Windmill Brixton

Always a great night had here. Good bands, nice and loud. Not too expensive. Eclectic crowd. Best small venue in (South) London.

excellent little venue. seen some great bands, dirt cheap, and the buzz is always lively and friendly. i've included a couple of photos of The Umlauts performing there in January, as well as sound checking there more recently.

What a special place. Electric atmosphere, great bands, at a reasonable price. Would be here all the time if I lived close enough.

Really lovely venue. Great shows and great drinks, it's a bit run down, but in a charming way and feels super safe

A brilliant and gorgeous little venue. Away from the busy streets of Brixton. An absolute live music wonderland that's keeping the scene thriving and has been for years. Definitely a steppingstone stone for up and coming bands/musicians. Plus they have a gorgeous dog on the roof that'll play fetch with you !

Great place if you are looking for a shabby and authentic music venue with good beers (also alc free) and a backyard to hang out in between the gigs.

Really nice, small music bar with an eclectic decor and a grungy feel. They host a world folk music night once a month where anyone can join 'round the table and play along or just sit nearby and watch. Such a lovely atmosphere surrounded by people of all ages and backgrounds.

Awful smell, really weird location, and the sound engineer seemed confused about his own job..! That being said, the crowd was full of locals who seemed to love it there. Great music though!

Hello cool new music venue. Okay so it's not new but I've only just discovered it and I love it. Decent price drinks, wonderfully clean loos and a dog who lives on the roof - what's not to love? As Craig M mentioned, squirrelled away off Brixton Hill is this gig venue that shows great music most nights of the week. They have a BBQ area outside and even though I didn't get to try it on that night, I bet their beer garden is ace in summer. Check out their website to see what's on and you'll enjoy a mix of arty students and music fans who pilgrim here to listen to great bands at an intimate location.A winner in south London.

The Windmill is a great place to discover new and upcoming artists. I've seen many bands here including Clem Snide, The Rumble Strips, John Vanderslice and Los Campesinos. Each one has been a memorable occassion. The summer weekend barbeques are a fantastic way of whiling away sunny days whilst listening to interesting artists. It's not the most attractive venue you've seen, and the pillar near the stage does obscure the view for people quite near the front, but these little things are part of the charm. The bar prices are fairly reasonable, and the odd combination of locals watching the football in one corner and some rising indie superstars playing in another is an enjoyable one.

Man, this place is a dive but I loved it. I'm a bit afraid of Brixon, this North London princess doesn't like scary estates that you must travel up, all the while wondering if Google Maps is messing with you. But I got there, to a weird community centre place. It was filled with young trendy peeps and old Irish men. Bit of a divey bar, tiny stage and covered in graffiti. The women's toilets are referred to as 'Authorities'. Cute. We went to see Lucero and they tore it up. Crazy to be able to see a favourite band in such an intimate venue. Tickets were a reasonable 15 quid. Take someone there if you want to show them how hip and edgy you are.

Dark, smelly and pretty darn scary. I'll get back to you if and when I return.

Squirrelled down a side street off Brixton Hill that you're going to get lost trying to find, you'll find the local community centre, I mean, The Windmill. Ok so it doesn't look like much from the outside, and not great looking inside either to be honest, but it's a rare gem. You come here for the music, and that's it. But it does help that they have a trusty bar and a good crowd. Entrance is typically cheap, the drinks too, and you're likely to be treated to some up and coming bands that might just take your fancy! If I lived North of the river, I don't know if I'd trek all the way there for a night out... but I don't - I live 10mins away which makes this a great, fun and cheapish night out in Brixton. No pretence either!

