Village Underground

Great spacious venue in the Shoreditch district. I saw Ryan Hemsworth and Evil Needle here a few weeks ago. I wouldn’t splurge on the coat check because (that night anyway) they keep the door open, so it gets a bit cold. Drinks are also on the expensive side but I suppose that comes with it?

Cool club that feels like a cave without being claustrophobic. Minimal security but friendly crowd (at least at the minimal techno event I was at).
The beer selection (£4.50 /​330ml can) was solid and included beers I hadn’t seen elsewhere in London, so that was a treat. Bartenders were swift.
Sound system was better than most places in the States, though with more bass, it sounded more distorted.
Bathrooms can get a little cramped since the area is narrow.

Good fun. Good music. Too many people offering me drugs and asking for them, too. Rude bouncers (as per usual).

We decided to hang out in a club in Shoreditch, so we chose to go to Village Underground on a saturday night. We arrived at 11pm, there was a small line, so we got in in no more than 5minutes. After 11:30−00, I think there is more line, because the club gets packed quite quickly.
The cover is 20£ — apparently the norn in London — and I think the club is worth it. It is a renovated turn-​of-​the-​century warehouse and there is quite a lot of space. You don’t wait too much to have your drinks (5£ the hard alcohol, 8£ the double) which is fair.
The sound is really good, and really loud! Good electro music the night we were there, and good atmosphere.

Managed to make a band I really love ‘The Men’ boring and unlistenable due to terrible sound. The exorbitant price of beer (£4 for a 330ml can!!) made us want to leave an drink elsewhere before the band, however we were not allowed as the security staff insist on no re-​entry! We left before the encore as our ears could no longer take it. Unfortunately this is what I’ve come to expect of Shorditch.

Well this was something special indeed! Mainly due to the event that was held there, although the space itself is pretty cool. Cavernous under railway bridges, yet not cold or so big you get lost. Yep, I do like it!
We went here to celebrate/​comiserate a friend leaving this fine ratrace we all call London, dressed up to the nines for the famous Blitz Party. Travel back in time to World War II, where rationing was rife and soldiers danced like it was their last night before defending king and country in ferocious battle! Celebrate another day survived in a war-​ravaged city where the percussive sounds were most likely bombs destroying another beautiful piece of architecture and wrenching open people’s lives! Ooh that’s a bit poetic, how about we get dressed up in cool vintage outfits and get pissed instead.
At £25 this was actually a steal of a price, considering you went in through sandbags to a transformed room with the most amazing jazz band and themed cocktails and a room full of people who had really taken the effort to dress up for the occasion. Girls had eyeliner up their legs to look like tights, men were balancing two drinks in one hand and the cap that customarily was held instead of worn in the other.
Great dancing, great music, great people, great space. Make do and mend I say!

Il semblerait que je lance le premier avis en Français sur cette salle de concert qui est pour moi un réel coup de coeur à Londres.
J’ai passé deux soirées seulement et j’en garde encore des souvenirs géniaux.
Ils hebergent des evenements toujours vraiment chouettes, une programmation vraiment dingue avec des artistes plus ou moins connus et pointus dans une culture bien indie, et parfois electronique comme on les aime. Mon meilleur souvenir restera cette journée (evement incroyable un dimanche de 8h à 20h) organisée par Four tet, avec des live et des djs sets de pas mal d’aritstes dont le chanteur du groupe Caribou, par exemple.
Le lieu est vraiment magnifique, une sorte de petite chapelle tout en briques, l’ambiance est toujours sympa et au final, c’est vraiment bien plus qu’une simple salle de concert. Entre concerts, expos, soirées qui vous feront rentrer avec des bonnes vibes le lendemain à l’aube, jettez un oeil régulièrement sur la programmation, vous né risquerez pas d’être déçu.

It’s no coincidence that Village Underground is in Shoreditch as it really is the epitome of a hipster venue.
The exposed brickwork walls stretch upwards for an eternity and coupled with the archways and two tiered floor space create a cavernous effect despite the building being above ground.
It’s only big enough to hold two or three hundred people but this increases it’s allure. The sparse interior design also adds to the appeal, venues like this don’t need dressing up and filling with trinkets.
However a venue is nothing without an event, right? Well it seems the folk at Village Underground have got this well sussed and you will find a myriad of things going on here.
Lots of up and coming artists lined up to play small intimate gigs at cheap prices which usually sell out. They are helping the hipsters of London fulfill their mission of being able to claim «I saw them before they were big» and they are doing it well.

This is a great space for all types of events.
The building is pretty beautiful with exposed brick work. Staff were all pretty friendly as well.

If you like techno & rave, you’d definitely like the place!
The space is so wonderful! Spacious, functional, fairly flat (nothing to trip over in the dark and flashing lights) and accessible. The toilet lady was super nice. The plastic cups clean. well, what else to wish for at that place? Nothing really.

I had never heard of Village Underground and then I was there twice in a week for two separate events — a food awards ceremony and a giant party for a digital conference. Both fun, both different.
This is an event space that can hold a couple hundred people. It’s not as big as I thought it was when I first walked in — there’s the entrance area, the bar area and the main dance floor/​staging area. So big but you can do a lap around the whole space in about a minute.
Although Village Underground isn’t really underground (no stairs leading you anywhere, just straight into a former Underground carriage house), but it feels like it is. Giant cavern like walls made of bricks make you feel like you’re in a tunnel.
It can get loud here very quick. The noise seems to bounce sound so when you have something like a DJ and hundreds of people talking, it can be a little overwhelming. Still, for a party, the sounds is fantastic.
The bar at the back is overpriced but served some interesting beers like Tiger and Piston Head. Always good to see some choices for my drinks.
Overall, a solid place for an interesting party if you’re looking to do something big.

