16/04/2016: If Debbie the club-night were a real person, I’d give her a huge hug and say thanks for those groovy times at The Shacklewell Arms on Saturday!
Too many LGBT nights in London place heavy emphasis on “the kind of queer person designed for this specific space”; Debbie’s room of club-goers is diverse and eclectic, and as a result, the atmosphere was friendly and joyous.
The only strict definition at play was the DJ’s uplifting playlist – all your favourite female fronted tracks. I’d been longing for a night where I could rock out to “Bad Romance” and “Shake it Off” without feeling cringe – and lo and behold, I found it in Debbie!
DJ Laurence Del Rey catered not only to pop lovers, but also to those who wanna jam out to Stevie Nicks and Tina Turner like a teenager with lots of feelings again.
If you’re up for meeting someone new, that could be hard at Debbie, as the lighting on the dance-floor was a bit too low to really make much out (and it’s definitely not going for the darkroom vibe…)
But if you’re looking for somewhere to be as silly and happy as possible with your gang, Debbie’s your gal pal.
The Shacklewell Arms, 71 Shacklewell Lane, E8 2EB
Words by Amrou Al-Kadhi
Photos by Mark Storey