The Windmill has such a fantastic name for live music in London, but I fail to see why. The first thing I look for in a good music venue is always the area. It's just a little bit out of the way unless you are a Brixton local. It's tucked-away in a little residential area of the main street. The bands that play there are really hit and miss. Sometimes you get a really good underground band that plays and it's a total surprise but others it's just your bog-standard rock / punk / indie band playing because it's cheap and easy to get a gig there. However, having said that, check the listings on their website, there might be a wee gem hidden on their monthly calendar of events. There are always a few locals sitting in having a pint and then fans and friends of whatever band is playing. I'm not sure of the set up, sound or the atmosphere, it's really average. I'm such a big live music freak and have been to almost every little venue in London and this one doesn't cut it. Great if you know what's on and you happen to be in Brixton but don't go out of your way to go to The Windmill.

don't wanna rate it 0 cause it's such a lovely venue. but it is unfortunately let down by the guy with a man bun who was 0 customer service skills and speaks to every single customer like shit. so rude and condescending have no idea how this man A) has any mates b) got a job in this industry

Watkins is an esoteric book temple. They carry new and used books on all types of spiritual subjects, from Buddhism, Wicca, astrology to I-Ching and much more. Tarot cards, candles and other spiritual artifacts are also for sale here. Whenever I need a little divine inspiration I go into this shop to peruse the selection. Most of the time I am tempted to lie facedown on the floor and start meditating, but although this place is a tolerance sanctuary, for some reason I don't think that kind of behaviour would be acceptable. If you're into tarot card readings or psychics, professionals come here to give readings for a fee a few days a week. You don't have to book an appointment to come to the shop, but you definitely have to book an appointment to get your palm read.

I had one of the best nights out recently at The Windmill. Admittedly it could have been because of the group that I was with, or the fact that I was drunk, but I like to think that The Windmill itself had something to do with it. This tiny little place is tucked away in a residential street away from the high street of Brixton, and if you are looking for it for the first time you will probably get lost, I know I did. Its a great moment; you walk towards it, thinking 'this can't be it, this little stand alone building that looks like a garage', but it is, and you walk in, and it is packed with everyone having a great time. The Windmill specialises in live music. You buy tickets on the door and they are generally about £5.00. A lot of the bands are up and coming kids who have sent in their demos. Some of it is hit and miss, but other times, you stand a chance of seeing a band that you will be hearing on the radio in 6 months. Last time I was there I watched a performance of a guy wearing a Jason mask from Friday 13th. I'm not sure that I will be hearing him on the radio anytime soon. I once heard a rumour that one of my favourite bands, Stereolab had made an impromptu appearance here and done a set. If anyone could corroborate this I would be most grateful.

There's something very welcoming about the unusually shaped gig setup in this little pub - it encourages people to move towards the stage and makes the place look bustling even if there aren't that many people present. The people who run it are also unusual in that they get interesting bands along, promote the shows well and get people to come and watch - all basic requirements of a music venue but sadly lacking in many. In nice weather there are barbeques every Sunday in the back garden and there's some space to sit or stand out the front, though inevitably this is dominated by smokers. It's a great place to come and see quite well known US acts who are a bit more underground here - last year I know I missed Bowerbirds performing because I didn't find out until the day afterwards, no fault of the promoters though!

A great venue hidden away in the suburbs of Brixton. On first glance you'd be mistaken for thinking this place was some sort of community centre for hippies burn outs but this little place has a lot to offer. Atmosphere is always key to a live gig and the slightly unusual shaping of the place means you really have to clammer around to see the band, giving it a great intimate diy feel. The stage isn't particularly raised up either again bringing the music back to the audience. Drink wise I'm usually sated. They've always had a bottle of Wild Turkey behind the bar which in the past has been known to get me into work majorly late if playing out on a school night Never a good look but gigs at the Windmill can be so enchanting it can be hard to resist the festivities. Charlie Parr has been known to play his excellent blues grass down there on more than one occasion as part of the Let's Go Baboon gigs. Always worth a look for their interesting choice of artists. Overall the Windmill is one of those rare smaller gig venues that gives something a little more than others of the same ilk. It's not quite a tangible quantifiable thing, but it's definitely in the air thereand if you don't find it at first try looking after a savage investigation into what's at the bottom of that beastly Wild Turkey bottle and the mists may start to clear.

