Hackney Church (St John at Hackney)

I've only been here once so it may have been unique to the set-up used at the time but the acoustics were a little "echoey". Distracted a little from the performance but only a little. Doors opened at 7 pm with support act coming on around 8 pm and main act at 9 pm. That said enjoyed the performance and the venue was good. This is a church "by day" and was clearly designed to house other events - the double bar at the rear is well set-up. There's a balcony section which was surprisingly high but gave good views albeit from a distance. The staff were great, the facilities were clean. The toilets are individual and gender neutral. Very easy to get to, 5 minutes walk from Hackney Central. Seemed safe to use the path through the park which was well lit but the latest I went through this at 10:30 pm. Otherwise use the pedestrianised high street but there are plenty of food delivery people whizzing around.

Terrible acoustics for music, absolute rip-off prices for beer (£6.80 for a coke can sized unknown lager) and a queue to exit all 2,000 people from one set of double doors as they don't open the others up. There are a few parking spaces out front for around £7.60 for the evening, but surrounding resident parking bays are free after midday, and neighbouring zones free after 6pm

What may not entirely be there in sound quality is in aesthetics and atmosphere.

Attended acoustic show by Gary Numan and his band. Small and intimate venue with standing downstairs and bench seating upstairs.

What a stunning venue. A hidden gem so close to hackney central station. The bar staff were amazing. Selection of drinks was incredible. I don't think I've ever been to a gig where they have proper cocktail makers there. In fact all the staff there were amazing, merch stall, security. Everyone. And of course, Sampha was as amazing as expected.

Really atmospheric space for a music gig, with subtle lighting and nice ambience. I think they’re still finding their way as a rock venue - some acoustic absorption (maybe like the mushrooms in the Royal Albert Hall?) to control excessive reverb, plus more reasonably-priced drinks, and they’d have five stars from me. We did have a ticketing problem, which they resolved very professionally, so good customer service as far as we were concerned.

We had an amazing evening listening to Shabaka & crew but the beer is over priced and the system needs work. Also there was dubious nonsense going on with security during the performance, I’m not sure what Christopher had done wrong but his boss told him off causing an unnecessary distraction.

Warm friendly church serving the people of Hackney. Service is very relaxed and informal with coffee served before and after the service

I'll admit that this review is as good as it is as much for the gig itself as the gig venue. Church gigs are awesome. Well, church gigs with suitably atmospheric music are awesome, anyway. I got to see Bohren & Der Club of Gore here who made the most of the setting, impressive considering they'd be equally at home in a smoky, dimly lit bar: as a dark jazz outfit, the minimalist and contemplative sound were a perfect fit for the setting. Making this more impressive was how they followed up an absolutely earth-shattering Stephen O'Malley showing (dubbed by the headliners as "the guitar inferno"). SO'M is one of the pioneers of drone metal, best known for his work in Khanate and Sunn O))). Drone metal is not for everyone, it's not easy to listen to, and quite frankly is often a bit flat on record. However, it's possible to create a really powerful experience with one man, one guitar, four amps, and profound projections. Part of it is the overwhelming of the senses with a wall of chords, part of it is the projection and the setting itself, and part of it is the fact that the church resonated in a way that you just wouldn't get with most normal gig venues. It's stuck with me since, feeling the sound wash over me was similar to standing on a cliff edge in a howling gale. Anyway, enough about that particular gig - if you get the chance to see an act you like here, I'd highly recommend it (although be warned - the line for the loo can get pretty long). St John's Sessions put on a lot of experimental/ambient shows which are so well suited to the space and it really adds a lot to the overall experience. In fact the show was so good that I totally forgot that they kept us waiting for an hour past doors open times (in a light sprinkle) for no discernible reason. Now I should knock off a star, but I don't reaaaally want to. Because I think more people should go see experimental music in churches.

Like Chapel Church in Islington I love intimate spaces like this for gigs and the sound was good too.