Music / venues
Underground venue celebrates ten years of mischief and artistry
A venue with a secret entrance leading to an underground labyrinth of rooms and tunnels is celebrating ten years of eclectic shows and boundary-blurring performance.
Hiding in plain sight, just metres away from Temple Meads train station, it’s grown a reputation for bringing the margins into the spotlight, showcasing cutting edge circus and burlesque, leftfield music, subversive comedy and avant-garde performance art.
The Loco Klub, with its striking Brunel-built brick archways and tunnels connecting cavern-like rooms reminiscent of crypts or cloisters, provides an atmospheric backdrop for immersive events.
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Situated in Clock Tower Yard and designed to forge a creative future from the city’s historic foundations, it is based in the former ash pits of Brunel’s original station and incorporates the Railway Workers social club.
A joint venture between Artspace Lifespace and Bristol Institution the Invisible Circus, the latter’s knack for wild parties emerging from otherworldy theatrical spectaculars in unusual spaces runs like a seam through the venue.
As well as underground clubnights, quirky cabaret and LGBTQ+ events, the venue has hosted themed classical concerts and opera, intimate Sofar Sounds gigs, industry talks, film shoots and gala dinners.
Collaborations with a diverse range of partners have included Bristol Old Vic, the BBC, Aardman, Boomtown Fair, Boiler Room, Bristol Beacon, Mayfest and more.
The Loco Klub played host to Boiler Room, the celebration of club culture that opens up local dancefloors, emerging artists and underground venues to a global wider audience
Their tenth anniversary extravaganza, aptly named Deꓘade, will present an array of performers in a celebration of the best of their brand of weird and wonderful that, they say, will generate “raw creative magic”.
The Invisible Circus will be joining the celebrations. Doug Francisco, founding member and host of the troupe since 1993, and Loco Klub artistic director, sees the venue’s ten-year milestone as a significant achievement.
“Deꓘade gives us the freedom to showcase what a decade of relentless creativity, hard work, and resilience has achieved,” he said.
“These ten years have been a wild ride, and we’re deeply grateful to have thrived in a challenging climate for independent artists and venues. This celebration is about honouring the unstoppable power of artistic expression and being unapologetically bold.”
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The event will be headed up by Slamboree, an act well-known on the festival scene – and seen most recently at Shindig Festival’s winter warmer at the Spiegeltent – for their bass-heavy blend of live music, electronica, theatrics and fire stunts with fierce vocals from the inimitable Kathika.
Other entertainment includes a Contraband Circus takeover, drag hosts Fagbutt and Femmegeddon, poetry from Satellite of Love and Riot Act presenting an irreverent comedy open mic.
To close out the evening, resident DJ’s from Queerky, the LGBTQ+ community rave that have established a Loco Klub following over the last three years, will go toe-to-toe with queer party collective Earthworks. Fittingly, event organisers also promise “a host of surprises lurking in the shadows.”
Deꓘade takes place on February 7. It’s free up to 10pm; later arrivals require a £10 venue contribution ticket. For more information and details of other upcoming events at Loco Klub, visit locoklub.com/whats-on
All images: Loco Klub
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