41-43 St Thomas Street,
London Bridge,
London,
SE1 3QX
(020) 7407 1617
The ViewLeeds Review
Every clubber in town will remember SeOne, London Bridge's infamous labyrinth-like club, as one of the capital's best dance music venues. SeOne may have gone but its successor Debut London hopes to make just as big an impression. Rather than go for the same formula of ravey events, Debut is pushing a live music angle and they’ll need to attract some heavyweights if they’re to fill such a cavernous space.The VenueDebut London is cavernous, literally: situated under the arches of London Bridge station, every one of its vaulted, expansive dance halls is eerily epic, accentuated only by the odd flash of light or draped walkway. Lighting rigs and speaker systems line each room, with most punters flocking round the moderately-sized central bar. Two stages dominate the 2,500 capacity club, each one as big as anything you're likely to see on the gigging circuit, with a powerful sound system that allows the venue to hold its own amongst stiff competition. In short, Debut is a monstrous batcave of a venue, far outstripping anything nearby for size.
The AtmosphereThe staff, who open every door, crack every smile and serve quickly and efficiently, do their part to ensure Debut doesn't suffer the snobbish and uptight pitfalls of many of London's other grand gig venues. However, this is a massive space, requiring huge crowds and Debut London is a tough venue to fill unless they get a regular event that captures the imagination of the capital’s after dark addicts, or big names start appearing.
The MusicBoth stages at Debut are terrifyingly large, and there's little intimacy with the crowd thanks to a cornucopia of speakers. Thus Debut has effectively distanced itself from the small gig crowd, shooting for the stars straight away. Nonetheless the sound quality throughout the club is up there with some of the best rigs in the city, even if the music policy is yet to be nailed down. On a positive note, the club has some very intriguing events lined up, including The Great May Masked Ball from The Last Tuesday Society, a riotous gathering of decadent souls, with clothes optional.
The DrinkAs you'd expect of a gig superclub-cum-gig venue, there's nothing too exciting on the drinks menu. Several draught beers are on tap including Becks and Guinness, and a small selection of red and white wine is on offer, as well as Champagne and a healthy slection of spirits.
The Last WordThe sound may be excellent, the staff amicable and the chasmic interior alluring and enigmatic, but what Debut London needs more than anything is a program of cool events and big names to attract the masses. Is it worth visiting? Definitely, provided the names on the flyer are sufficient to have the crowds pouring in.
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