- It's fair to say Samuel Johnson didn't have the club scene in mind when he made the assessment, "When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life." The fact he lived in the 18th century and spent a large proportion of his adulthood penning the world's first dictionary were both factors that stopped him becoming a regular at Fabric. Johnson's now famous argument still holds a fair amount of weight when you think about the sheer expansiveness of London's nightlife, however. The city boasts several world class venues and thriving underground scenes in pretty much every conceivable niche of dance music, yet there are still surprises to be found if you head off the beaten track.
Cosmo is one such venue that remains under most people's radar. Located in between Farringdon and Shoreditch, but too far from either to attract passing trade, it's a place that thrives on memorable one-offs. A ferocious afterparty for Loco Dice's Under 300 tour proved to be one of the most head-twistingly debauched nights of 2009 and the always dependable Kubicle have thrown some great events at the tiny venue; but no one has consistently put on events there.
Photo credit: Tom Alterman
Public House is a party that's looking to change that. Their first shindig in Cosmo's dingy basement was almost exactly like stumbling into a house party uninvited. With exposed brickwork, low ceilings and the odd bit of loose wiring hanging precariously from the light fittings, the venue is reminiscent of the unloved basement of a student house. Cans of larger are sold at the bar, mixers are poured from two liter bottles and the toilets are communal cubicles.
The crowd too seemed to be embracing the slightly sleazy spirit of the place. Mustachioed party boys danced shirtless next to sweaty but clearly stunning looking girls. At one point, despite the ridiculously low ceilings, one reveler tried to get on his friend's shoulders to show his appreciation for a particularly groovy tech house track—a move that predictably ended in a heap of humanity on the dance floor. In short, the Public House crowd were almost the exact opposite of your typically posed and nonchalant East London crowd.
Notably for a party that was taking place in such a small venue, Public House had managed to attract some memorable guests DJ to play on the evening. Four:Twenty signing Craig Torrance treated the crowd to a refined set of harder edged house music, while the headline slot from Yakine saw the DJ expertly weave a flurry of stripped tools into a groovy percussive whole. However, the highlight of the night came directly came after Yakine's set when one of the night's resident DJs shrewdly sneaked in Dennis Ferrer's super deep classic "Son Of Raw"; causing one party-goer to jack so hard he almost knocked me into the DJ booth.
Photo credit: Tom Alterman
In some respects the lo-fi aesthetic was taken a little too far. A huge strobe rig that looked like it had been knocked together by the promoters in a garden shed fired up for the last half hour or so—nearly blinding several members of the crowd. At another point technical problems caused the volume to dip to an annoyingly low level.
Oddly enough, though, instead of dampening the mood, this seemed to send the room absolutely barmy while the DJ looked on slightly bemused. Public House may well be a little rough around the edges, but in truth that's all part of its charm. If your idea of a good night out is a sweaty basement and a soundtrack of refined tech-house, this one is for you.