The Good Ship, Kilburn, London

On a Monday there is only one place to go, to The Porthole Comedy night held here in it’s little “theatre”. It is a great little venue (won best small comedy venue 2009), intimate but you aren’t on top of each other. It’s the mini comedy store with real headline acts. Stephen Merchant to name, er, one! Oh and it’s a couple of quid.

The Good Ship is probably the thing I miss most about living in Kilburn. Thursday nights are particularly good, when there are usually three or four live bands followed by a good indie disco. It’s very reasonable to get in too, around a fiver. The bar staff are always very friendly even when it’s really busy and likewise the other customers are pretty friendly and easy going too, you’re not likely to find a fight here which makes a very pleasant difference to most of Kilburn!

I love the Good Ship! Just down the road from the much feted Luminaire, the Good Ship could be seen as it’s little brother, as its a bit smaller in stature, a bit cheaper to get in, and a lot less pretentious in atmosphere.

It’s about a 3 minute walk from Brondesbury station, and you’ll see the big painted sign on the outside wall as you walk up, inviting you in.

The venue is big and spacious, and quite airy, the bar is long and clean, and upstairs there is a small seated area that sometimes serves as a backstage, and sometimes gets hired out for birthday parties.

Check out the amazing jukebox too, and sit back and enjoy the great bands.

great bar, and the live music makes it even better, great atmosphere and great night out. They have a cute little dance floor.

The Good ship is an intriguing venue, hosting a mix of live music, DJ’s and comedy throughout the week to the wee small hours. The layout of the venue is slightly odd the first time you go but soon you’ll come to love the pit area where the bands and comedians do their thing and want to get up to the raised balcony to overlook everyone dancing away late into the night.

I’ve been to quite a few of the comedy nights here and there has been nothing but brilliant talent every time with respected headline comedians coming back to play the venue again.

The music can seem loud at times but I’m putting that down to my slowly advancing years! A free jukebox with a great selections of albums is perched not far from the bar on those quieter nights when there is no live music or DJ’s and as well as the aforementioned music and comedy the Good Ship also shows the football for those inclined as well as hosting film nights as part of local film festivals.

Went here recently for one of the Saturday gig nights - fun place, really good mix of people, some great live music and a good range of tunes afterwards.

However, and this may just be my age and going to far too many gigs in my 20s…the music is pretty damn loud in my view - expect to have one of those conversations where you shout in someone’s ear, they look at you slightly bemused, then shout in your ear and you realise they looked bemused as you can’t hear a word they are saying!

Anyway, besides that - good range of drinks and pretty reasonably priced.

The stage/dancefloor is very small though and it’s an unusual place to watch a gig as the stage is basically down a small square where you can fit a few people in front watching it and then everyone else peers down from the balconies surrounding it. I’m told it’s good fun to play though.

Oh and it’s open well past my bedtime…

Cool neighbourhood pub in Kilburn. The bar is the sort of laid-back place where everyone’s made to feel welcome, and the crowd is therefore quite mixed. Most of the front of the bar is a single large room with a mix of seating, stools along ledges, and open areas for standing about.

At the back of the bar is a small stage area where they often have live bands, or - on Mondays - a very reasonably priced comedy night (see the web page for listings). I went here a few months ago and for a fiver saw four comedians, including Shazia Mirza!

Open late, until 2am most nights and 4am on the weekends. I think this text from their web page gives you a feel for the sort of friendly place it is:

We say no to alcopops, fruit machines, change on a plate. We say yes to real ales, customers of all ages and enjoying a friendly, non pretentious atmosphere.

The Good Ship is where you will inevitably end up on a night out in Kilburn. It is always open late and there is always music playing (but not to loudly.) Lots of live music events and they do comedy on monday nights. Door entry for gigs in normally under £5. They lock the door late at night to keep out trouble but knock on the window and give the bar staff a wave and they will let you in.

i’ve been here a few times and everytime has been brilliant. the music is fantastic, the djs always play such great tunes, mainly soul and reggae but later on in the night it gets much more upbeat. the bar service is really great, despite being very busy, the staff are very friendly and efficient. would definitely recomment it for a good night out.

I just love this place. The good ship is a great place to go on a saturday night after a few drinks on Kilburn High Road. Granted the music is always the same- but isn't it great! The indie playlists are fantastic. The drinks always seem a lot stronger than what you've paid for- but hay maybe that's why I love it so much! The dance floor is tiny but sufficient enough to dance away on till the early hours- open till 4am on a saturday and good value to get in at that.
I just haven't had a bad night here yet. It's the kind of place where everyone is very approachable and easy to talk to- a rare thing to find in London.

"A bar / pub / club transmographication" reads a helpful explanation above the entrance, well if not helpful I suppose it gives you a kind of impression of the intentions of The Good Ship.

There seems to be some kind of live music show case with 4 bands and djs for pudding most nights. Witht the sprinkling of comedy nights, and sports on screens (- which I hear is what some perverts like doing with their eyes whilst drinking).

Djs are on till 4 am on a Saturday which is helpful when you're stumbling around Kilburn High Road. The dance floor/ stage area is a bit of an architectural oddity.... well a "pit" to be more specific, can be quite an intimidating prospect at quieter moments.

The Good Ship also happens to have possibly the best jukebox I have ever come across, including Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen, post-punk whatnots, Roots Manuva...blah blah blah

The Good Ship often attracts a large crowd of young scamps, the kind of Top Shopped 'Skins' extras you only see migrating to two venues in Kilburn - The Good Ship and the even newer Westbury. I presume they are migrating from the suburbs, either that or they are employed by Brent Council to beautify Kilburn High Road with indie sex-things in a bid to stop Kilburn becoming a Logan Run-type Sanctuary for older boozers, cos I sure haven't seen them around in the day time... and god knows I've been looking (* fastens cord around brown mac*)

The Good Ship also happens to be owned by a charismatic fellow called "Good Ship John" ....who you will have spoken to be the end of night.


...from 8th Januray 2008 The Good Ship is hosting comedy nights every Monday.