Stupidly, I suggested that I meet my friends inside Turnmills last
Saturday night. Anyone who’s been there will smirk at this since I was
lucky to catch a glimpse of my own feet let alone my mates. And in true
newbie London style I ran out of credit on my pay-as-you-go mobile.

Anyway, ever wondered what Turnmills is like? It’s rooms upon rooms
upon rooms and stair cases that lead to rooms upon rooms. Oh and
crowded – really crowded. Happily I was in the right frame of mind for
all this and let the crowd dictate my movements, but for the mates that
were trying to find me this wasn’t the case. If you go with the natural
sort of rhythm then it’s not such a big deal. Much like negotiating
Oxford Street at this time of year one cannot go against the current.
In the end we met at the front of the main stage on an absolute fluke
of luck so it was a happy ending.

However, since I did end up spending time on my own I thought it’d be
good to share the experience for those out there wondering if they
should check it out sometime. Going to a club alone is intimidating for
most people. I’ve only done it a few times and usually it was because I
was travelling alone and wasn’t about to miss a great night. To me
there are very few clubs where a girl can go alone and feel okay about
it. The thing with Turnmills is that since it is such a maze and so
many do get lost you’re never alone. I made a bunch of friends roaming
about that I really wasn’t too fussed that I wasn’t with my mates
(sorry guys but hey we did find each other in the end!).

Most nights the line up at Turnmills is pretty good – okay pretty damn
good. In my mind it’s more local talent then imports, but since this is
London local talent includes the likes of Tall Paul who’s rated as one
of the top 20 DJ’s out there right now and at the Gallery regularly
(Note from Ed: he and his family own it).

This past weekend included Lovebox, Maurice Fulton, Breaking Bread,
Tugg, and Seve. Lovebox is new for me so I emailed Jools Butterfield
and found out that he, along with Ross Clarke & Groove Armada
comprise the group. Highlights for Jools this year include a boat party
in June and last weekend at Turnmills. For Jools both the sound system
and the vibe of the club make it a good venue. With a sister label
called Ragbull and many parties planned for 2005 Lovebox is definitely
a name I’ll be watching for.

Turnmills hosts a vast array of talent and with NYE just around the
corner, if I were to judge the club purely on their line up, it would
be in my top five. The Chemical Brothers do not require any explanation
or introduction they are simply untouchable in the industry and
magnificent live. My favourite on the roster is Lottie. Until this
summer I’d never heard of her and after seeing her at Creamfields in
Liverpool I’ll be watching for her name of the flyers I pick up. She
has the kind of energy on stage that first made me interested in house
music. Back in the day when raves were massive in Toronto I’d watch
these gorgeous girls with long hair and wicked clothes dancing like
they made each and every track. Its naive sounding but this was the
environment that I was in and being an impressionable teenager I
aspired to be like those girls – or maybe it was just their world that
fascinated me.  I was entranced by how into the music they were
and that’s how I felt watching Lottie DJ. She is house music for me.
(Psst! More girls need to DJ!).

The closest tube station is Farringdon and since Fabric is close by
there are many people congregating around the station well until
midnight. Also if you’re lost or unsure how to find Turnmills all you
have to do is follow the stream of people heading to Clerkenwell Road.
 
I know for sure that I’ve had a good night out depending on the hue of
the sky. As I put my key into the front door the sun was just starting
to creep up into the sky. It was a good night.

Turnmills
63b Clerkenwell Road  EC1M 5NP
tel: 020 7250 3409
travel: BR/Tube: Farringdon