Review – Fabric, Farringdon

I finally got round to going to Fabric a few weekends ago, I have been meaning to go since it re-opened in 2017, and was always keen to see what changes had gone on there, since the well-publicised closure and then re-opening, with a new approach. I wasn’t disappointed!

We got there unusually early (around 11am) as the tickets were a little cheaper for early arrivers. There are plenty of bars nearby for a quick pre-drink/meal before heading in. The main reason for going was to see one of the main House DJs Hot Since 82, to find out he wasn’t going to be on until 4am till 7am, then we knew we were going to be in for a long night (something that Fabric is famous for)

The queue to get in is a lot quieter/quicker around 11am so wasn’t hanging outside too much, on previous visits the queues would stretch on for quite a while and queueing would take hours. Once inside the entrance, everyone was subject to a very thorough search – metal detectors, frisk search and checking inside wallets – a lot longer than most places, but understandably given the issues the venue had in the past, the staff were really cool in explaining what they were doing and why. Total professionalism and for me that’s something that puts mind at ease around going there.

Once past the cloakroom areas (the guys working there were really cheery/upbeat, even till the very end!) you can then go one floor down to the outside/smoking area at the back of the venue – whilst not huge – it’s got enough space for people to meet up/find each other and we went there a few times to catch-up during the course of the night and not rammed or anything.

When we get inside one further floor down, it’s mesmerising blue and red/pink lights, thumping bass really does transport you into a club vibe. The wide bar is right ahead, then to the right is the main Room One, with the DJ booth in the middle – not as wide/open as most places but high enough so you can have a look at the DJs in there in action – it’s really cool throughout the night to ‘pop your head in’ and hi-five them.

The main dancefloor area is huge, with lazer lights, disco balls, large graphics videos and smoke machines (as with most places, always seem randomly-timed to go off at any given moment) all around, it really is quite immersive. There is a raised section of the stage at the very back – earlier in the night used for a live band set-up, then later on everyone can dance on it, especially towards the end of the night when the other rooms are closed and everyone pours into this room.

We had a brief venture into Room Two – it’s a little smaller has a more intimate vibe than Room One (and a bit more darker/brooder too) and resident Terry Francis was playing some great Techno.

What is really cool as well are the sofas/couches that are all round the outside areas too, all within walking distance of, and in between, the dancefloor areas when you’ve been on your feet for hours, it’s great to rest up for a bit – needless to say, as the night went on, you’ll see more people using them. It’s pretty cool to sit there and chat to other ravers too and chat about the great tunes, vibes, etc

The Bar only serves Spirits and/or Red Bull (as far as I could remember) and reasonably cheap. Bar staff there are really cool too and getting into the vibe with everyone else, asking how the night is going, etc What is really good is that, next to the main Bar you have a water station with water in cups lined up/on hand – hardly any queueing and such a great idea, especially when you’ve been on your feet in a hot sweaty club for hours.

In terms of sound quality, I can honestly say it was one of the best soundsystems I’ve ever heard in quite some time. I didn’t really notice until the next day, that we were under one of the speakers for most of the night, and the common ‘ear-ringing’ normally experienced after a big night in a big club, was non-existent. The bass/treble was really crisp and no ‘humming’ that is sometimes prevalent in most bars/clubs with high volumes, but the sounds were really good. Many DJs comment that the sounds there are amongst the best in the class and I couldn’t agree more.

Fabric surely has reclaimed the spot in my opinion as one of – if not, the best – nightclub spot in the UK. Even writing about this gives me goosebumps about just how good everything is there, and couldn’t recommend it enough.