The Knowhere Guide

Going Out in Hammersmith, Greater London*

Hammersmith, Greater London Clubs, Music Venues, Cinemas

Clubs (Dance Music) and Music Bars

• Ginglik!!! i can't believe it has not been mentioned. At first glance a shoddy public toilet style entrance but don't judge a book by its cover, inside is a trendy underground bar with electronic and underground DJs, movie nights and comedy nights, its the place to be in Shepherds Bush Green.
• Whiskey Blue on Fridays is the best night in West London. The best line up and the most happiest people on the planet will be found there.
• Rumours - under Premier West Hotel. Secrets for low-end lapdancing.
• Rumours below the Premier West Hotel. Word is you can get lucky there.
• On a Thursday night there is a bar/pub called Whiskey Blue on Glenthorne Rd Hammersmith that has a DJ who plays 11pm - 2pm. House music etc. He has only just started up but its worth a look.
• La Palais or Hammersmith Palais used to be "the" super club of the south of England in it's time early and pre nineties. Following a bad few years in which the legendary club struggled to fill it's huge interiour with clubbers it closed down (what you would expect from anywhere being despirate enough to put on Dr. Fox!). It re-opened under new owners Leopard Clubs, in which it proberly managed to about half fill the venue at best. Now silent partners to Leopard Clubs at the time - "Po Na Na" have taken over and named the venue Po Na Na Hammersmith - although everyone still calls it Hammersmith Palais! It has been refitted (all be it on the cheap side) to a kind of arabian look and feel. Friday night's are a club night and Saturday's sees Po Na Na Hammersmith host the highly successful SchoolDisco.com - where the dress code is strictly school uniform. Every Saturday is a sell out with the huge club full to capacity once more every weekend - get there very early as there are only about 300 tickets on the door and the que was way down the road past the police station! Pre book online to ensure getting in as you don't want to be stuck around Hammersmith in a school uniform if you can't get in!
• Leopard Lounge - arse
• Hammersmtih Palais has re-launched under the name Po Na Na Hammersmith. It's undergone major refurbishment and now has a Bedouin style layout, which creates an exotic atmosphere. School Disco has a regular Saturday night spot, which sees Hammersmith packed with adults in school uniform and Friday nights there are regular PA's ranging from Gabrielle to Artful Dodger. Definately worth a visit if you haven't been since the re-launch!
• The Leopard Lounge has now been demolished.
• Shepherd's Bush Empire occasionally hosts dance nights such as Eu4ria and Progression sessions although it seems to be almost impossible to find any info or promotion for these events. They do not even have a web site! I guess the only way is to phone the box office.
• The Palais has now re-opened
• Miro's on North End Road is a typical sloany-type club full of daddy's girls; useful for a late-night drink though, as it's open until midnight or 2am most nights.
• If clubbing's your thing, then there's nowt in Hammersmith.
• Leopard Lounge - full of spoilt sloaney rich types spending daddy's trust fund. Does good 70's nite on a Thursday Rosies - seedy late licence pub with a dance floor + live bands (love it) Crazy Larrys - down by Chelsea Harbour, complete meat market, you would have difficulty not pulling here
• Le Palais in now closed - No good (or bad) clubs left in Hammersmith - umless you count Rumours!
• The Orange at West Kensington.
• Worst place is Le Paalais, a really crap "nightclub" :)
• Not enough, the main one is Le Palais (the club formally known as The Hammersmith Palais).

Live Music Venues

• apollo
• The Kings Head is now know as Zulus, they still have live music over weekends, and often host touring bands.
• Shepherds Bush Empire on Shepherds Bush Green. Seen better days, poor sound, hard seats, drink prices outrageously high. Bar queues are ridiculous due to warm stock and slow service. Fans love it.
• Carling Apollo near the flyover is nationally if not world famous.
• Hammersmith Appolo.
• Live metal and rock bands in the Kings Head at junction of Fulham Road and Fulham Palace Road.
• Hammersmith Apollo has started to feature rock acts again.
• Fulham Brass Band rehearse at Chiswick Club Society, Chiswick High Road, London W4 (nearest tube is Stamford Brook on District Line) on Thursdays from 7.45 to 10pm approx. Currently experiencing period of growth and have quite a busy diary for the forthcoming months. See the Band's website at http://www.geocities.com/fulhamband2/index.html
• The Hammersmith Appollo used to be called The Hammersmith Odeon I saw Gary Glitter there and it was very very loud. An Ok venue but the traffic pollution flooding the air sytem from The Westway worries me.
• The Apollo when it's not showing bad childrens musicals starring Philip Schofield. It also carries some of the big touring comedy names like Shooting Stars/The Fast Show or Ben Elton, whenever they tour.
• West One Four (W Ken) and the Kings Head (Fulham) are good for new live music
• Apollo (Hammersmith), Bottom Line (Shepherds Bush), Empire (Shpeherds Bush), Orange (West Kensington)

Cinemas

• Dont forget the Riverside Studios, a repertory cinema sohowing double bills for £6.50 every night. www.riversidestudios.co.uk . Awesome place.
• UGC in King Street near the Town Hall. Downstairs are 2 medium screen smallish cinemas. Cinemagoers can be selfish and discourteous there unfortunately. Upstairs is the old circle which now is split in two. Expect long waits but friendly service at the downstairs confectionery and coffee and soft drinks counter where they do nachos, crisps, huge sweet bags, munch boxes, ice-creams, popcorn buckets and more.
• A 4 screen conversion in King Street. Appalling patrons - munching, scrunching and talking through the films.
• Virgin opposite the town hall in King Street. A bit of a duffer . A lot of patrons rudely talk and chomp their way through films in the 4 dinky theatres.
• We are finally getting a cinema in Shepherds Bush! Yhe tacky old shopping centre is having a face lift and promises a multi screen cinema.
• Riverside Studios Cinema is amazing - 2 different films daily. All art house but all excellent - take the plunge.
• Virgin Hammersmith - bog standard Virgin cinema, but they do special Saturday matinees every week for kids - usually Disney stuff, etc. Air conditioning is well dodgy - boiling in the foyer and freezing in the auditorium! Good car parking around the back, though.
• Closest one is on Putney Bridge, dead cheap and great hot dogs

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Last updated: 2008-05-15