One of my housemates, Kate, is a massive Brudenell Social Club fan – she’s literally been there and got the t-shirt! Despite walking past it many times this year on my way to Sainsbury’s and thinking ‘oh that looks good’ I only visited it for the first time last week. The social club has been at the heart of the Hyde Park community since its establishment as a gentleman’s social club in 1913. It has since developed into a popular music venue, hosting up and coming bands popular amongst students. Unfortunately, when I visited, there was a gig on which cost a tenner and none of us had the money! As a result the only impression we could get of the music room was what we could see over the heads of people on the ticket desk. However, Kate has often come back from free gigs at the venue which have always come highly recommended. I was also gutted to miss a comedy night she went to last week, which featured six comedians. Apparently apart from one woman trying slightly too hard, everyone else managed to make Kate laugh! To be fair, this isn’t something hard to do! However, the others who went with her also came back with very positive reviews of the night. I’ve often heard, and also got the impression myself, that the venue is quite interactive when music is playing as it’s very intimate space, meaning audiences stand close to the bands playing. Additionally, as venue that supported the rise of the Kaiser Chiefs and other notorious Leeds-based bands, it also attracts well-renowned acts such as Matt Corby. Tickets for gigs tend to range between £5-15.
On its own, the pub side of the venue is also worth visiting. It consists of a pretty basic room with small tables scattered around, and a bar in the corner. As we were only there for a chilled drink, this was perfect, because it felt extremely comfortable and you didn’t have to shout over loud music to have a conversation! It’s a lot more simplistic than some bars in Leeds, reminding me in some respects of the student union bars I’ve been to at other universities as it’s quite well-lit and lacks excessive decoration. The drinks were incredibly cheap, with a pint of Carlsberg at only £1.75! I decided to splash out and get a Crabbies; at £2.65, I decided it wasn’t too extravagant. Perhaps the venue wouldn’t be best to go to in a large group as tables are quite small. However, they are very close to one another, giving the room a quite communal feel.
Overall, the venue seems very accepting of all ages, unlike the Otley Run pubs which can become dominated by students! I noticed there were a lot of older locals, but wasn’t an uncomfortable divide between varying age groups. At the end of a night of essay-writing, it was the ideal place to go for a wind-down drink in a sociable, but not overwhelming, atmosphere. And the best thing was, unlike when I’ve been to gigs at O2 or bars in town, we could walk home within five minutes – score!
Image Sources:
1. http://www.useyourlocal.com/br…
2. www.marklatham.co.uk 2008