Club of the Week: Bumper

Were you all drawn to The Magnet last week? (geddit?) This week it’s every drunk indie slag’s favourite, Bumper…

Also on Hardman Street, and a ten second walk from The Magnet, Bumper is the sort of place students are reluctantly drawn to at the end of the night, when everywhere else has unplugged their speakers, shut their doors, and called it an evening.

This will probably be due to the fact that you’ve failed to pull that night and in a last ditch attempt to try and make something happen, you head to Bumper to ‘goose a drunk indie slag,’ as the Facebook page, with over 2,000 likes so eloquently puts it. There you go lads, that’s Bumper in a nutshell.

The Venue: Don’t be put off by what I’ve written above, it’s actually a pretty cool place and the music isn’t too bad, either.

As you pay your way in (usually a couple of quid) the first thing you’ll notice is a large wall absolutely covered in old film posters, disused turntables, vintage cassette players, cartoon murals, caricatures and framed photographs, which, it is fair to say, is quite impressive.

I kind of see it as an artistic representation of  what the inside of Hunter S. Thompson’s brain would look like if you cut it in half.

It’s fairly sizeable, with a bar and dance floor lined with 1960s style booths, and an even bigger dance floor and stage to the rear when local bands often play. In terms of music, Bumper very much offers a mixed bag of tunes from right across the musical spectrum; expect to hear the likes of Rhianna played alongside bands such as The Cribs, or even Guns and Roses.

Oh, and it’s pretty much a given that ‘I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor’ will pop up on the DJ’s playlist at least once on any given night.

Which night to go? Open until 5am Monday to Sunday, any night has the potential to turn into a Bumper night.

The Tab’s Verdict: I’m still not 100% convinced by Bumper. Perhaps because it’s open until 5am every. single. night. It’s somehow been drained of its joie de vivre (that’s its exuberant enjoyment for life to the likes of you and I).

Still, the prices aren’t extortionate and if you’re out with a big group of mates it can be a good laugh.

It’s the sort of place you start off in, then after an unsuccessful night of failed intoxicated courtship, the sort of place you return to in the early hours; because remember, the playing of ‘I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor’ isn’t the only guarantee Bumper can offer.

“Is it a bar? is it a club? I don’t think anyone knows for sure,” 3 stars.

Find last week’s review of The Magnet here.

I haven’t decided what I’ll be reviewing next week yet. I guess you’ll just have to wait and see…