Shunt

Allow me to be a useful Unilocaler by letting people know that it is now closed and before that it was at: 42 – 44 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3UD. Not the address listed here.
I’ve never been to a place like this. Art show, music, art performance DJ. Actually, the entire location is a show in itself. The floors were see through and provided a voyouristic perspective of the bottom floor, which was a living room setup.
The other part of the ground floor had plenty of seating/​tables including a couch to enjoy the show (s) and/​or relax with friends.
I wish it were still open so I can take my Cali friends here during the summer. Unfortunately, they will have to wait for the next iteration of this experience.

Next to Burning Man, Shunt was one of the coolest, most inspired places I’ve ever been. I had huge fantasies of saving up and flying a group of friends to Shunt just so they could experience it themselves, it was that good.
Not only was it wicked sexy underground in the tunnels with the awesome lighting and endless turns, but it was really something spectacular to be able to immerse yourself in art and theatre and music and ambience. I hear they’ve moved to a place nothing like this one. I don’t hold it against them as I know it’s not their fault. And I’ll surely go when I visit again, but the strong need to visit so I could go back to Shunt is gone. Sad face…

What an amazing spot. Utterly unique, artsy and chilling (in a good way). I came to see a free show (Beast) and was blown away by the production. Completely avante-​garde, experimental, sensational, sensory — you name it, Shunt will flip it inside out, upside down and recast it for you in a whole new light. If you want to experience true London, out of the tourist way, out of the typical setting, Shunt is the place to go!
Be prepared for a bizarre but satisfying experience, one that will have you talking to your friends for ages!

Great alternative London spot.
I need to go again.
And will edit this review when i do.
Lets just say the last time I went here was during the icelandic volcano eruption chaos, and one of the artists was an icelandic man enclosed in plexiglass and brick, attached to electrodes screaming in profanity in his native tongue. And we had access to the ON switch. so crazy.

This is (or was), quite possibly, the coolest thing on the planet.

Love Shunt! I am sooo not a club person so when my friends dragged me here on Saturday night (with a £10 cover!!) I was not too happy, but once I walked in… wow. Great place, lots of different things going on and it’s really that big that it could be packed and still would not feel like it was packed. Sweet.
Played different kinds of music and had different kind of performers, danced the night away without having to have my ear drums blown out as a plus. Actually knowing the music I’m dancing to and be able to sing as well? She shoots, she SCORES!
Loved the art house film shorts they played too with the airplane seats, although some were on the bit depressing side.
Definitely my go to spot for visitors as it’s just so freaking cool, now if I can only suggest this place to my friends every time they want to clubbing…

The lead singer wore an orange head-​to-​toe rasta-​like ensemble covered with fake orange hair on her shoulders and a fringe over her eyes. Her backup band wore zombie black outfits with headlights. We swayed back and forth in the gloomy, smoky cave. I was mesmerized.
This bar (s) /​art gallery /​music venue /​secret society is a one-​of-​a-​kind experience. Come here to learn from the best, to watch a movie in a room filled with airplane seats, and to have a night filled with a mixture of a large screaming (almost naked man) screaming something like «bitches meat sausage now!»

I’ve been here once, and it was a few months ago so here is my recollection from that alcohol fuelled night;
1. I felt like I was in a very camp recreation of The Shining
2. Two guys were dressed in Hitler Youth outfits for no apparent reason.
3. They sold red stripe. Winner.
4. I’m not sure if I imagined the group of people with their eyes glued to a large projector screen. They might have been brainwashed. (Friends tell me that this is the cinema room)
5. I saw 3 – 4 rats
6. Walking from the entrance to the main room is a little like an episode of ‘Most Haunted’. It’s frickin creepy.
7. I had a brilliant night and I’m still not sure what it is I experienced.
Go see for yourself!

It was fun while it lasted but this place has closed down now. For a local night out check out Cable, the latest pop-​up club near Waterloo.

Now who wouldn’t want to drink their body weight in Vodka in damp and cold conditions?
Shunt is well… shunt! I can’t even describe the craziness of this club come arts centre. I have been here twice now, once to see Pamola Faith sing and another time for the Watchmen film screening where they transformed the entire area into 1980s New York. The space is titanic yet with rail developments they will shortly be decreasing in size and changing vastly. Never fear though, I have a feeling this will lead to something good.
An awesome space, watch out on their website for something cool coming up!

