Description:

The results are in for Lakota, Rewind and Bar Celona as they battle their way through the Bristol Top Nightclub Search 2010.

So a team that started strong and proud has been reduced to the bare components. Only three judges remain as our search to find the top nightclub that Bristol has to offer comes skidding to a halt, and performs a handbrake turn. Three brave individuals are thrown clear and emerge from the wreckage ready to tell their tales of dissolution and debauch. Salute them, for they have served you people well, in the quest to find Bristol’s Top Nightclub of 2010.

 

Friday 19 February – Bar Celona

Angelique da Silva: This weekend saw the final of the Bristol Top Nightclub Search 2010.  We went to Bar Celona on Friday and were greeted by Club owner Andy, who took care of our coats and gave us an all night bar tab – full marks for that! I love this club, it is small and intimate with great door staff, special thanks to Arthur for keeping our glasses topped up at all times.

 

Marcel Wiehahn: Absolutely loved this club, the music was great, as were the staff and the crowd were having a whale of a time. It’s a bit further out from the centre than I usually go for a club, but the friendly crowd made it worth it. Many thanks to Andy for a totally spectacular evening.

 

Shana Slosse: I’m from out of town, and my first stop on the Bristol scene was Bar Celona, and was quiet interesting. My first meeting with Bristolians and their party-scene was enlightening and surprising!

 

Who would have thought that doormen can be really friendly while working? Such a thing is very rare in Belgium. The bartender and the owner welcomed us with a smile and were really interested in talking to us. The bartenders in Bar Celona work really hard and do their best to please the crowds, which made the party people really drunk after not even two hours!

 

The music provider, also called a DJ, did his thing, and was not annoyed by the many request notes hanging in front of his nose. There wasn't a single girl or boy that wasn't dancing and having fun!

 

The interior was quite simple and the place was rather small, but made it really cosy. It reminds me of party evenings in Portugal, only with different music and in an English style.

 

Saturday 20 February – Rewind and Lakota

Rewind

Angelique:  On Saturday our first stop was Rewind in Corn Street.  Rewind is always busy at the weekend, so a special thank you to Mike for his warm welcome and to Luke who upgraded us to the Leopard Lounge due to a cancellation.  Thank you for our round of drinks and bottle of Champagne, they went down well.

 

Marcel: Music was good as always, crowds were rowdy as usual, it was good to be back in Rewind again. This is a regular haunt of mine, and for once I didn’t get on the stage and dance! Classic Bristol nightclub experience.

 

Shana Slosse: Corn Street seems like a very nice area. As someone who's seeing Bristol for the first time, I had quite some good sight-seeing while walking through the city centre to this club.

Even though Bristol is a pretty big city compared to cities in Belgium, it seemed like everbody knew everybody else.  There were a lot of souls walking around and having fun.

They had different kinds of VIP areas in Rewind, all decorated in an animal print style. It was a really nice environment to enjoy with a group of friends or colleagues. This club has a different mix of styles, strangely though they fit together really well.

My idea of music is quite different to the mix they play here. But again, everybody was amused and had fun.

 

Lakota

Angelique: After Rewind we walked to Lakota, and let me tell you this was the perfect club to round off this competition.

Talk about organisation, WOW! Lakota is run by Mike and Dave who are doing a brilliant job. The night was Tribe of Frog.  I must say I went through my Tribe of Frog stage about 10 years ago, but let me tell you Bristol - this was the best club so far.

We were greeted by the friendliest and most professional staff members, Dave gave us a full tour whilst Mike attended to the dreaded weekly wages.  Dave never left our side once and went over the future plans of Lakota.  Watch out Bristol – this is going to be the place to be in the summer. Winter too for that matter as there is a huge marquee outside with a massive bonfire.  Well done Dave and Mike and thank you for a fab evening.

Oh and the bathrooms are cleaner than any other club I have ever seen, which is astonishing as they can hold up to 1200 people at this venue!

 

Marcel Wiehahn: Well Lakota, you really surprised me! I loved every aspect of your club and it really took me down memory lane.

 

There were so many different areas and rooms where you can have fun, and the psychedelic decor was truly out of this world. There is a shop that sells luminous clothing, does face painting, and another that sells Chai tea and Guarana to clubbers in need of energy. There is even a caravan outside selling yummy greasy foods for those who get hungry in the early hours. Well done guys – you have a fabulous venue and I want to come back soon!

 

Shana Slosse: For me, Lakota is all about the underground scene, a lot of people and great organisation! We were welcomed very warmly and taken care of all night long. They gave us a tour of the club and had lots of interesting stories to tell! Big ups for the two guys organising all this, I guess they don't have any Sunday to rest.

 

The toilets were spick and span, really clean. One thing I've never seen before in a club, and they don't charge you to take a wee wee. How great is that!

 

I was really impressed. Good works, good club, good vibe, good people. I was really pleased to see that these guys have an amazing building and that they use it to its full potential.

 

Lakota will stick in my memory for a long time to come. You Bristol people are really lucky to have such a place on your doorstep, I think that people would travel from Belgium to come here and party – and if they do, I want to be with them!

 

 

So that, as they insist on saying, despite the fact that it’s one of the biggest clichés in the Bristol Top Nightclub 2010 Searching book, is that. The judges have had some drinks, some laughs, some dances, some romances – and above all, they’ve provided probably the most comprehensive and terrifyingly insightful guide to the state of Bristol’s nightclub toilets that anyone has ever yet dared produce.

Is that all there is, as the old song goes? Indeed not. For now the points must be tallied up, and a decision made. Tune in soon to find out who will carry away the coveted title of Guide2Bristol’s Top Bristol Nightclub 2010!