This is a great small venue hidden away in the backlanes of South London. They host all of the best up and coming bands and it shows that they take pride in the programming rather than just sticking anybodys grandad on stage with a cymbal and a trumpet. Just take a look at who's played there British Sea Power, Jeffrey Lewis, Parts and Labour, Yeasayer, Klaxons, The Wombats, Enon

Good things first: the bar staff at The Windmill are delightful and willingly kept our coats behind the bar for us. The decor is rather fun and they offer some interesting lineups, and you do get a lot of support acts for your ticket. Unfortunately, it's just not a good venue for live music. There are two major problems with The Windmill. The first one is that it's a sort of C shape with the band at the top end of the C, meaning that you can only see the stage from about a quarter of the floorspace. The second problem is that the guy who appears to be the resident sound engineer seems to think that loud equals awesome. It's hard to say whether the sound system is any goodalthough I suspect it's probably shot after all the punishment it's receivedas when I saw Rose Elinor Dougall headlining in February 2009, three of the four acts were painful to listen to because the vocals were distorted to the point of incoherence. By the end of the second support act, most of the audience had moved back round the C to get away from the abominable noise, and the only people left by the stage had come prepared with earplugs. Rose herself actually muttered at one point that It's a bit f___ing loud. Oh yeah, and also, there's a huge pillar right in the middle just a few feet from the stage, so if you do retreat further back to escape the efforts of the crazy sound guy, you'll be lucky to see anything.

The Windmill - what a great venue, I wish there were more places like this. Apart from the fact that it's located right next to a early 19th century, actual, proper, I saw a mouse on the stair, right there type windmill; it's also a great place to see some good live music in. They charge door prices which are stuck in some kind of bizarre time warp - a fiver? I haven't paid that little to get into a gig since the early 90s....! Leaving you enough money to have a seriously good time with. Sure not every band is a winner but go onto their website, check out the listings and follow the links to myspace and you can get a pretty good idea of what's in store. And I need to give you the heads up on the garden at the back - lots of room outside for having a much needed breather from all the flailing around you'll be doing inside!

If the listings software could tell visitors who was on last night, not just who's on next week, that would be good for the music scene because punters could find out what they enjoyed last night, and look for something similar next week. The same goes for most music venues so I guess they all use the same online software that's hard to tweak. Maybe a paper list of bands seen, to pick-up on the way out, is the answer. Also, if radio DJs could back-announce, that would be good too but I am going off the point and come back to this at the end. Why review this with five stars? It's not an online review sort of place. it is as grungy as the pictures suggest and more. A place for people who like grunge. Most pubs like this are empty with estate agent signs outside, and probably in neater condition. Well London venues that show original cheeky bands tend to be in Camden, South East London or maybe right in the middle. That leaves gaps around the South West for example. A downer for one Yelp reviewer who says it is in the wrong place but I disagree. Also, most venues are in more upmarket buildings, paying London prices, and so have to charge customers more to get in. My nearest music venue, the Half Moon Putney, even charges bands to play (says someone on tripadvisor). They have to pick bands who are sure to get an audience, like a cover band, most nights, rather than something much better that nobody knows about. The Windmill is a place with local geezers watching football in the same room as wannabe teenage rebels at the stage. It's no hassle to slip-in by yourself or with other people; there's no pressure to have a great night out with a group or stay at home. If you are a geezer or wannabe teenage rebel, you can just slip-in. Cash-only for bar orders under a few pounds. The nearest free cashpoint is on Brixton Hill down the road and second cashpoint on the left, in a shop. From Clapham Common you can bike very quickly through an estate but I can't explain how; you need a map and some trial and error first time. Veggie food runs-out quickly if there's food available. Oh I said I'd come back to things like radio stations at the end. If the music scene worked a bit better, it would be easier for local radio stations to guess who to play on the odd specialist program, or what venues to promote on programs about local venues. Turn-on daytime TV and you might see a program about Chiswick Auctions showing people fussing about their brick-a-brak; Turn-on local radio and you don't find people fussing about their teenage rebel streak. If the arts council could help replicate pubs like this wherever there is demand, I wouldn't mind paying so much for the arts council, but the answer is also where we started: if people find it easier to discover what bands they like, they are more likely to go out and see more.

