Basing House

Good place to visit after the pubs close, very busy depending on the time, came here on a Saturday after a birthday party and ended the night here. The atmosphere was good, good size bar area, always depends on the number of staff behind the bar though, but seemed OK on my visit. Great music, good DJ and a good crowd.

Handy venue for those living anywhere along Kingsland Road. It gets really busy and incredibly hot so make sure you aren’t wearing your Sunday best. Regularly hosts top DJs but make sure you’ve booked in advance otherwise the door charge is pretty steep.
Once everything else in the area closes it does get a little bit animalistic with people a little bit worse for wear so be prepared.

I’m a little biased because I still remember this place back when it was called On the Rocks, host to the weekly anything-​goes Trailer Trash parties. Now, those had character, an underground (if slightly trendy) feel and were cheap to boot! In contrast, the night I went to at Basing House, a Phonica Records showcase, was about £15 at the door. I don’t think the space itself or the line-​ups justify this kind of price. On both accounts the place is decent, but nothing more. It could just be that I found the DJs disappointing on the night I went (too loungy to dance to), but I also wasn’t a fan of the crowd. It was a bit saturated with the types of people who go out in Shoreditch on a Saturday night simply because it’s the place to be. Unfortunately, Basing House’s location and concerted effort to be on the East London radar makes it a default choice for many. To me it’s gone from a no-​frills cool dive to an undistinguishable Shoreditch venue under the pretension that it’s way better than it is. Furthermore, my friend had her iPhone stolen the night I was there and a security guard she spoke to was rude and unsympathetic. At that point in the night the vibe went from meh to let’s get the hell out of here. If you want a smallish place to see good DJs in East London I’d opt for East Village, Plastic People or the Rhythm Factory instead.

Went to Dented Melons over the weekend and had a great time! Daniel Lopez and Puente & Rosch absolutely killed it on the dance floor while the girls behind the bar were great at staying friendly and sociable even though they were obviously understaffed. I was also lucky enough to meet the guys who run the whole operation, and they were just incredible! Funny, friendly, polite and always had an eye out to make sure everyone enjoyed themselves. They definitely know what they’re doing and they did everything right to provide a great atmosphere and pull the right crowd for their venue.
Unfortunately not all of the floor staff and the girl handling the guest list lived up to this same level of friendliness and professionalism demonstrated by everyone else working the event. (But if you don’t spend much time around them then your night will be grand!)