The Space

It always depends on the company

There has been a decisive shift over the last year or so in the heart of Leeds’ club scene. Fading away are the pounding grit of hard house nights, with the trend now leaning towards a funky edge. And club promoter and resident DJ of Funky Dory at Space on Sunday’s Gavin Lampitt is all for it. «Yeah, Leeds has got funky. It’s what the crowd wants» He’s bang on the money too as he and his uplifting sounds will tell you late on a Sunday night. Indeed, for those hardcore clubbers your weekend really doesn’t have to stop until Monday morning. «We saw a niche in the market for a quality Sunday night but now we’ve filled it and the people are loving it». Again, you can’t argue with him as the floors get crammed in this intimate yet very cool venue.
Funky Dory isn’t just a filler for a traditional quieter night, it plays with the big boys of a Friday or Saturday night. The crowds are also growing with hundreds of sweaty up for it clubbers giving it their upmost attention. It’s refreshing to see so many nights available to clubbing conniseurs and Funky Dory adds to the cities musical diversity. The sound is very much funked edgey vocal uplifting house with the odd timeless classic thrown into the mix for good measure. The atmosphere is also something you notice especially after the pubs throw out from eleven onwards. Well dressed and concerning clubbers descend on Space’s doors for a night of pretty much guarenteed frovility. This is because promoter Gavin Lampitt wants to make it more of the same. «We’re not into big name DJs. It’s about the sound in Leeds, not who is on the bill. I think the people of Leeds are perhaps a bit more disconcerning than in cities like Sheffield and Manchester. The so called super clubs lose some of the fresh vibe and that is exactly what we don’t want to happen here, Our aim is to expand the brand name and we’ve recently done that at Mission where we do the first Friday of the month.»
For an example of the musical menu that’s going to get you gyrating, the residents list a hole host of influences that have impacted their sets. They range from DJ Sly and Vertigo to Rob Tissera and old school legend Tony Walker. And it really comes out in their sets. It has to do so in order to keep your lagging legs at the centre of the action. But it all seems to be going in the right direction for the Funky Dory boys and word is speading like wild fire. The venue and promoters have bottled something new for Sunday night party goers, but just remember staying out till 3.30am may seem like a good idea Sunday night but may feel less so at 9am Monday morning on the bus to work. Spread the new in word-​Funky.

I hate this place with a passion… when I went I had to queue for a full fifty minutes to get in… I only stayed because my friend was raving about it. I must say, I wish i’d gone with my gut instrict and walked away…
Dirty, skankly and full of people pie eyed high on drugs. Definitely not my type of scene. I suppose half of them would have thought it was great being completely obvlious anyway.
The drinks are fairly cheap, entry is around £6.
It seems that the place has gone swiftly downhill following recent reviews. If you’re a fan of house, electro and a bit of recreational activity then you’ll probably like it.
What a horrible club…

For many people a night club just has to tick a certain number of boxes to be up there with the better. Reasonably priced entry and drinks, good music and not too many idiots. So I can see why The Space is attractive to many, especially in Leeds. The Space is mainly known by locals as a club that provides good House and Electro (as opposed to the more cheesy varieties in Leeds like Gatecrasher), but more and more so by students flocking to the Tuesday student night. I have been to The Space twice and on both occasions found it all a bit too glitzy and full of screeching drunk people for my liking.

The Space set out to be a dirty and edgy underground bar in the centre of the city. Located down many dingy steps down a hidden away side street steps, the venue has an underground, grimy yet sophisticated feel.
However due to it’s popularity with students, some club nights have become a little more accessible for all clubbers, playing out chart hits as well as the music of electro dj’s which was the original format for the venue. Tuesday night has been created as a student night where all student of any music or dress size collaborate and dance around in the contemporary club and drink cheap drink promotions. This night gets very, very crowded and is full of all walks of student life from Chavs to Rockers to Trendies. So if you like a jammed night out and buzzing atmosphere I would recommend a Tuesday. For me I find it a little hectic.
Despite introducing a student night, The Space is still very respected as a house and dance music venue. It prides itself on the great dj’s that have played here since it opened including Dirty South, Subliminal, Grant Nelson and Seamus Haji. Therefore the addition of the popular student evening shouldn’t shadow the fact that The Space is a cool house and electro venue.
The sound system is quality and I personally love dancing around on a Thursday night to some electro beats dancing around the sophisticated yet dingy venue spping on a G&T.
If you like a dance, Space beats your cheesy Oceana and Gate Crasher any day. However if you are an Oceana lover, I’m not sure this is the place for you. For me the sound is brilliant and so loud it runs through my body. I love the underground setting so see space as a superb night out with my mates!

Space is a sort of underground-​yet-​mainstream club that seemingly has an ever increasing popularity amongst the Leeds youngsters.
Located down a side-​street at the bottom of town, this place used to be strictly attended only by those in the know, but due to a growing reputation and some good marketing, it no packs out every time it is open.
The two nights are Habit (Thurs) and Funky Dory (Sun), and they seem pretty similar to one another — a standard entry fee of around £6, pretty cheap bottles and shots, and of course, plenty of funky house and dirty electro.
The reason Space works so well is it has an utterly unique feel — literally underground (with no way of any natural light getting in), ridiculously loud music pumping out of speakers basically on the dance-​floor, and the sort of light shows that induce epilepsy The ceilings are so low you could probably touch them if you wanted to, and the toilets are a unisex free for all fitted with hair straighteners. It’s a unqiue experience, and one you’re unlikely to forget — the name ‘Space’ is a little misleading however!