A night at the Assembly

One of Cape Town’s leading live and recorded music venues

Maybe you know all the established parties by name or are completely new to the scene. Maybe you know your Gazelle from your Zebra and Giraffe but couldn’t tell your Black Noise from your Jet Black. Maybe your best bet is to visit the Assembly.

From the outside it looks like the typical setting for old-school underground parties or secret raves. Glowing in the dark passage, the reception area is an ambient hidey-hole with a few desk lamps and warm smiles. A UV stamp on the arm won’t stain your clothes. Suddenly the night knows where it’s going. Which is up. Literally. Climb the stairs in anticipation while the volume rises.

A young mix of liquor-ish all sorts people

At the top the room opens out into an expanse of low lighting separated into different areas. You can never be quite sure what you’re going to get – a packed Friday night of party animals in club attire like skinny jeans and over sized T-shirts, a calm crowd contemplating a multimedia jazz experience, a busy mix of liquor-ish all sorts coming for pop, dance, and rock acts and DJ’s.

The Assembly gets a lot of attention because it learnt a thing or two from its friends and fans. Number one: dress comfortably and simply and you’ll always be stylish. Number two: less is more when it comes to décor. Number three: make room for more of your own personal style – no mainstream here.

Cut out of the gut of an old complex, its interiors are finely finished with rugged state of the art mouldings, languid bar tops, modular spacing, ambient lighting, comfy couches and quiet corners.

It’s all slick industrial chic and a shell for sound to swim through. It lends itself to all sorts of sounds, all sorts of crowds, all sorts of celebrations. The low lighting makes the live or recorded music more dense, the energy more intense and the atmosphere electric. Air-con keeps the place cooler than its clientele while the space, by turns intimate or expansive, lends itself to your expectations, and then meets them pretty well.

Bands & Performances - The Real Deal

The Assembly never ceases to surprise and has showcased some of the best local and international bands, DJ’s and musicians. Some of the examples of what to expect:

 - Underground DJs (DJ crush, Toxic Avenger, The Bloody Beetroots, DJ Qbert)

 - Local rock talent (Taxi Violence, Fokofpolisiekar, Prime Circle, Chris Chameleon, Foto Na Dans)

 - Pop and electro acts (Zebra & Giraffe, Gazelle, FreshlyGround)

 - Live dance acts (Sweat.X. Playdoe, Flash Republic

 - International acts (New Young Pony Club [DJ Set], Fink, Finley Quaye)

 - And a few who don’t fit into genres too tightly (Norway’s Mari Boine, Pan African Space Station, Lark)

Details that matter

- If it’s your birthday, you and five friends can come in to Assembly for free. This does not apply to international or promoter’s events held at the venue (mail info@theassembly.co.za to confirm you will be attending)

-  A secure tab system allows you peace of mind at the bar. A R50 deposit and a dedicated, re-usable card means no lost debit/credit cards, and more control over what is ordered on your tab.

- Presold tickets are cheaper and easy to purchase whether you have a credit card or not. See contact tab in the top.

-  Opening hours 8pm – late (usually until at least 2 – with a bit of luck 4am)

- Strict ID policy – they need to do this so make sure you take a Government Issue identity document (Drivers’ licence, South African Identity Document or valid International passport; no student cards accepted)

- Unlike other (inter)national clubs, The Assembly doesn’t reserve its comfy couches for the paying elite; everybody has access to what other clubs call and charge ‘VIP’ for.

- The cloakroom takes care of your clothes and handbags (and that’s where you get coins for foosball too)

- There is a lock-up safe for small bags & valuables like passports or other things that you shouldn’t be carrying when going out.

The Assembly is an asset to the creative underground. See contact details in the top right hand corner of this page and find the Assembly on twitter and Facebook. Check out our events section for all the events at Assembly.