James Zabiela at White House
It can often seem like a bit of a mission heading south to Clapham but there are some great dance nights down there put on by the likes of Inigo and The White House – small venues that get some big name DJs appearing.
I'm a bit hesitant about Sunday's Push/RPM event at The White House, partly thanks to a heavy Saturday night and also because, well...it's a Sunday, should we be really be here? Work in the morning etc etc. Having said this I don't know why I get my knickers in such a twist, a lot of these Sunday parties, like Secret Sundaze, are aimed at people who haven’t been clubbing the previous evening and are up for starting the festivities around lunchtime, preferably after some roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. You have a good dance, a few drinks, wind down the weekend and are usually home by 12:00am. I'm never in bed by midnight on a Sunday anyway, inevitably getting trapped into watching some crap 'Top 100 films' countdown on telly.
Push is a fortnightly Sunday event at The White House which has showcased some high profile DJs in the past from the Shapeshifters to Judge Jules, Ninja Cowboys, Deepgroove, Mike Monday, Tall Paul, Krafty Kuts and Fergie. This particular event is rammed because James Zabiela is playing, arguably the best technical DJ in the world who never fails to get a crowd going. I can't say we arrive in time for all the afternoon slots but I can safely say JZ's set is the highlight if the music immediately beforehand is anything to go by – think Basement Jaxx followed by the Wu Tang Clan. Highlights include his latest Depeche Mode remix, 'No Other Way But Down' and his recent release, a melodic progressive house track called 'Perseverance', both of which got the room cheering and jumping. On the small dance floor at The White House, moving let alone jumping is quite a struggle but it makes for a good atmosphere and you are at eye level with the DJ, which I'm sure is a huge plus point for the obsessive JZ fans furiously flashing their cameras and fluttering their eyelids at the front.
The crowd could be straight out of Shoreditch from their wacky nu rave specs to 'I love me' badges but you can't fault their enthusiasm for the Sunday rave. The White House manages to keep a civilised feel to it even during a dance marathon and it was quite refreshing to be able to chat at candlelit tables beforehand and use the leafy roof terrace to go and have a fag. There is nothing worse than spending an hour waiting to get into a club only to get in and then spend another 15 in the 'queue of the damned' to have a quick puff in a filthy alley.
The Whitehouse is a good mixture of bar and club and the room is divided as such, not to mention a separate, smaller bar and dance floor upstairs. You can always find somewhere to suit your mood, whether you want to chill out and chat, dance, get some fresh air or get some smoke into your lungs. They have some really cool regular house and electro nights like Origami and P45, and if you are tempted by a Sunday party but scared of the idea of wreckheads from The End lurching into your pint, this is the place to be. An up-for-it, fresh-faced crowd in a stylish setting.