This is by far the craziest, coolest place for going out in London. It only cost me 5 squid to get in, but I would have been willing to pay more. It was halloween night, and as we entered there was spooky echoing music coming from far off in a dark tunnel.
We started down the tunnel, and to our left was a performance artist cutting up little paper houses (don’t ask), while to our right in another chamber was a projected skeleton dancing on the wall.
Farther on were 6 more chambers, darkness everywhere, dancing skeletons, and art pieces.
Finally, we got to the end of the tunnel and we walked through a curtain into the party section. Here was people making giant soap bubbles, there was a girl performing on a trapeze. Bars were placed in random but thoughtful corners, and served tall boys of Red Stripe for 3.50. There were video games, a flooded bathroom, and a day-​of-​the-​dead alter.
In the dark, with the vaulted gothic chambers and the smoky air punctuated by streams of light, I felt like this is how hell is described. But it was a freaking FANTASTIC hell, with cheap booze, lots of art, dancing, and music.
FYI, this place is unfortunately shutting down on November 14^th, so you have to go now! The city has decided to put in some generators (WTF?), and the people that run it are looking for a new space, possibly in Bermondsey.

fyi — they are OVERGROUND tunnels. You don’t go underground. granted there are no windows and just exit doors, but the sheer thought of your cellphone working is a relief.
the space is truly breathtaking. the cavernous tunnels creep up high, and as you adventure from one opening to the other you will find yourself participating in a poetry reading, making your own facial hair piece, bump into strange characters baring almost nothing shaking their almost bare something to the groovy tunes, or be part of the fanatic crowd cheering an amazing band on stage.
The atmosphere is very lively, and people are truly very laid back.
it smells VERY damp in there, so I can’t see myself hanging out for longer than 3 hrs, but it’s a really cool space.
The lowdown.
— drinks are very watery, so you might as well prep yourself up with a pre-​show-​buzz as these ones are just giving you hydration
— it does cost 10 quid to get in, provided you have with you your id, they check your bag (so no alchool or guns should be brought in)
— attire is comforting casual as you see from uggs to manolos (but quite honestly, i feel sad for the manolos)
— expect exhibits to change as often as weekly
— the stamp they give you upon paying the cover will secure your coming in and out of the venue.
— lines can form in a matter of seconds. we went on a Fri night and when we got there, no one was at the door, and just few mins later there was a long queue.
— there IS a coatcheck, but you have to go through almost towards the exit.
Will definitely go back!

Shunt is a club that was built up around abandoned tunnels which were once part of the London underground network (okay I’m completely making this up but it could very possibly be true).
I can’t even describe what this place is really — half performing arts club, half bar, half lounge. Wait let’s make that a third each… must not shame my Asian math skillz.
It does cost a painful £10 to get in, but what in London doesn’t these days? It costs more to watch a really really bad movie… (don’t remind me of my recent endeavours at the local Vue).
What you do when you get in is walk around, take in all the art installations and various performance groups that pop up throughout the night, then find a chill spot to sit at with your huge bottle of wine. We found a lovely and secluded area that looked like an old theater set up, sans screen, and played musical chairs amongst the rows of folding seats. Needless to say, we were plastered, and Shunt was the pitch-​black playground for us «adults». Highly recommended!

I have been wanting to go back to this place. It was a rather quiet Thurs eve but heard that it gets really crowded over wkends.
The dozens art /​performance scene changes every week so one will never get bored. Some of them are quite hard to understand, which make them cool, esp. in a very dark place.
I could imagine this place being romantic. We formed a group gradually joined by friends, friends of friends… magically all found each other without cell phone signals.

Shunt is situated inside London Bridge Station and it is ID only. Apparently you have to all be registered just in case you are a terrorist out to blow up London Bridge Station. Then again, Dollywog smiled sweetly and they let her in. They are only cash only, so remember to take money with you, and there is no exception to that…
Let’s go through the basic. It will cost you £10 to get it, it was quite quiet at 10pm when we got there, but apparently the doors closes at about 11pm and then that’s the crew you will party with. No reentry. Drinks are basically £3.50 for most, but they free pour. I had the brilliant idea of doing shots and that got us silly drunk. £3.50 for a double tequila or sambuca? Ha. Let’s see you not getting drunk.
If music is your passion; your one and only passion, prepare to be disappointed. Shunt is not just a night club, it is a club of «sensory experiences». i.e. the dark dark labyrinthy feel of it; playing fooseball in the dark, art installations, cross dressers etc.
Our night was highlighted by a dude tearing up a chicken in a gas mask in a big cling flimed square space in smoke. That was the installation of the night. And then there was a band, which was frankly, a really really shit version of The Faint. I LOVE The Faint, but they are hardly really really amazing to begin with. And then mediocre dance music, which I would classify as terribly wannabe electro pop/​techno/​house. All terribly «cool».
Why, do you ask, am I giving Shunt 4 stars?
Urm, I really liked the space, and apparently last time someone in our party went, they used it much better and had musicians playing in their lonesomesness in the dark niches, so I assume we went on an off night. I liked most of the «installations». I liked the library bar. I like thed fact that most people there were friendly and weren’t city types, poshies or shoreditch wanks– or rather we all are, but we take off the mask. I liked the fact that it was really spacious and not crowded. I liked playing fooseball at 3am. I liked the cheap drinks. I liked music not being the main delicacy served in the club.
I will defo try to come again before shunt closes on 12^th Sept, but I will prob look at the listing and choose a night where the events were more appealing.
And Shunt, why can’t you just get one of the totally-​not-​gay, so over exposed «Electro Gays» to dj for you? God knows we need to split them up from all playing at the same night club every weekend anyways? «cool» playbills are so uncool and you, as a cool need to do something about it! At least they are semi decent at what they do.
PS don’t use taxis outside the club they totally overcharge by at least double. Remember TEXT HOME, 60 835 is your friend.

