At first glance, it seems that London nightlife has more fame than it really deserves. The schedules are hard to follow and rigid, and the agendas of each place are even more tangled.
However, several nights of wandering from place to place looking for something that combines efficient variants of price, quality of music, place to be and length of the line to get leave a valuable lesson: it's all about being informed.
Once it begins to dominate the agenda at night, London stretches and begins to reveal flirty thousand and one options offered for the night, running musical genre musical genre.
Samuel Johnson used to say that "anyone who is tired of London, is tired of life, because London has everything that life has to offer." And as life itself, much of the game lies in unraveling the tangle of complexity.
The pubs, an ancient institution
It is believed that 4,000 years ago Londoners drank a kind of fermented mead, since then, the beer has become the sacred liquid to accompany the warm summer afternoons and winter evenings.
And, some beer, turn one of the institutions that define the local character of each location British: the pubs, a kind of bars that seem to overrun the estate of living rooms with sofas, wooden tables, paper hanging and although it is hard to believe, carpeted floors.
To enjoy the warm family atmosphere of these places, it is best to disregard the pubs and crowded tourist and into the suburbs to find a local pub.
Beer is served in pints (570 mL) and medium (285 mL), and can be achieved in two types: the "lagers" amber beers fermented at the bottom of the barrel, and "signals", which may favor be quite robust. You can also find the popular Irish stout Guinness with its sweet taste.
Many of the traditional pubs organize nights of "pub quiz" in which the tables face in a game of trivia to win a paid round the house, or karaoke, which sometimes develop from a local real stars entourage respective fans.
Of course, there are also powers the real national sport: darts and billiards.
The hours of pubs, however, can confuse the most local of London, are generally open from 11.00 am to 11.00 pm, some closed their doors during the afternoon, and the last drinks are served around 22.30, when the bell rings.
The British have been debating for years the possibility of extending the opening hours of pubs, and expected changes in the law that governs them.
The city's dance
Every beginning of the year is forecast the death of one of the most distinctive musical genres into the London night: the dance.
This kind of electronic music, spanning different genres like house, trance, techno, breaks and drum'n'bass, is for some one reason to visit London, attracted by the legendary raves and the possibility of a nochebailando to the sound of four by four large warehouses or outdoors.
Some believe, however, that the generation of ravers is aging. Some of the legendary superclub like Liverpool Cream or Gatecrasher in Sheffield, had to reinvent itself as more intimate venues the year before.
But for those who still dream of dressing up as bright as possible and get lost in a sea of bodies to the sound of electronic beats, London offers many possibilities.
Here it is a caveat: London's nightlife does not work for sites, but by specific nights. If you found a place on a Monday in which it plays the best hip hop on Friday may be made at the headquarters of those nostalgic for the eighties. You should consult the websites of the places to know what to expect, plan ahead the night (and thus become a true British), or have a truly open mind to all music genre.
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| Ministry of Sound |
Ministry of Sound
Although for some Londoners this world famous club has lost wave, remains a favorite place for tourists. A electronic nights have added a night "urban" drum and bass and hip hop. 103 Gaunt Street, SE1. Subway station: Elephant and Castle.
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| Fabric Nightclub London |
Fabric
An old butcher became a metal club with three rooms in which touches the cream of DJs. Fabric also has its own label of its own DJs and their collections have a very good reputation. The evening star is FabricLive on Friday night. 77A Charterhouse Street, EC1. Subway station: Farringdon.
Camden Palace
A nightclub frequented by many environments younger night owls. The Peach on Friday night attracted the most rabid of the fluorescent dance with their clothes. 1A Camden High Street, NW1. Subway station: Mornington Crescent.
Heaven
One of the most famous gay clubs in the world, a large warehouse that houses several rooms of different styles. Weekends have very strict rules of entry in which only accept homosexuals, but during the week tends to be a little more relaxed. The Arches, Villiers Street, WC2. Underground Station: Embankment, Charing Cross.
Global rhythms
The rich fusion of cultures in London has been leaked to the dance floor, DJs and increasingly international rhythms include in their blends.
Samba, bhangra, salsa, tango, afrobeat ... the electronic blips have been infected with the wealth of rhythms brought by immigrant communities.
Finding a particular night is a bit more complicated and demand have a very organized agenda of places, but it's worth sacrificing a bit of spontaneity in planning to open the ear and heart.
Batmacumba
The DJ Cliffy has spent years traveling in Brazil scavenging old curiosities and discovering new artists. Some nights are samba and mounted a carnival. The nights are usually organized at the Institute of Contemporary Art, the first Saturday of each month, but from time to time change of place. ICA, The Mall, SW1. Subway station: Charing Cross.
Blacktron
Black music goes beyond hip hop and R'n'B: This is the theory behind this night of live music, DJs and oral poetry. A real gem of the night life if you are lucky enough to coincide with its occurrence every two months.
The Shrine
Designed to honor the Nigerian musician Fela Kuti revolutionary, DJs Max Reinhardt and Rita Ray presented an evening of traditional African rhythms and electronic. The last Saturday of each month at Cargo, and other places for special occasions. Cargo, Kingsland Viaduct, 83 Rivington Street, EC2. Subway station: Old Street.
Notting Hill Arts Club
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| Notting Hills Arts C |
One of the best options to meet all kinds of musical trends, the Notting Hill Arts Club is constantly looking for new rhythms from around the world. Mondays are the Scandinavian nights, Wednesdays are emerging rock groups under the tutelage of Alan McGee (who discovered Oasis), and One World Live Thursday frantically fuses rhythms from around the world. On Saturdays there is an open mic in the afternoon and evening flamenco ranges from electronic, Brazilian rhythms and Asian fusions.
Cargo
A place for all night moods. There is a restaurant with a Latin American fusion food, a bar where you can follow the British tradition of drinking beer stand, and a room where you are from the most hardcore hip hoppers to the more traditional Afghan. Kingsland Viaduct, 83 Rivington Street, EC2. Subway station: Old Street.
Kuch Kuch
Who lives in London can not remain oblivious to the large Indian and Pakistani influence in the cultural life of the city. Much of it has to do with the particular aesthetic of Bollywood, the music industry in India. Kuch Kuch Nights offer the possibility of dipping into the rhythms of Indian films sweetish and infectious bhangra percussion, with the chance to learn some dances. The night is organized on the first Saturday of each month. The Millennium Club, 167 Drury Lane, WC2. Subway station: Covent Garden.
This!
Every Monday the legendary DJ Giles Peterson take the turntable to run a deep journey through jazz, hip hop, Latin rhythms and the weirdness that collects during his travels. Bar Rumba, 36 Shaftesbury Avenue, W1. Underground Station: Piccadilly.
"Homesick? A little salsa
The fever of salsa and merengue is not restricted in this Latin American diaspora in London, Londoners are risking more and more to take salsa lessons and test your new steps on the track.
Most clubs offer lessons before the party started, and there are very serious responsibilities and almost sports in which the dancers performed intricate choreography.
These are some of the clubs that offer classes and nights of Latin music
Bar Lorca
261 Brixton Road, SW9. Underground Stations: Oval, Brixton.
Salsa Bar
96 Charing Cross Road, WC2. Metro stations: Leicester Square, Tottenham Court Rd
Bar Time
96 Pentonville Road, N1. Underground Stations: Angel, Kings Cross.
Unicorn
1, Duke Street, SE1 Tube Station: London Bridge.
Salsa!
96 Charing Cross, WC2. Subway station: Leicester Square.
