Hidden London 1: Brixton Jamm

Brixton Jamm is a small club and music venue in, predictably enough, Brixton. An unprepossessing building from the outside, inside it is a tastefully decorated haven for music lovers. The bar is well staffed (though not the cheapest), there are plenty of sofas for those early evening drinks, and at one end, a busy dancefloor is entertained by DJs playing a balance of the cutting edge and the classics. Perhaps most remarkable of all, the toilets are clean – a never before seen phenomenon at a gig venue.

Go through the door on the left, though, and you will discover what really makes the venue tick. At one end is the stage, and in a 200-odd capacity room – with another bar down the side – up and coming bands and DJs rock out. The sound system is excellent for a venue this small, and the bands generally are too. Nights are tightly themed, so you are sure to hear what you like (providing you’ve checked ahead), and only bands with real potential are invited to play. Regular nights feature 3 or 4 acts, although there are plenty of all-day or all-night specials, with as many as eight or ten different bands. There are also occasional well-known names playing there: Carl Barat of Dirty Pretty Things put on a marathon four hour DJ set a couple of weeks ago, to the delight of the crowd.

You’d probably never remark on it if you walked past, but Brixton Jamm is one of the best nights out in London. For relatively cheap entry (around £5-£7), you can party until 4am and jump (stumble) straight onto the buses opposite.

Brixton Jamm can be found at 261 Brixton Road, or http://www.brixtonjamm.org