Shunt is the most bizarre club you will ever go to. Total random and a complete sensory-​overload.
First of all, it is located UNDER the London Bridge, right in the underground! You get out of the subway, go past the turnstiles and enter through a tiny, black door into a dark and cool cave. Seriously.
The long hallway is dark and completely made of stone. There is the strangest art all over the place. An unused skate ramp. random tables and chairs everywhere. Then you get into the larger rooms.
Bands play.
Tons of bars.
Communal washrooms where you can write and leave anonymous notes.
A room where you can do arts and crafts for free.
Multiple dance floors.
All kinds of different music.
It’s an underground world where time stops.
Oddly enough, even with its rising popularity, it always seems like every room is half-​empty. I’m not sure if people just leave early or they don’t let many in overall, but the energy is not where it should be for a place as unique and insane as Shunt.
Drinks are pricey, but then again they pretty much are all over London.
It’s hard to explain Shunt. You must see it for yourself. And it’s totally worth the 10 – 15 pound entrance fee. Really.

I am another fan of the atmospheric Shunt bar. I have only been twice but both times have been impressive.
Once you find the secretive door in London Bridge underground station, prepare to be amazed by the medieval high ceilings and the dark gothic alcoves and arches.
The architecture of Shunt and the atmosphere it creates is what I love. In my imagination I could envision vampires feasting on each other in darkened corners. On the dance floor beautiful bodies are glistening and swaying to the pulsing techno beats. The reality although good is not quite like the opening scenes of Blade.
The music is an eclectic mix in an attempt to please everyone. The bar is surprisingly cheap, and the art area is a fun place to relax.
If you like live music and theatrical acts check the Shunt website, there is always something going on.

Is it a bar, is it a theater, is an exhibition space or a performance art experimentation space? Perhaps it’s a place to find yourself being lost — yes it’s that odd.
When you’re next in London Bridge station look out for a non-​descript door in the archway opposite the bagel stand. Once inside, it’s like stepping into the underworld’s underbelly.
Under one of the arches, I stumbled across some sculptures of blow-​up dolls made out of concrete. A bit further down was a dj playing Hungarian folk disco (if there is such a thing). A dancer was suspended from the ceiling. There are pool tables, strewn couches in far-​flung places — the place is cavernous.
Nothing really unusual at the bar — disappointingly they serve drinks and not some mad scientists cocktails. It’s trendy without being so. Unlike anything I’ve been to before…

Shunt is was started up by one of my freakishly intelligent lecturers, and although of late the performance side of the company has begun to falter (emphasis on the bar being a bar) Shunt always surprises me! In fact, one of the best nights I had there was when they had been a loud music ban on the club; the atmosphere of the place seems to be enough to have a great time.
However, there is always something going on. An example of one of their projects was when they turned the place into a totalitarian state, upon entering we had to get ‘visas’, pass through border control and get berated by soldier/​guards/​prostitutes all with heavy eastern european accents and plastic pig noses. Inside they had pictures of the dictator plastered everywhere and communist style slogans. Great fun,
Prices are average, about 3 pounds for a bottle of beer, 2.50 spirits. The bar staff are all great fun and like to party with the punters. However, be warned, due to a sudden surge in popularity it fills up very quickly at the weekends and is a tenner to get in.

During a whole year I was part of the mass of commuters that passed London Bridge station, changing from the tube lines to the overground trains, without ever noticing the unmarked door on the way that contains this spectacular venue. Two nights ago, I was willingly dragged to this club and discovered this spectacular place.
The theme of the night was Mexico’s ‘Day of the Dead’. The place was accordingly decorated with a fake cemetery, skulls, people in masks and a live Mexican band. There are two bars in the venue, which are surprisingly affordable. The spot is huge and very impressive! There are arched vaulted ceilings everywhere, lots of seats and at the time I was there, it was covered with an ominous mist for the themed night.
Shunt is organised by a group of volunteer artists and performers, but the amount of effort put into it is astounding. This is foremost an avant-​garde arts venue and will be loved by contemporary art followers. It often includes different themes, performances and installations. Refer to the website for more information on the line-​up.
The word on the street is that there are plans to convert this wicked venue into shopping storage by June 2009, so do take advantage of it before then!