As The Ministry of Sound marks 34 years in the London club scene, I went to celebrate and was surprised with what I experienced as a usual ‘anti-clubber’
Having never experienced a London club before, when I got the opportunity to spend a night in what many consider to be ‘the home of dance music’, I had no idea what to expect. All I could think was that if it was anything similar to my previous clubbing days as a fresh 18-year-old, my expectations were very low.
Although it’s safe to say, Ministry of Sound did not disappoint, it was unlike other clubs I’ve stumbled into, which felt overcrowded and overwhelming, had too much smoke blasting from the smoke machines, and had queues at the bar that quickly killed the vibe. As soon as I stepped through the doors of Ministry of Sound, in South London, it was not long before I was proven wrong.
Music across four rooms
103 is the first room you’re met with as you enter the club. It offers an impressive wall-to-wall bar lining the back of the room, meaning short waiting times when it comes to getting a drink, and a hard-to-miss lighting rig in the centre of it all. I was mesmerised like a little kid as I watched the light move in time with the music; it felt like an art exhibit bringing colour to what could have been a standard dance floor.
Made up of four rooms, Ministry of Sound offers space for the bigger euphoric moments spent listening to world-renowned acts as well as the chance to witness a low-key vibe with up-and-coming DJs. Baby Box offers that exact atmosphere of intimacy, which I’ve found lacking in other clubs and was probably my favourite space of the night.
The much smaller room cosplays as a dive bar but with excellent music and enough space for pockets of people to enjoy the new sounds taking hold of the room. Of course, with everything in such close proximity, you’re never too far away from a different vibe if you wish to mix things up.
The headlineact
In celebration of 34 years of the club’s opening, I saw none other than one of the pioneers of house music itself, Arman Van Helden. He headlined The Box Room from 2:30am onwards and drew in a keen crowd as we watched from the balcony. While it may usually be bedtime for those out in the heart of London, here at Ministry of Sound, things were just getting started.
The music was infectious to me, and the atmosphere was nothing but light-hearted and fun – which is exactly what you want from a club experience. With everything going on in the world, a club remains one of the few places left for people to kick back, let their hair down and dance to the timeless tunes, and that is exactly what I did.
It’s no shock to fans of electronic music that Arman Van Helden was the perfect choice for an event marking 34 years on the clubbing scene, as his tracks soundtracked the entirety of that time. From UK classic bangers like Bonkers featuring Dizzee Rascal to number one tracks like Barbra Streisand and all of the songs in between, the packed-out room was met with different people all with one thing in common – they wanted to dance. And dance they did.
Safety
From the offset, something that can quickly determine a good night out from a bad one for me is feeling safe. With this in mind, I think it’s important to point out how safe I felt in this club, as someone who does not frequent them often.
I felt as though it was evident, no matter what room I was in, there was a clear security presence in the club. With it meant there was no area that felt overcrowded, with enough space for people to dance and have their own experiences, not disrupted by the chaos of pushing and shoving.
Despite 34 years on the scene, Ministry of Sound seems to be just getting started, and for people who take house music seriously, I can see exactly why you’d want to go. It recently transformed a new NVR space as well as introduced a sober raving concept to meet new demands for the evolving nightlife in London.
While the club has faced numerous threats of closure over the years, it is still standing 34 years on, and while it may have taken that long for me to pay it a visit, I must say it has rebranded what clubbing looks like to me entirely.
