Another birthday, and the birthday girl has been convinced by a promoter into going to Soho. My honest opinion was to not go here (she was an rnb lover), but I didn’t press the issue – didn’t want a bad venue choice be blamed on me – so lets go!

club stamp

The Usual Suspects @ Soho
Assessment Time: 11:15PM – 2:45AM
Opening Hours: Unknown (I think it opens pretty early at 9PM and closes at 4 or 5AM??)
Lockout: Unknown
Address: 171 Victoria Street, Potts Point (It’s a few places down from the rear Kings Cross Station exit.
Venue Website: http://www.sohobar.com.au
Promoter Website: Self Promoted – http://www.usualsuspectsblog.net/
Occurrence: Every Saturday
Outside Line: There was no line when we approached.
Dress Code / Door Policy: Hats allowed, casual is okay and is the norm here. So much so, singlets are okay as well inside. That’s for the guys. Girls are all usually in their nice one piece dresses hey.
Guestlist: info@sohobar.com.au
Inside: Walk through the hallway to enter the main bar on the ground level, where lounges are on the left and right. Keep walking through to the main dancefloor to hold about 100-200 people. Elevated dance podium at the back of the room. DJ at the front, some lounges along the far end walls and behind the DJ. Go back and upstairs to the second main dancefloor with a smaller floor for about 30-40 people and bar in the same area. In surrounding rooms are other reserved rooms for parties and various lounges to chill out. Also a smoking area upstairs.
Cloak Room: None
Bar Prices / Line: Didn’t drink tonight. An attempt to get water upstairs was aborted after waiting about 10 minutes upstairs. It was much easier to get drinks downstairs as downstairs there were two bars.
Eviction Count: None seen
Music Style: Primarily House / Electro downstairs. Upstairs is also dominantly house but also some RnB and Party tunes mashup. Someone off the street would probably like upstairs better. Some good party tunes were being played upstairs later in the night.
Crowd & Ratio: Dominantly young Caucasian crowd. Ratio is pretty even during peak, or seems like it anyway. I don’t remember thinking at all that tonight was a sausage fest. The guys and girls are pretty friendly here if you talk to them nicely. Girls are pretty good-looking I dare say.
Entertainment: None
Atmosphere: Downstairs downstairs is pretty club-like: Dark, lights, loud and crowded, but there is enough room for everyone. People kept within their own circles or to themselves. Upstairs there are perhaps a few more lights (LED lights that is!) and combined with the mirrors around, makes more for the atmosphere. The crowd here was also more jubilant and into it – singing along to songs and what not. Unlike downstairs though, there is much less room to move around, and the floor is sticky most of the time. Yick. Mind you, the dancefloor areas are roughly one third to one half of the floor area – the rest are made from rooms scattered with lounges and chairs.
Video: 

crowd upstairs

Timeline

Bag Duty
It would be fair to say half the time I was dancing, and half the time, minding bags and chatting with fellow guests of the birthday girl. The floor was a bit too sticky upstairs, and downstairs was music I wasn’t too into.

As part of bag duty, various people sat next to me. Including a guy who sat down and spoke with me about how awesome and dirty the music was tonight. Couldn’t disagree. But that’s all we talked about. Pretty sad but he was also trying to hold a conversation with the two girls he brought with him. Fair enough.

Security guys are loving it
A drunk girl decided to dance on a chair or something, and security was quick to arrive at the scene. Security guy decided that instead of pulling her off, he danced with her! hahah. He even took photos with the girl, as well as participating in some photobombing. Throughout the night pretty much this guy socialised with people – basically using their powers to mack on chicks! So, so unfair! What of professionalism? Professionalism was thrown out the window long ago when he realised the others on duty can do the job… It’s made for a more fun atmosphere.

Tattoo Talk
Some beastly guys somehow struck up conversation with us and for a good half hour we talked about their tattoos. Only one of us had a tattoo, but regardless they kept on talking and talking. They wouldn’t stop! I didn’t mind at all listening to stories about how painful it is to get some ink done on your ribs, but when they finished talking the birthday girl decided to leave the club immediately. Haha.

Our Friendly Tattooed Friend

Arrivederci
Gone at 2:45AM after the tattoo talk. 

Recommendation

I currently avoid coming here. Music isn’t to my liking and the sticky floors are a turn off.

Though, there are regulars who love this place, so do come here only if you’re into this music and don’t mind the crowd type. If you only listen to the radio, songs will be played that you do not know downstairs. Listen to the music from the montage and make your own judgement.

Despite the music side of it, the crowd is pretty friendly and into it. Try it out once in your life if you’re up for meeting people.