When it comes to Gothic nights out, especially of the industrial kind, there are especially few and far between options in the U.K.
Everyone knows of course of the majesty of Slimelight London, and RevolutioN in Sheffield but I honestly feel ashamed to not have heard of Tyranny sooner. Having started in 2011 in the city of Bristol, Tyranny deserves far more recognition across the alternative hive mind and so I felt the need to bring my experience to anyone else who may not yet have heard of this hidden gold mine of a night out.
My partner being local to Somerset had asked me multiple times to try out Tyranny on the basis of the great Goth and Industrial music being played by the DJ's, as well as an incredibly welcoming and friendly crowd of attendees. Now this, I thought.. was a bold claim.
Having spent a lot of time with the industrial family in London, I've come to know what I consider to be welcoming, friendly, and a great offering of tunes so how could anything compete with that? And yet, her description was spot on. The alternative crowd in Bristol are every bit as inviting, if not more!
(Some of tyranny's atendees)
The night started out arriving at the house of a wonderful pair of hosts who although knew my partner, had not met myself and were very kind to put us up for the evening. Having got acquainted and our outfits sorted we headed to the city of Bristol via Uber. Out we jumped and headed in to the Gryphon, a wonderfully loud and homely heavy metal pub that reverberates with positive energy. Winner of Bristol's 2019 pub award with its tongue in cheek art work and all manner of alternative paraphernalia adorning the walls. Had I not discovered Industrial music, I would have been content to spend the night in there!
We swiftly headed on to The Crown in Saint Nicholas market where Tyranny is located in 'The Trap', a historic cellar beneath The Crown and an ideal venue for all things Goth.
Tyranny is on the last Saturday of every month and stars at 21:00. Entry is £4 which is perfectly reasonable even though it only lasts until 2am. Sadly that is the venue's policy and not Tyranny's. The cloak room was free, however unmanned after 1am, meaning if you want your stuff back, go dig for it! Yet this really isn't an issue. There is a genuine atmosphere of trust and respect that no matter where you leave your stuff or your drinks, there is no need to worry about who might take it or meddle with them. The door staff at this venue are some of the most down to Earth and friendliest I've met. Having been a doorman myself for a number of years in the past, it's always nice to meet the good ones because believe me, there aren't that many!
Not once did I feel any discomfort, cause for concern, or any shift in atmosphere away from the communal feeling of acceptance, friendship, and just plain desire for a good time.
In the two pictures on the left, we have the dance floor pretty active after only an hour of being open. On the right we have the dance floor packed out at 23:30 at which point the venue had hit its capacity of 100 and could let no more in. Very few other clubs can claim full capacity at only 23:30, especially in the alaternative scene which is a real credit to the dedication and quality of the music on offer.
It may have been because of it being the weekend everyone was finally paid after Christmas, but something told me it had a lot more to do with how much of a family feel the attendees have towards each other and the need to socialise at such a great event. Even the bar staff were incredibly friendly and genuinely happy to be there, complimenting people all night on their attire adding to the great vibes.
Also Dj'ing were the organisers of 'Fiendish', Bristol's fetish event. Their more traditional taste of Gothic music did well to break up the dance floor in to a good ebb and flow between relaxed dancing and rave dancing.
Even in only a five hour stretch, I feel I made a lot of new friends, adding people on FB, and networking about EVM fest and The Alternative Directory. Absolutely everyone was open and welcoming and I give my utmost thanks to the Gothic scene in Bristol for all being so charming and welcoming me in to their little family. I hope to attend many more in future!
Check out our new diretory for all your alt. culture needs!
(Click the image)
Thank you for viewing and please feel free to share on social media and like us on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook @ElektroVox Like Elektro Vox's content? Please help keep us running as it is a very costly and time consuming process. Thank you!
You can also support E.V by buying products through my page, including cruelty free and award winning makeup brand 'Artistry', plant based nutrition supplements, and other home and living items! Everything will help E.V to continue to afford to keep the site running and the news, interviews, and reviews flowing! https://www.amway.co.uk/user/canislewis
Comments