Kef closing: Memories and opinions

[Giles Walker]

So it is now pretty much common knowledge that kef is closing at the end of next month, the 19th of april so i heard.

I have had some good nights in there, seen some pretty awesome guests and got to support some amazing artists because of this venue (and Tez)

But...

Has anyone been recently? It has remained reasonably busy so i have heard but the music policy has remained firmly routed in the 90s and the guests they have been booking have been far from inspiring.

The biggest shame is that Jungle Nation will be without a home. I remember going to that night when it was a poorly attended night at the Pelican (on a thursday i think) so to see it still going after all these years and still pack them in is testament to Tez's passion for the genre.

From what i can gather the nights have been left in the hands of the djs and Angela took a back seat not offering much in the way of help or assistance. This is fine for the seasoned dj/promoter, but apart from Tez the djs there have little or no experience promoting and booking guests. Quite a lot of the djs seem to treat their gigs as a hobby and not take it too seriously, which doesn't always bode well for the music selection.

I reckon it is a shame this venue is closing but hopefully it will inspire some sort of diy ethos in the remaining djs who want to put on nights to showcase new, underground music.

The Quannum, Herbaliser, Kool Herc, Africa Bambaataa, Grand Wizard Theodore gigs, amoung many many others will always be remembered fondly by me though.

[ca_gere]

gutting news. I hear it's gonna become a hotel of all things.

This is the worst kef-related news since they got rid of that micro chips vending machine. That machine in itself is a good memory but stand out nights for me include;

-Grandmaster Flash a good 3-4 yrs ago, (his set was surprisingly good but his pensioner mate in the shell suit dancing on stage like the bird in the D-light, 'groove is in the heart' video made the night).

-The first time i saw Scratch Perverts when they were making basslines using their fingers on the stylus' (or is it styli?!?). admittedly I was probably about 17 and easily impressed but it was the first time i'd seen proper live technically minded djing (or am I allowed to say turntablism? is that the accepted word for wikkedy wikkedy scratchy scratchy?). Seen them a few times since then and they have gotten exponentially shitter and lazier, but that first time was a belter.

- the precipeace jazz nights were always good. Gave you the brief feeling of aberdeen being quite cosmopolitan... untill you step outside and see a bare-footed school girl in hot pants spewing her ringer all over a macaroni pie.

-all time greatest memory of kef was on a quiet week night. Good company, good atmosphere and Finnie was playing some of the best dub music I have ever heard. I love a good bit of dub but i hadn't heard any out in aberdeen untill then. Haven't heard any since either but Kef was the type of eclectic place where it was always a possibility.

boo boo boo to kef closing.

[Lucky Rathen]

I couldn't give a fuck. I've hated the place for years.

[scarlett johansson]

that's aberdeen lost two venues now! let's hope this isn't a trend.

[Teabags]

Originally Posted by ca_gere

- the precipeace jazz nights were always good. Gave you the brief feeling of aberdeen being quite cosmopolitan... untill you step outside and see a bare-footed school girl in hot pants spewing her ringer all over a macaroni pie.

I loled. 8fuckingchars.

[Steven Dedalus]

Favourite memory:

Being asked to DJ for the School of Art Christmas party. Playing a 'killer' set whilst strobe lights and lasers and smoke machines flashed everywhere.

Would have been amazing if ANYONE had come down.

Not one single person through the door. Turns out the guy who organised it forgot to tell anyone where and when it was.


Other memory:

When Dedalus did our first Halloween gig there, and they had tombstones at the front of the stage. At the end of the gig, Rob was on his knees, and ripped our tombstone off the stage and held it aloft, before throwing it into the audience.

It hit some poor fella right in the face.

I don't think he will ever forget that gig.

Unless, of course, he has.

[Stripey]

I remember seeing LTJ Bukem dj there when i was 17, and arguing with the doorman for ages before he actually let me in on the condition I didn't drink.

Also going deaf for 3 days after dancing far too close to the speakers when DJ Trace was up. I hope junglenation can keep going, it was my favourite regular night in aberdeen and the bookings were rarely dissapointing.

I'd always seen Kef as occupying it's own little niche in aberdeen in terms of what music you could expect and the atmosphere, I'm very sad to see it end.

As you say though Giles, maybe it will inspire a fresh start in people who want to put on nights like that...

[french_disko]

david holmes & matty skylab Dj set a few years back was breathtaking....

at the other end of the spectrum, napalm death were awesome about 6 years ago.

arab strap acoustic was brilliant.

and some great hip hop gigs - jeru the damaja and people under the stairs spring to mind.

[Metarie]

I had no idea it was closing, shit!
Can't say I've been there very often in the last few years, but I've had some good nights there. Surely there's no market for a hotel on Belmont Street, it would be hellishly noisy.

[Jan Deal]

Howling Bells last year was one of the best gigs I've ever been too.

[Sam L4]

Originally Posted by shaun

that's aberdeen lost two venues now! let's hope this isn't a trend.

The Lemon Tree is re-opening though.

[The Ghost Of Fudge]

this isn't just the works / lava / kef just changing its name again then is it?

[Lucky Rathen]

Originally Posted by The Ghost Of Fudge

this isn't just the works / lava / kef just changing its name again then is it?

You forgot Glow 303.

[Stripey]

i heard they are reopening radars in it

[Bigsby]

Originally Posted by Stripey

i heard they are reopening radars in it

Ha. That would be good. I hope they bring back the special prize that you got for finishing one of their massive helpings of spaghetti bolognese, which was... another massive helping of spaghetti bolognese.