Night clubs in Cardiff
Another commodity Cardiff is not short of. From a huge number of night clubs, the alternative music venues seem to be the most stable. The names and decor of more mainstream venues seem to change every six months.
Rock, punk and alternative clubs are in decline as even the stalwart Clwb Ifor Bach has partially given over Friday nights to drum n bass. Metros still holds its own, but the proliferation of expensive, mainstream, dance, party, chav-driven clubs continues.
Cardiff clubs
There is one fairly simple rule (with occasional exceptions) that should be applied on a night out in Cardiff. If you want to go to an alternative club for rock, indie, metal, punk, emo, hardcore or something as far removed from house music or weekend night violence as possible, then stick to the top end of town.
If you do happen to be on a hen or stag night, ecstacy, or in a general townie furore then head straight down St. Mary Street. It's all there, including Burger King.
Alternative - rock, punk, indie clubs
Clwb Ifor Bach - (pictured above) Womanby Street (road opposite the castle next to Dempseys) - aka the Welsh Club or Clwb, crams in all sorts of musical entertainment around live gigs. Often club nights after gigs, they have rock on a Tuesday, drum n bass and trance on a Friday, fey Welsh indie on Saturdays and all other kinds in between. But no commercial high street Ben Sherman-wearing, lager-drinking stuff, oh no.
Barfly - Castle end of Queen Street, next to the Sony Centre - club nights after bands have been on, Fridays, Saturdays. Mainly indie rock and punk veined.
Metros (Club Metropolitan) - Bakers Row. Cardiff alternative scene's version of a cattle market. Hugely cheap drinks offers, good atmosphere (hold your nose until you get used to the smell) and a range of rock music. Open Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Music in general varies from rock, metal, punk, ska, nu metal, cheese, and mainstream indie. Definitely requires a visit, even if it's just to say you've been. It's just a shame that from many tales, the bouncers sound like they are more suited to patrolling chav-land on St Mary Street than keeping tabs on a few drunk indie kids.
Buffalo Bar - has matured into a quirky, cultured, eclectic bar and live music venue. Its size makes it fairly exclusive - set in a converted town house there isn't a lot of room and always a queue to get in after 11pm. Not so much for the students as the range of imported beers, cocktails and shorts have very significant price tags. Many DJ nights for the party people and often a live band upstairs. Sophisticated lunches, atmosphere varies from evening to evening. People seem to love it or hate it but you have to go there if you want to be considered one of Cardiff's cool.
Twisted By Design - Indie night on Wednesdays at 10 feet tall, Fridays at Clwb Ifor Bach and fotnightly Saturdays at Dempseys. Check their website for dates.
Bogiez - At Millennium Music Hall, Wood Street - every first and third Saturday of the month, big rock, metal and alternative club night.
Fuel - From classic rock to metal to punk, at the Riverbank Hotel (NosDa Hotel), Despenser Street, Riverside. Opposite the Millennium Stadium. Saturdays usually twice a month.
Hell's Bent - Cardiff's only alternative gay night. Travels between venues such as Barfly and Clwb Ifor Bach.
Mainstream chart, dance, trance, house, party etc.
Evolution - The Bay, Cardiff's largest club with mainstream house, dance and party anthems. Wear your best Burberry and sequinned tops or you won't get in.
Molokos - Mill Lane. Once upon a time it was a bit alternative but now has the funky sounds of dub and hip hop, DJ's and the very occasional live band.
Oceana - Greyfriars Road. Mainstream dance from resident DJ's plus events.
Liquid - St Mary's Street. Funky house, electro, RnB and dance; resident DJs and events.
Creation - Park Place. More house and dance beats.
Exit Club - Charles Street. Cardiff's longest running gay club.
Philharmonic - Another St Mary Street spot, chart music dance and apparently 'phat' beats. Does food too.
Bar Risa - Millennium Plaza. One of the many bar/clubs crossovers, serves snacks, hosts various nights and unusually has their student night on a Saturday.
Club X - Charles Street. Cardiff's biggest gay/mixed venue.
St Mary Street - so many clubs which change their name and decor so often, it's hard to keep up. If you are after a chav-tastic night out with mainstream beats and expensive drinks, then head down this road and pick your spot. Just look out for the drunk, scantily clad valleys girls staggering along the pavements from 11pm onwards. Clubs such as Reflex, Life, Liquid, K2, Aqua, the Square, all much of a muchness. Charles Street and Mill Lane also boast some similar clubs.