Late. [Closed Sundays]

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  ModusRex, 23 October 2012:

  I do not believe I’ve said anything offensive. I have given it three stars, and have said that other than having to pay so much on entry and drinks (which was true when I was there) and having to go down two floors every time you want a smoke (which you cannot deny) I have been fairly complimentary. You cannot deny that you are tring to emulate an underground venue/squat but in a legitimate business, so surely it stands to reason that the experience is a little fake compared to the real thing (and I go to at least three real parties in real squats every month, which tend to go on until about 2 pm next day unless the police try to stop them). The prices I mention in my review is what I was charged just 10 days ago, on 13 September, so trust me on them. I boughgt tickets for an acid techno night called Philanthropy, which were a tenner. However, I just had access to that one room on the 2nd floor. You needed another tenner if you wanted to go to the Progressive House room on the floor below. And as for the top floor, well they were having a private party and wouldn’t let anyone in, so basically we’d paid a tenner for the one small room, and had to go down all those stairs every time you wanted a smoke. Towards the end of the night, in the early hours of the morning, I was able to check out the progressive room as the security must have stopped bothering to check hand-stamps by then, and that was even worse: one big room, without any little rooms off of it. To charge a tenner per floor is really naughty. I’m not saying that there are not bargain nights to be had, just not on the two times I’ve been there. I don’t know if you ever went to Cooltan in Brixton back in the early to mid 90s, but that was a real authentic squat-style music café experience that will stay with me forever. I was really hoping that the Bussey was going to provide me with something similar, but underneath the dust is a commercial venture in disguise. But the best of luck with the building, please take the criticism as constructively as possible, the music I have heard so far has been great, just keep an eye on those creeping door prices. I do recommend the experience to Qypers, and fun and a good dance can certainly be had. Please don’t take offence, and well done on what you’ve achieved thus far. But it is, let’s face it, still a work in progress.

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  Owner's comment

  clfartcafe, 23 October 2012:

  Hey Mate, i get where you’re coming from, but i truly don’t think you get what we do. Yes we are a warehouse venue, but we’re not modeling ourselves on the squat scene at all. The fact that it is in a Warehouse is where the similarities end. These days we do occasionally Acid tech events like Philanthropy which was a fundraiser to help the homeless. We already had a party booked on level 1 with some pretty serious DJs, but gave Philanthropy the 2nd floor to help the cause. the £10 entry going to said cause and something we didn’t benefit from at all.

  Unlike squats, we are a legal venue hence smoking being illegal is something we don’t want or tolerate in the venue. Yes you do have to walk down a few flights of stairs to hit the courtyard, but how many venues do you know that have a private area like ours that you can frequent all night? Also our drinks prices are Pub prices. Again try going to Cargo, Oxo, The Royal Court Theatre or The Roundhouse to see the same acts / plays that we put on and i think you’ll find the prices far steeper. Like i said Squats aren’t our inspiration. Far from it.

  The whole thing really is my dreamchild. Been in Music and The Arts as a DJ, Promoter and Producer for some 20+ years now + the idea behind the place is to set up a number of connecting warehouse spaces where everything from Art to Theatre, music to Film can take place simultaneously or run alongside each other harmoniously. Eg The Royal Court Theatre followed by Warm, Bestival or Smallworld Or Art Exhbitions running whilst Theatre and Music events take place around it.

  the Bussey / CLF also opens as a daily cafe / meeting place and hosts regular Comedy nights, Workshops + More. An ever expanding creative building where the arts can be explored by and for the local and wider community. Under + overground promoters, thinkers and creators.

  We are more Arts Centre than Squat Emulator, and yes you are right, we are a work in progress, but what i suggest you do is visit the venue some other time and see what we exactly do.

  I think you’ll be surprised. Apols if i got me back up a bit there, but have spent a long time working on this + i want people to get a true picture of what we do.

  Hope to see you again Bud.

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  ModusRex, 28 October 2012:

  My apologies. I will visit again, on a night when I can enjoy all the floors for just the one price so I at least have a more rounded picture.

  I actually thought you were trying to emulate a Tacheles-style squat, what with the (excellent) artwork. My apologies.

• 
  Owner's comment

  clfartcafe, 30 October 2012:

  Coolio, come down and check The South London Soul Train on Saturday night [1st Sat Monthly] is Free Entry + is one of my favourite nights. Not sure if you’re a Soul and Groove Head, but if u are you’ll dig. See you for a play, movie or dance session at the venue soonest, Mickey

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