Boogie the Night Away at the New Love Shack in Lewisham

Lewisham’s night spots are few and far between. There’s The Fox and Firkin, is a great pub with live music and a sprawling beer garden; then there’s HDSY, a hugely popular pop-up retro disco that tours venues in south east London; and Little Nan’s Bar has been making it’s mark with several venues celebrating the wonderfully kitsch. And with the new Sparrow restaurant, we even find ourselves brunching in Lewisham. How very Shoreditch of us all.

But Lewisham’s night time economy needs a boost, and it’s about to get one with the launch of The Love Shack on Lewisham High Street in September. Those of you who have immediately started humming the B-52 anthem will know exactly what that entails: If you see a faded sign at the side of the road, then you’re on your way to the new Love Shack SE13.. The new Tropicana-themed nights are aimed at the over 25s, playing all those 70s, 80s and 90s floor-fillers that the, shall we more discerning, party person knows and loves.

Get your disco on at The Love Shack

But why now, and why Lewisham?

‘There are a lot of sad things happening in the world right now, so we wanted that something a little more colourful and upbeat to pick people back up, so we’re rolling back to some of the greatest music ever made,’ says Camron Cube is launching The Love Shack with business partner Hector Lazcano. ‘We felt like we were missing the good times a little bit.’

The Love Shack will housed on the top floor of the Sahara building, which has been a club since the 60s. On Friday nights it all kicks off at 5pm with Thank F@@@ It’s Friday, aimed at the after-work crowd with two-for-one cocktails and Prosecco, but the fun really gets going from 10pm when Club Tropicana takes us back to the 80s, pumping out the decade’s biggest hits till 4am. On Saturday night it’s Saturday Night Fever, playing 60s, 70s and 80s party hits from 8pm till 4am.

We felt like we were missing the good times a little bit

The duo also runs The Shack in Edinburgh, where they’ve seen the return to the disco era go down really well with the older crowd: ‘If you look at the market now for nightclubs, it’s all aimed at students, and some of the music doesn’t even have words, its just boom boom boom boom. We think there’s just this big hole in what clubs are offering. That great 70s/80s/90s musical vibe is a trip back down memory lane.’

‘We’ve noticed a change in the people around the area over the last couple of years. Especially if you head up to Blackheath, the restaurants are full in the early evening and they’re looking for somewhere to head to after, but at the moment they’re forced to head to the West End or to Shoreditch, when they just need somewhere local to have a good old boogie.’

Camron laughs when I bring up that fact that I reckon I’m too old to go to The Venue, which is pretty much our only option. But he knows where I’m coming from, and he’s hoping that The Love Shack will be great for the local community, which is something he keeps coming back to.

‘The Model Market is fantastic. It’s brought out a lot of people that we didn’t realise lived in Lewisham. I guess people thought the people going to the Model Market lived out in Bromley or in Peckham or wherever, but they actually live in Lewisham, most of them are actually from just around the corner, so it’s really brought out all ages and people from all walks of life.

‘There’s a real sense of togetherness within the Lewisham community. With all the developments in Lewisham it’s looking up for this small city in the big smoke. It should all come together real good in the next couple of years.’

The Love Shack opens on Friday 8 September with the UK Bee Gees. The club is open every Friday and Saturday night until 4am. Entry is free before 10pm, £10 between 10pm and midnight and £15 from midnight onwards. Strictly over 25s. Photo ID must be shown on entry.

100-104 Lewisham High Street SE13 5JH; theloveshacklondon.co.uk