Bardens Boudoir, Stoke Newington, London

Dirty, grimy and full of character...this lively venue is becoming a monthly must in my social calendar, serving equally well as a live music and club venue for the more or less discerning. Favourite Brooklyn-based DJ of the now Lauren Flax played a stormin' set here this month, and as a devout denizen I'll be on the lookout for a return gig. Quick gripe about the toilets (rank - sort it out) and bouncers (not quick enough to diffuse trouble) but aside from those gripes, basements don't get any hotter than this mofos!

A really unique venue that brings in some great bands and events. It’s a bit remote, and I always have trouble finding the entrance (one small doorway leading you to a dark basement), but it’s all part of the experience. The sound there is awesome, and crowd is usually pretty good - being in the less trendy Dalston you usually only get people who interested in what’s happening and fewer people looking to show of their outfits. And there are nifty little alcoves with tables where you can steal away with your love for a little privacy (though I don’t think you could have a conversation if you tried) and a few sofas if you just want to slouch. Drinks are pretty cheap for a venue. Find an excuse to go and quick!

If you’re looking for a night out where you can hear some scintillating rock and indie and don’t want to go as far as Camden, or Soho you can do a whole lot worse than Barden’s Boudoir. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find anywhere better. Known for hosting Club MOFO and Gypsy Hotel it was definitely a trailblazer, as it was one of the first decent bars to arrive in the Dalston area, as floppy-haired pointy shoed Shoreditch clubbers became increasingly disinterested in… err…. Shoreditch.

I went there for Gypsy Hotel which was a rockabilly music night, I was a lone jeans and t-shirt wearer amongst a sea of guys with quiffs and dolls wearing polka dots and sexy scarlet lipstick. I wasn’t scorned for it at all. The music was sultry, crooning, bluesy and folksy in places and very much in the era of Elvis. Thankfully though, there were no impersonators. I was treated to a performance by an awesome cellist and singer whose name sadly escapes me and a Hungarian band comprising of so many members they could barely fit themselves onto the stage.

The nights that I’ve been to since usually finish around 3 or 4 in the morning: the perfect ‘not too early, not too late’ time as far as I’m concerned. If however, you’re the kind of person who doesn’t want the night, keep your ear to the ground. Dalston is notorious as the East London house party epicentre, followed closely by Hackney Wick.

This is my favorite venue, it’s a bit out of the way for some but it’s worth the bus ride.
They have excellent nights on, have had some amazing bands perform and the crowd is always pretty friendly.

Just down the road from the Moustache bar is Bardens Boudoir. This is a huge basement club, similar to the facial hair place but about eight times bigger.
I’ve had some excellent nights here. Very cool mix of people. It is by far the best place for live music in Stokey. There is always a cover charge but I think it’s worth it. The beer is at pub prices which is great and there are heaps of little hidey holes and tables if you want to get a little further away from the main action.

great undergound bands play here almost every night of the week, and it’s usually cheap. The booths are good and the decor is fine, but the sound quality is spoiled by the width and height of the room, and the beers are overpriced for dalston.

I was also at the previously mentioned Islands gig and it’s the only one I’ve seen here as I’ve sworn never to go back. It was so hot that my girlfriend almost passed out and we ended up having to leave early as she felt so feint from hours waiting in horrible conditions.

They get some good bands here, but with this experience combined with how long it takes to get here, I can’t see me ever going back.

The strongest imprint I have of this place was seeing a band called Islands play here a couple years back. It was the middle of Summer on one of the hottest days of the year and the air conditioning was off, or not working. Since the venue is located in a basement (so no windows), was absolutely packed combined with the band keeping us waiting for about 45 minutes, everyone was very sweaty before the gig even started! That show is one of my favourites ever, but when the roof is dripping with moisture from the body mass beneath it, with the owners refusing to open doors or turn the a/c on, it becomes more than a little intolerable.

I must admit experiences with other bands and club nights have been more tolerable than the above.

Pros
- amazingly good bands
- interesting clientele
- drinks are cheap
- trendy area (so you have options of bars in the area)

Cons
- pretentious atmosphere sometimes on club nights (some may consider that a pro)
- needs better ventilation
- some friends have complained it’s hard to get to if you don;t live locally.

Nestling in the middle of Dalston, this is a killer venue regularly used by Indie/ Rock Promoters such as Eat Your Own Ears, Upset the Rhythm and Club Motherf*cker. No surprise then that its filled with young trendy types dressed in skinny jeans and tight T-shirts pulsing around to dirty rock anthems and swathes of disco. Your favourite new venue. Fact.

Grungy, sweaty little basement venue that has some great new acts playing. I went to see the amazing Marnie Stern there recently and the place was packed out. Despite the low ceiling the acoustics are pretty good and you can always nip upstairs into the street for a bit of fresh air (or a fag) if you get claustrophobic.

Bardens pretty much sets the pace when it comes to up-and-coming bands from all over the world being put on by independent, DIY promoters. The main reason for this is that it is a cheap place to hire out. Shows here cost around £5, start around 8pm, and finish around 12am for band nights / 3am for club nights.

They gave the place a refit a year or two ago, and it has a lot of personality - little semi-booths with different murals on the walls, a couple of old chesterfields lying around. The PA is pretty good, the stage is about six inches off the ground (which is good for breaking down barriers between artist and audience, but bad if you actually want to see anything), and they have no lighting rig - only a set of halogens that they dim for the performers.

They serve the standard array of lagers and spirits. It's not a cheap place to drink (around £3 a pint), especially given that it is pretty much just a dive bar with a live music bent. I can only suppose that they keep prices that high to offset the low rental cost.

Downsides are that the place is underground, which means that there's a nasty smell in the air (especially since the smoking ban), they only let 10 people out at any one time for a cigarette (which leads to long queues, especially between bands), and the bar staff can be pretty surly at times. Oh, and the small fact that it's a good 15min bus ride from the nearest tube station.

Overall, though, it's a great little underground (literally) venue that has a lot to offer in terms of quality and variety of acts. You just need to be able to be bothered to make it there.