Ten Years of AKA

We roll back the years and look at some of the venue's finest moments with the people who know it best.

The End’s naughty little sister opened ten years ago this week, and it’s been a whirlwind of cocktails, late nights, early mornings and some of the best parties known to London ever since. We have many happy, warm and fuzzy memories of those ten years and for the sake of nostalgia we’ve tried to string a few together.

Although AKA opened its doors in 1998, the first party held on the site pre-dated this by a couple of years, when the 1996 New Years Eve party at The End with Layo & Bushwacka!, Darren Emerson and Mr C spilled over on to the building site next door. This illegal rave is remembered as a wild and crazy party that went on well into the next day – and it set the precedent for the next ten years. The space was used as a chill out area for The End for a couple of one off parties after that – with a marquee and VIP bar, which became the precursor for AKA.

1998

1998 was a great year to be in London. As Liam O’Hare, then (and now) manager of The End puts it: “The economy was booming, London felt exciting, and it was a great year for dance music.” London nightlife in the late nineties was, however, a very different place. You were either a pub person who went out at 7pm and drank until last orders forced you home at 11, or a clubber, rarely venturing out before nightfall and raving in a grimy club until sunrise.

The idea of a stylish, late night West End bar which served cocktails and incorporated a high-end restaurant, yet had cutting edge DJ line-ups and no dress code was totally new to the London scene – but this is exactly what the team had in mind when they opened AKA.

The bar was designed by Layo and Zoe’s father, illustrious architect Douglas Paskin (who also designed The End), who says “We wanted to cater to a wider clientele, provide a more comprehensive night out. It also helped redress the balance of men and women, as AKA attracted more women.”

AKA launches with a bang, with Basement Jaxx, Fabio and Gilles Peterson playing the opening night – the same three acts we’ve invited back to the play the 10th birthday party.

The London Bar Guide sums up AKA’s launch “AKA appears to know exactly what people want and deliver. The people AKA attracts come from all walks – media, fashion and definitely music, but generally have one thing in common – a love for quality and value. How AKA manages to offer all that it does within one of the most attractively designed, atmospheric bars around, other bars are already wracking their stale brains to work out.”

1999

AKA regular Roisin Murphy has a great year in 1999, adding her vocals to Moloko’s ‘Sing it Back’, and UK garage starts blowing up all over the capital. Parties at AKA in 1999 include Seven, a Sunday afternoon party where a roast is served before punters get down to the business of clubbing – how very civilised! Guests include Deep Dish, Craig Richards, Smokin’ Jo and gay night DTPM host proceedings once a month.

Misdemeanours, Lottie and Caroline Prothero’s industry party runs on Thursdays from 1999 to 2003 and becomes the place to show your face, with guests like Jacques Lu Cont popping down for a drink then jumping on the decks for an impromptu DJ set. DJ Sneak, Cassius, Erick Morillo, Todd Terry, Jon Carter and many more join the deadly duo to turn Thursday into the new Saturday. Also in 1999, Zoe Paskin, younger sister to Layo, and now MD for the whole West Central Street operation takes over the running of AKA, returning to London from Barcelona. Intending to help out for just four weeks, Zoe heads up AKA until 2001, when she starts running both venues together. Zoe says: “Funnily enough, I returned to London on 31st July (fitting that we should now be celebrating AKA’s 10th birthday that day this year) and let’s just say…that’s when the party really started!”

2000

This is the year UK garage and R&B rule, and the daddies of the scene, Twice As Nice, are throwing parties at AKA and The End, with AKA as a giant VIP area. Steve Gordon, the Twice As Nice promoter describes their first anniversary: “The celebrities took over for the night…we had Wyclef and Busta Rhymes fighting for the mic. Wyclef bought a crate of Cristal champagne, took it onto the main dancefloor and started topping everyone’s glasses up. We had to turn away Samuel L Jackson and Leonardo Di Caprio at the door!” As a result, we become the fourth biggest retailers of Moet & Chandon in 2000 - behind Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Royal Ascot. Blinging good year!

Not only are we shifting bucket loads of bubbly, but behind the bar, new bar manager Phil Huckle is introducing more rare and imported spirits, giving AKA one of the best ranges of rums, tequilas and bourbons in the country. Phil says: “I joined AKA because I loved its philosophy - the first bar to run late night and provide great entertainment alongside great drinks and service. I wanted to use brands that people were familiar with but had never seen the full range, so for example we sourced twelve of the Stolichnaya range and eight of the Wild Turkey range. In total, we added nearly 400 spirits. It excited customers and bartenders alike.”

