SmartShanghai | Gimme Shelter

Gimme Shelter

By Cameron Wilson, Nov 27th, 2007 | In Nightlife

It's being touted as the most welcome development in Shanghai since thermal pyjamas, and a new venue called The Shelter is set to become the Mecca of the city's alternative dance music scene.

The venue, a former bomb shelter on Yongfu Lu in the heart of the Former French Concession, is opening up with one specific aim: to provide a "proper venue" for alternative forms of dance music in Shanghai, and make it accessible to all.

Anyone with experience clubbing in Europe or North America and a penchant for the more underground side of things will most likely be rather disappointed with Shanghai's underground credentials. Places like C's Bar, 4 Live, Logo and Pirates are all clearly aimed at the alternative crowd, with reasonably-priced drinks, mostly no cover charge and a care-free vibe found in all, but each has its negative elements, be it location, quality of the sound system or a proper dance floor for the crowd to move as one.

However, The Shelter is hoping to have all the ingredients of a good old underground venue. Along with his DJ Partner V-Nutz, Drunk Monk (of local sound system Uprooted Sunshine) is now in charge of what used to be known as the Blue Ice bar, seeking to give the underground scene a proper home.

Drunk Monk said, "We aim to keep the door prices and drinks prices as low as possible, but still to keep the music and drinks quality high."

Tagged: Clubbing The Shelter