This is my favorite bar in the entire damn world. It gets the best music in London, and is always a good time. Gonna miss this place as much as anything in London when I go.

Aah my new discovery great place, great location, great bands, great fun, great big dog on the roof! What can I say its the Tardis off pubs not exactly inviting on the outside but fantastic on the inside only wish I'd discovered it when I lived around the corner. Impress your mates with this hidden gem!

A lovely, no-nonsense dive bar. You can rely on the Windmill for a mixture of always-interesting leftfield live music, reasonably priced drinks and good vibrations. All presided over by Roofdog. Lovely.

My band played here back in 2010. Despite the fact that we were complete dicks and snuck in our own booze, they didn't throw us out and even ended up being super nice. We had a fun, amazing, and ridiculously drunken show, met a lot of cool people, and would love to return eventually. This time I'll try not to be such an asshole.

The Brixton Windmill is my favourite London venue, hands down. Their programming is the most interesting, their atmosphere the most relaxed, their layout the most amusing and least frustrating. Its location is pretty odd, in the shadow of a prison and nestled next to some impossibly bleak looking council estates at the bottom end of the Brixton build up.

The Windmill's a lovely pub tucked away at the end of a Brixton cul-de-sac. It has live music almost every night of the week and, for a small pub, has some of the best small(ish) live acts in the country play. You can go there any night of the week and see some amazing bands play, for a cheap entry price and cheap drinks.

First time visiting London and I came here not really knowing what to expect. I do not regret ending up in this place. Most of what could be said about it has already been said in the other reviews and I concur with it all. The clientele consists of a good combination of old lads and young hipsters. The beer was good and the bands were pretty good as well. Ended up sitting outside in the covered garden/smoking room chatting with the bands and their friends. Had a really good time.

I have heard about the windmill and as I only live down the road I thought I would cycle past and have a look when I was out on my bike recently. I was a bit put off by the big scary barking dog on the roof but it did look like a colourful quirky place tucked away from the main Brixton circuit. The Windmill website has a whole list of their upcoming gigs which are all very reasonably priced. I will definitely being going back one evening and giving it another shot.

Famed for their live music every night of the week, the Windmill is not just a Brixton but a London institution. Their website is a winner with a up to date list of upcoming gigs - even if the names of bands don't sound familiar now they probably will within the year - the Windmill has played host to some of the most famous British bands ever at some point in their career. Worth checking out if you love live gigs.

A great venue for live music, although slightly oddly-designed with not much space in front of the stage. Gigs on most nights, and a good place to go to discover new bands. Sunday barbecues in summer and the drinks are fairly reasonably priced.

I love this place! It's a Brixton institution and I'm really glad it's still going strong. Went on Friday night and found a bunch of really good bands and a great atmosphere. Drinks and still reasonably priced, which a good range of beer. There's an outside covered garden/smoking area that's great to hand out in.

ya, it's a dive, but that adds to the charm of it all. Saw Kelley Stoltz there and it was a great intimate gig.

I saw Hollerado, a Canadian rock band I really like, do a show here. I dragged some friends along were only willing cause the cover was just £5. When we showed up I was nervous my friends weren't gonna have fun. It's a small little dingy place. We went in and had some drinks, which weren't terribly priced. The opening acts had good energy and when Hollerado got up their I realized this little punk pub was perfect. Small intimate show with crazy loud speakers. It was so punk rock. If you get a chance to catch a show there, do it!

It smells quite a lot like a leisure centre. They didn't charge me to hang up my coat though which was nice.