By E L Brown

On Friday 13 April, DT went along to The Cause’s crowdfunding launch party at Down Lane Studios, to see how things had progressed since our last visit.

The smell of fresh cement lingered in the air, the cloakroom was an MDF construction, and the windows into the toilets had been boarded up with couch cushions – but there was nothing pretentious about the venue’s DIY design. It was clear that founders Stuart Glen and Eugene Wild and their team had been working hard to get the former mechanics’ depot fit for human celebration. Both of the venue’s rooms sported a DJ booth and a bustling bar, and clubbers drifted freely from one to the other, sampling the different sounds on offer. A cage enclosed part of the dancefloor in the smaller room, run by Grow Tottenham – a relic from the building’s prior use.

With its rough and (almost) ready industrial aesthetic, and a license til 5am on Fridays and Saturdays, the venue has potential to become a go-to for locals, and a draw for dance music enthusiasts seeking carefully curated line-ups spanning disco, house, electro and techno. The music was thumping, and the spacious smoking area – furnished with rough-hewn wooden benches – offered pleasant respite for those wanting some fresh air and a chat. The members only area – closed on this occasion – will no doubt be a further attraction, once the club’s membership scheme goes live.

The venue gradually grew busier throughout the night, with a sizeable contingent from both the Manor House and Fountayne Road warehouses – doubtless drawn by the founders’ own connections with those communities. There were noticeably more men than women – both on the floor, and in the DJ booths – but the atmosphere was relaxed and strangers chatted happily in queue for the unisex toilets. The venue never quite seemed to reach capacity, but there was nevertheless a buzz, fuelled in part by the appearance of Chicago house legend Marshall Jefferson.