Damn Hippies! What are they good for?
Well this for a start.
Village Underground is one of London’s newer spaces for concerts, arts and events of which I’ve been to two and been to the artist studios upstairs. Opening in 2007 the studios are made of old underground carriages and the whole place has the ethos of non profit and reclaiming any building materials that they can.
The place is located just next to Shoreditch Rail, about 10 mins away from Old Street Station and downstairs has a main hall with a bar annexe. The venue has very much the feel of the old Shunt club or Old Vic tunnels; like both it has been used as (among other things) a railway coal store. The only main area where it’s different is the lack of cubby holes and interesting areas to discover curious little bits the event organisers might want to add.
Personally I’ve been here for two events: Blitz Party and Belle Epoque. Both are theme nights, the first simpler with lots of dressing up in 40s gear and dancing to a band imbibed with champagne. I was very impressed by the atmosphere with everyone making an effort, lots of new friendly faces and one of the main reasons for getting all my stars.
Belle Epoque was a more complex affair (I’ve posted pics), the people did not seem to be as friendly, the décor was much more lavish with a balcony level built just for the show. There was a lot of acrobatics with rope, hoop work, dancers and singers. People dressed beautifully but that particular night lacked the atmosphere and intensity of the Boom Boom Club @ Old Vic Tunnels who were just mindblowing. We still had a great time but it could have been better.
Overall this an amazing venue (run by hippies!). Most of the big events sell out more than a week before so stay on your toes!
PS Only the bar on the annexe takes credit cards so unless you want to queue take cash :)
PPS They seem to have a late license as we left at 3 and people were still dancing.

Really great venue to host the Belle Epoque. It wasn’t too big to get lost in, but had enough space to comfortably hold quite a lot of people.
The venue was decked out to match the Moulin Rouge theme of the night and the band and DJ kept the dance floor moving all night. The high ceilings let the aerialist doing some amazing tricks! Really fun venue and really fun night!

I was at the Village Underground this weekend for the Belle Époque Valentine’s Ball for Lover’s and Haters and I had an amazing time! I thought the venue was great for this event, it truly captured the sexy and playful atmosphere of the evening. As its right by Shoreditch High Street Overground station it is super easy to get to. It was a very cool venue and I would be very happy to attend other event going on there!

The village underground venue is fantastic and fits the vibe of east london perfectly as it used to be an old warehouse. They also have some sort of art installation on the roof in the form of old tube wagons. which makes you notice the place when you walk by or drive by on the bus. I also love the size it’s not too small, but also not huge so it’s still intimate and a great atmosphere can come up.

Me and my sister (Tyn R) went to The Blitz Party at Village Underground! What a perfect place to hold such a wonderful event! Everyone was dressed up in their 1940’s gear, they had a DJ who played all classical 1940’s hits and they also had a live band who were awesome! The Blitz Party is a popular event, tickets sells out very fast and is a great excuse to dress up in your finest gear!
How would I best describe Village Underground? A big massive warehouse, very spacious, fiber glass roof, brick walls and archways all on one level. Only downfall is the parking! Do not park your car anywhere near Holywell Lane! My advise is to park on a accessible residential road or NCP otherwise your car will get towed away!

Was fortunate enough to go back to Village Underground again last night — this time it was for a gig. The delectable Kate Nash put on a somewhat intimate show.
Still nothing but good words for the things they do well at VU. Hardly any hassle getting through the door, they hadn’t oversold the place (which they might have been tempted to do) and the single bar coped well with the demand. Getting out was no hassle too. It all seemed a little too easy.
Importantly though, the acoustics here are great and it was a really enjoyable gig. Yes I have big crush on Kate, but there’s no bias in this review. Honest.
I’m very tempted to get tickets for whoever else is playing here soon…

Nestled under an old railway bridge this place is absolutely immense. A little bit of a tardis, once you go inside you realise what an impressive space this is, with high ceilings and characterful brick arches.
Loads of larger events are held here but it’s probably best known for hosting the Secret Wars live art battles. I can’t imagine it now being held at any other venue as it just seems so perfect. It gives off that warehouse rave vibe, but without the illegality and vomiting teenagers.

oh i liked this place and went to see such a well deserved event. saw the secret wars and it was the perfect spot to hold the event. it had high ceilings, cloakroom, and even the door staff were friendly. hidden away like an illegal warehouse party, this was the perfect night for those who are into the whole art graffiti scene! it has the right atmosphere!

The Village Underground’s a deceptively spacious venue. From the outside, you’d hardly notice it. My only clues that there was a club there were the people I’d occasionally see on the rooftop when I went to the dance studio nearby, or the graffiti next to the entrance which changes in accordance to the party the venue’s holding.
Yesterday, I went in for the first time The End of the World Halloween party, and was astounded by how large the place seemed. The main dance area has an extremely high ceiling and although the event was sold out, it wasn’t overcrowded the way some superclubs get. Bar service though was on the slow side, although, to their credit, the bartenders were overall quite friendly.
I’m not sure if this was peculiar to yesterday’s party but some of the dance platforms were very small and narrow; the one I was on was about large enough for four people lengthwise, but 0.75 people in width, resulting in a number of us occasionally falling off every now and then. Fortunately for me, one of the other platform people grabbed me just as I took what could have been a particularly bad slip!

It’s great when my obsession with entering competitions pays off every now and again.
Yesterday’s Becks’ Futures event to introduce a limited run of beer bottles with specially designed labels was a good one.
Free entry, free beer, free gig — excellent.
But I was particularly pleased to be introduced to such a nice venue. The Village Underground is located under the old railway bridge, the brick arches providing an atmospheric backdrop.
Ladyhawke came with a full set and professional light show which resulted in the place overheating a bit.
I will look out for future events held here — even if I have to pay to get in next time :-)