Lab

Previously known as the Arc bar, this establishment closed down for a while before being reopened under the expert supervision of the team behind Clockwork (backwhen it was good) and reincarnated as Lab.
The team installed a better soundsystem and spruced up the painting a little, but to my mind what is most appealing about Lab — the fantastic glass front and zany décor (UV lighting, wild graffitied murals), remains very much the same.
There’s a solid range of nights on with some fairly big name promoters brought in and the odd live act. The music is more on the alternative or underground dance end of the spectrum, with jungle, dubstep, drum and bass along with hip hop, reggae and soul the genres of choice.
Lab is a good venue for what I would consider a ‘medium’ sized night. It’s cheaper and not as much of a commitment as some of the bigger clubs, but there’s still some deeper music coming from a quality soundsystem and lots of space to dance.

The Lab in Bristol is a club and music venue for the underground drum and bass, dub step, hip hop, jungle, techno, alternative dance and rave music scene. The Lab is central, and is slightly tucked away from the mainstream clubs and high streets, whilst still being easy to locate.
My first visit to The Lab was spontaneous and with a group of friends who had been many times before and it came high on their recommendation list.
The Lab looks like an ordinary club from the outside — vibrant lighting, bouncers, a queue of people and two or three unofficial designated smoking areas. It is the atmosphere once you are inside, that really sets this club apart from the rest.
Going through the doors and up the stairs, there is graffiti all over the walls, with black and UV paint used against UV lighting to really put you into a new zone. There is a large bar to the right once you have paid your entrance fee, which can be up to £15 for certain DJs, MCs and live drum and bass bands, and the bar serves most drinks you would want at a club. There is a small seating area, and then a fairly large dance area with a platformed stage which is usually taken by the exuberant band, MC or DJ for the night. There are toilets to the rear of the dance area, and another large dancing area with more seating downstairs, accompanied by more toilets and an extra bar.
This club really is a unique club if you are into the Bristol drum and bass scene, and will always deliver an excellent night out. I would advise getting a group of friends together to go out and dance, as this club is best appreciated with a large group of people to heighten the already fantastic experience The Lab offers.

The entrance to Lab draws your attention even if it doesn’t get you into the actual club. The glass Bricks stand out against the blue wall. The slightly small club works surprisingly well across its two rooms where you can chill out down stairs or get your head into the spirit of the music upstairs where it is a bit more manic. I have only ever been here under the Lab logo, which appears to be very similar to what occupied the space before, it will be interesting if it is able to generate a more permanent reception.

This is quite a small club, but that’s part of its charm. As you go up the stairs there’s UV lighting, which will unfortunately reveal any dandruff on your shoulders, but also make any paper money you’re carrying into an acidhead’s dream — honestly, try it! Upstairs is where all the main acts play, in a room that’s longer than it is wide. One annoying aspect of this layout is the fact that you have to go past the main stage area to get to the toilets and lower floor. But anyway, break through the crowds and you get downstairs to what is a much quieter area. There the second PA down there, but honestly, I’ve been able to have full-​on normal conversations down there while drum and bass, plus an emcee, try there damnedest to get people onto the meagre dancefloor. I felt sorry for them, but this place has its advantages for chatting to a prospective lay or a bunch mates. Not bad at all.

The new kid on the block, the venue has stood empty for a little while but is once again where you can get loud noise in a small space. The new outfit has kepts it’s predecessors commitment to dance, with plenty of drum and bass to be heard. They do a few more live bands now. This isn’t the biggest place, which is a virtue here as it means you’re more likely to get a decent atmosphere. Downstairs is a bit more humane and quieter, which is what you need after half an hour upstairs. Lab’s doing well as a new contender on Bristol’s club scene, not offering anything very new but pretty good nonetheless.

This is a new club in what used to be the Arc Bar, which closed its doors a few years ago and stayed empty, until this summer. It’s pretty much the same layout, and still the same very good club, only with more focus on live music. It’s still drum’n’bass orientated, which it always was, but even if you don’t like the music I always find it completely suits the place, and you get into the vibe of the beats.
The bar is always pretty packed, but the staff are really quite speedy so you won’t ever be waiting too long. It’s got two rooms, one where Djs usually play and the other with a bigger stage which can house band gigs. Both are really good rooms which have always been good venues for a thriving party night out. The front of the club is a thing to behold in itself, with arced wall of blue glass. Definitely one of the better places in Bristol.

Lab is a fairly new club which has opened in what used to be the Arc Bar, though it’s got a bit more emphasis on live music than the old place did. Basically it’s still got the same layout but with a few improvements, so if you liked the Arc Bar you’ll like Lab.
The music policy still leans towards dance music, with an emphasis on breaks, drum and bass and house. If this sounds a bit heavy for you, worry not as there are two rooms, allowing you to get your rocks off upstairs or chill our at the bar downstairs. One of the best small (ish) venues in Bristol.

Formerly named the Arc Bar, now called LAB (Live at Bristol), I was expecting some big changes to the place, since it’s been shut for a year now Yet, I walked in and thought I was back in 2007! The floor seems to have been replaced downstairs and some paintings have been put up, but other than that I didn’t really notice a great deal of difference.
Having said that, I don’t really mind because I always loved the Arc Bar and was sad when it was to close, thinking all the cool industrial looking décor would be on the scrap heap.
At first the music was a bit reggae which got me slightly worried as it was supposed to be a tech-​house night, but it soon transpired the tech-​house night was upstairs and the reggae downstairs was to entice the complete weirdos to the dancefloor and keep them there so they wouldn’t bother the rest of the clientele.
Drinks were reasonably priced. I was drinking the house whiskey (JD) and Coke which was £3 — A bit steep I thought at first, but they actually serve doubles as standard, so not bad reeeaaaally.
LAB still has the cool atmosphere of the Arc Bar, which I feel is kind of similar to that of Timbuk2. Everyone seems to be a little older than a lot of the clubs I go to in Bristol, which also made me feel more comfortable now that I’m getting on!
Shame I had to miss some of the night due to being wedged in one of the VERY small toilet cubicles. I knew I shouldn’t have had that sandwich before I went out!