The Crypt - A Leeds Nightclub
LocationThe Crypt is located below a large victorian granary near the canal in Leeds. The ground floor of the granary has been converted into a collection of small independent shops whilst the upper floors are now appartments. The whole project has the air of a middle class development with pretensions of exclusivity. During the day, the wharf is a pleasant area. Two cafe's spill out onto the wharfside when the sun comes out. The rather pale yellow brick of the old warehouse gives the place a warm feel in the sunshine. There are usually two or three narrow boats tied up here. Their bright colours serve as a backdrop to the wharf and make the whole place more cosy. At night and in winter, the wharf has an air of desolation. The beat of music from the Crypt and the small crowd of people waiting to enter seem to form an isolated patch of humanity in a dark and empty place. The lights from the appartments seem very high and distant from the ground. The shops are all faced with blackened iron grills. There is nowhere to hide. Intermittantly, the roar of a train passing over the nearby railway bridge breaks the silence. The Crypt is entered by a flight of steps leading down from the wharf. During the day, the top of the step is bared by a heavy iron gate. The club's name is worked into the wrought ironwork. At the bottom is a heavy steel door, which is faced in wood with large iron studs. There is a small hatch which can be opened from the inside. Like all the doors in the club, these are fitten with electronic alarms. Inside the NightclubIt is very obvious that the Crypt is a collection of cellars which have been knocked together. This gives it a rather intimate if claustrophobic feel. The brick vaults are held off the floor by thick pillars. The shape of the bricks ripples upwards under the paint until it breaks out near the ceiling. The bare bricks in the roof sport juvenile stalectites. The floor is smooth stone flags. Because it is so close to the canal, the club could be rather damp. When the granary was renovated and the nightclub built, extensive damp-proofing was put in. However, in the winter and after heavy rain, a rather musty smell fills the club when it is empty. It is then that it feels most cryptlike. The door to the stairs opens into an entrance hall and cloakroom area. The ceiling is quite low and wooden beams have been put in. The counter is also in 'antique' oak. The cloakroom area behind is curtained off in red velvet. During the day, the entrance into the club proper is secured with another wrought iron gate, this one with an ironwork skull in the center. Although the cellars knocked togther were irregular in size, the whole club forms a rectangle, filling the whole basement area of the granary above. What's in the Club?
|