I've found another little indie hangout serving up quality music within its grotty stained walls. This place is called The Windmill and can be found about a 15 minute walk from Brixton station up Brixton Hill.
On your first visit you'll find yourself asking an obliging local for directions due to the obscure location of the place, down a quiet residential street. It's an odd looking place daubed in nasty, bright coloured murals with a menacing slobbery mad looking hound standing centry on the roof. (Having visited the place the logo on their website makes sense.)
The building itself is a run down, clapboard clad piece of nasty 80s architecture not disimilar to the Jockey in channel 4's Shameless. Outside is a walled smoking area with a couple of pub benches but don't make the same mistake I did; it doesn't stop there - through the back door is another garden and a wicked little shed room where you might steal a cheeky smoke.
Like all the best music venues in London this place is cavernous and atmospheric with back to back posters on the walls and band stickers on the loo doors. Actually the loo doors are a blog entry themselves as they've proved to be hugely entertaining with epic scrawling discussions (I'm on a date with a complete fuckwit - should I a- get fucked and try and ride this thing out or b - do a runner, c- politely explain that I have a dodgy tummy? Answers below....) Or another classic scrawl simply said "Alive - only just". I don't reckon the back of the loo door is the best place to promote your band though - might seem a bit sordid.
The sort of people at this gaff are quietly in the know. Not your regular Brixton types - they look like they may have strayed from Hoxton, although I'd say that they have less of that Horrors English indie look and a bit more of the Seattle check shirt influence. Or maybe I'm just speculating and talking shit? Maybe it's just because Merge's new indie signing Telekinesis (who hail from Seattle) were billed to play. Additionally I met two perky septics in the toilets who seemed like the sort of characters an actress like Zoey Deschanel would play. God, I'm really rambling now....
All you need to know is that this is a wicked little place to hole up on a weekend day when the venue hosts at least eight to ten bands. Even Friday nights you'll get your four pounds worth with at least four well-sourced bands taking to the stage. Get thee down there (just don't get mugged on your way).
