Book Slam is back at the Tabernacle on Thursday night.
Last gig there was in November and headlined by Luke Wright, one of the most consistently funny poets I’ve seen.
The Tabernacle in Powis Square, W11, is comfortable, groovy and spacious.
Formerly a church, and still a Grade II-listed building, the venue hosts theatre, dance, concerts, comedy and films. Drinks and food are served during the day as well as the evening.
If you haven’t been to Book Slam, you won’t know that live music is also on offer.
But it’s not a rowdy atmosphere, except when a performer is particularly hilarious. And you obviously have to shut up while the authors and poets read from their work. And switch your phone off.
While I’m always comfortable in the macho atmosphere of a football match, or a venue where loud electric guitars are played, I also enjoy the ambience at Book Slam, where a female majority creates an atmosphere that’s more akin to a wine bar than a pub.
My considered conclusion, after seeing scores of famous writers at various Book Slam venues, is that twentysomething women are more varied in their cultural interests and more open than blokes. More willing to give somebody a chance.
If you’re a couple, or two couples, or three girlfriends, Book Slam might be right up your street.