In April, The End has a monster party with Sven Vath, Laurent Garnier and Mr C all launching albums at Subterrain on the same night. Not to be outdone, AKA invited Danny Tenaglia along, and he plays until midday. Laurent Chaumet, head of AKA marketing at the time remembers: “All the lights were off, even the bar fridge, as he wanted total darkness to play with his search light and our minds.” Danny himself says “I recall the intimate feeling at AKA being similar to the time I played for Phil Perry at Full Cycle and a few other non mega-venue type events. I sure miss those days and type of gatherings. I don’t know of many others venues that still capture the essence of what true underground parties are seriously and sincerely all about.”

2001

There was some bloody dreadful dance music around in 2001 (anyone remember when Judge Jules decided to release a track with his wife on vocals? God help us). Luckily there are still underground anthems rattling around the walls of AKA. Zoe and Miss Jools launch New Opera, which laughs at the notion that Sunday is a day of rest and runs until 7am on Monday morning, bringing European DJs over for a cosmopolitan crowd. We hold the launch for Zero 7’s ‘Simple Things’ album, which provides the soundtrack for the whole year. And AKA joins up with The End on Saturday nights, a format we still love to this day. The End’s 6th birthday takes over the whole club, and a little Ibizan party called Circo Loco comes to join in the anniversary fun too.

2002

Layo & Bushwacka!’s ‘Love Story’ is released in 2002, and to this day dancefloors continue to go off whenever it’s played. AKA, having always attracted a very European crowd, launches Sunday night Italian influenced soiree Clandestino, with Miss Jools and Luca Elle as residents. With one of the best looking crowds you’ll find anywhere, and guest DJs like Loco Dice, Sandy Rivera, Louie Vega and Damian Lazarus, Clandestino quickly becomes the hottest underground party around, attracting a cult following and becoming infamous for afterhours sessions where AKA’s windows are blacked out and the fun really starts.

Misdemeanours invite Dimitri from Paris to DJ for the launch of his ‘After the Playboy Mansion’ album, and Fatboy Slim launches his ‘Live on Brighton Beach’ album, both of which cause roadblocks in the street outside. We launch bar industry party The Players which puts Tuesday night clubbing on the calendar, and AKA’s walls are adorned with stunning photos taken at Erol Alkan’s night Trash by photographer Robin Stanley.

New Years Day 2002 is also the only time The End and AKA has to close early. AKA’s general manager Ty Vigrass tells the story…“Clandestino’s NYD shindig was in full swing, when the head barman let off a huge firework in AKA and The End’s offices. Smoke was billowing out of the window, Zoe and the security team thought the place was burning down, and smashed the door down expecting to find bodies everywhere – meanwhile the offending firework had been stuffed down the staff toilet – causing a flood and thousands of pounds damage to the offices and venue. Everyone was politely asked to leave while management picked up the pieces…literally.”

2003

2003 sees a scorching summer in London with temperatures nearing 40 degrees. Over the bar, it's the year of the Patron XO coffee tequila shot. The swing door end of the bar, which is a firm favourite with AKA’s friends and family, becomes a graveyard for empty sticky shot glasses at the end of the night. Ty reckons that after 10 years in AKA he’s indispensable – so blows the cover on Zoe’s trick with Patron: “When she’s had enough but wants to buy everyone else a shot, she’ll ask the bartender to fill her glass with a shot of Coke instead”.

AKA’s Sunday nights are hot property, with parties like Blonde and Alpine Fever spinning tech house and electro. Cutting their teeth on nights like these are up-and-coming DJs such as Mulletover’s Geddes, and James Priestley and Giles Smith who go on to set up one of London’s most successful club nights, secretsundaze. Classic Records see out the year and welcome in 2004 in AKA & The End with a quality line-up including Derrick Carter and Tiefschwarz.

2004

Memorable parties in 2004 include Tummy Touch with Tim Love Lee and Howie B, and the book launch of Graffiti World which sees a packed and riotous night, and a tagged up AKA the next morning - unfortunately less Banksy and more “I woz ere”.

