Venue spotlight: Phonox
We’ve always repped Brixton – the nightlife down on Brixton Hill is *insane*, and one of the best places to people-watch in the country is the KFC on the corner of Coldharbour Lane at 3am. If you enjoy watching get into scuffles over boneless banquets and unfortunate post-club wardrobe malfunctions, that is… (it will come as no surprise to readers that that is one of my favourite night-out activities). The hustle and bustle of London life is set out for all to see in Brixton, and over the past five years it’s really become known as one of the best party spots within the M25.
That’s why it’s no surprise that Phonox, one of the most popular clubs south of the Thames, packs such a punch. Phonox is a sleek, cavernous space, with a typically pared-back, industrial vibe, and plenty of space for dancing. Their chosen tunes lean very much towards underground house, techno, disco and bass all the way – there’s no 80’s club bangers here, you’ll be relieved to know. Semi-permanent residences have included the likes of HAAi, Romare, Jeremy Underground and Jasper James. The same calibre extends to their one-off bookings - Derrick Carter, DJ Bone, Ben UFO, Margaret Dygas and Bicep have all graced the decks at this south London staple club.
Credit: Phonox
Phonox is the brainchild of those behind acclaimed clubs XOYO, The Nest, the Old Queen's Head, and even the Blues Kitchen franchises. They purchased the site of former Brixton club Plan B when it shut down, fully intent on transforming it into a club where the first priority is sound quality. With a Funktion One system, I think it’s fair to say they achieved that goal. In conversation with Time Out, Phonox’s Andy Peyton explained that “We want to build a community of people who go clubbing because they know their music and want to experience it through a great sound system – people who want to be there for the moment, rather than the Instagram likes.”
There’s always something going on at Phonox too. Open every day of the week – in the mid-week, through till 2/3am and till 4am at the weekend, there’s got some stellar events coming up. For four Fridays in a row, DjRUM's four-week takeover has been much spoken about. For the second instalment of DjRUM's residency, Hessle Audio and Timedance staple, Bruce, will be going b2b with DjRUM.
Tickets are cheap by London standards too – all events start at £5, heading through to around £15-20 for the final release. You should really check it out.
Credit: Phonox
Words by Rebecca Clayton