People's Republic of Disco (PROD)
urban75-recommended night at The Windmill, Brixton
(Feature by Mike Slocombe, urban75, July 2003)

This once-monthly FREE event at the Windmill Pub (Blenheim Gardens, off Brixton Hill) has long been an urban75 favourite.

The premise is simple: bring along two records and they'll get played. It doesn't matter what kind of music it is, but if it's really crap, expect to the feel the sharp end of the crowd's tongue.



The lighting at the Windmill is dark and dingy - like all good clubs should be.



Record check in attendant Furvert proudly shows off the top quality videos that were conveniently projected on to a screen by the dance floor.

Drunken lads found Mr Motivator's deft moves a veritable treasure trove of inspiration on the dance floor, while the ladies appreciated the creative dancing genius shown on Cher's 'Body Confidence' video.



The Windmill is a no-nonsense, back to basics boozer and one of Brixton's hidden gems. It certainly isn't much to look at from the outside, but the vibe inside is second to none, with the venue hosting an excellent program of music/DJ/poetry nights.



With a century-spanning range of musical styles to choose from, dancers needed a wide vocabulary of moves to stave off dance floor embarrassment.

Amazingly, after spending an extended session by the bar many discovered they were in fact world class dancers.



Well oiled DJ Dubversion proudly displays his bottle of Absinthe while the crowd brace themselves for some 'jazz' mixing.

Just off camera, urban75 boardster 'bubblehead' found an endless source of delight in avidly playing with three redundant lighting sliders, while yours truly attempted to 'throw some shapes' to long forgotten tunes from the 1970s.

The rest of the night is, I'm afraid, lost in a sea of Stella.

Check the People's Republic of Disco site for their next event.

See also:

» PROD and the Actionettes, October 2004 event.
» VIC'S CABARET CORNER, poetry at the Windmill.
» Brixton bar guide, our listing of the best boozers in town.





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