The Shapeshifters go to number 1 in the charts with ‘Lola’s Theme’, and their parties at AKA, launching in January 2004, continue to take the roof off every time – so much so that Simon Marlin to this day calls AKA his ‘spiritual home’. Deeper underground, however, the funky, soulful, vocal sounds that have dominated the last few years are on the wane, as dance music adopts a ‘less is more’ approach, led by Richie Hawtin and the Berlin massive.

2005

24 hour drinking is introduced - much to the horror of Daily Mail readers who are convinced that the country will now go to the dogs. AKA & The End are part of a handful of venues in the borough of Camden to actually get the license, and shockingly, show no signs of increased bad behaviour or fighting, but increases in happy punters arriving in the wee hours to continue their night.

Fred Deakin and Lemon Jelly hold an exhibition of their genius and quirky art. John Digweed holds a free party to launch his ‘Choice’ compilation, and plays a special set of classics, rarities, wild obscurities and a couple of big anthems. East End party Trailer Trash put on a night and bring residents Hannah Holland and Mikki Most along. AKA & The End celebrate The End’s 10th birthday, with a glorious week long party – AKA highlights include Layo & Bushwacka! on the Saturday and Laurent Garnier DJing in AKA from 8am until midday. Not to be outdone, AKA holds its own birthday party fitting for a seven year old; Alice in Wonderland themed with giant mushrooms, cakes, and a mad hatters tea party – plus plenty of bottles marked ‘drink me’ for the adults.

2006

A good year all round for dance music, with the likes of Hot Chip and Klaxons blurring the boundaries, and indie kids venturing from Camden to try out London’s underground clubs. This mash-up of genres signals what feels like a new era for electronic music, and AKA sees a surge of fresh young faces discovering music and clubs for the first time. Ibiza’s hottest party Circo Loco begins its residency in AKA & The End in 2006, with some of the happiest punters and craziest costumes around. Mr C’s Superfreq moves to AKA for a new late night weekend session. Surprise guests like Steve Bug, MANDY and Erol Alkan drop in, and Laurent Garnier (who was announced only as ‘a red faced man’) dropped by, rather cheekily finishing his set with The Shamen’s ‘Move Any Mountain’ before handing over to Mr C – causing the crowd to erupt into cheers.

Blind Tiger is launched at AKA, a 1920s themed night which has the place decorated as a prohibition era bar, with disguised entrance, illicit passwords, and burlesque and cabaret acts. We show Euro 2006 on our giant screen (consoled by more Patron XO when we get knocked out) and DJ Magazine hold the launch of their Top 100 DJs poll in AKA, with the Stanton Warriors and Mike Monday.

Behind the bar it’s Mojito madness – the staff keep a blackboard going with the amount of mojitos made each night - one Friday it reached almost 250. Robin, one of the bar staff, develops ‘bartenders rot’ on his hands from mashing so many limes!

2007

AKA’s staff are worried in 2007 by the addition of a new party, and a whole new era for AKA – the arrival of the Jaded gang. Jaded is a Sunday morning afterhours party that runs until midday, and means our staff’s chances of leaving in a respectable and sober manner after they finish work on a Saturday night are scuppered. However, the upside soon becomes apparent – we have another kick ass party on our doorstep. Promoter Krista and DJ Raymundo Rodriguez are heads of the Jaded crew, holding riotous parties like their ‘Slags and Fags’ morning to celebrate the last day of smoking, and their Glastonbury party where they erect a tent on the dancefloor, complete with mini disco lights and security on the door. Krista says “When I’m watching it all going off, I think AKA was built for afterhours. The combination of light streaming through the skylights onto the misbehavers on the mezzanine and the sultry darkness of the dancefloor makes it for me.”

AKA celebrates its 9th birthday in 2007 with a full moon party – the whole venue is filled to the brim with palm trees, hammocks and tropical flowers. The mezzanine is turned into a tropical treehouse and DJ Marky plays a party set to a rapturous reception – dropping everything from piano house to hardcore.

2008

So ten years on in 2008, and we’ve already had a great year even though we’re barely half way through. Our schedule is full of fantastic new residencies such as Warm, Freerange, Holic, and the Sunday night aperitivo Anteprima, alongside classic parties like Nocturnal, Soulmates, The Players and Sancho Panza who have been here since the beginning. AKA’s bar team have just created a new cocktail menu which uses citrussy, simple clean flavours and draws on classic cocktails. And this week we celebrate a decade of AKA, with our Narnia themed party – turning AKA into a winter forest with a couple of magical touches. Come and join us – and here’s to the next ten years.

Published: 28/07/2008