Notting Hill Diary

Paradise by Way of Kensal Green

Somehow I never did get round to reviewing this place properly. I’ve thought about why that might be. After all it’s a perfectly nice place to go, the drinks prices are good, the restaurant gets great reviews and upstairs is one of the few bar like venues for bands to play in the area.

We (Rotten Hill Gang) played there on Friday at Gus’s “Great Brain Robbery”, which I’ve been to a few times as documented elsewhere. I highly recommend any night that Gus puts on by the way.

Our set was great, if a little chaotic (and let’s hope that never changes), enhanced by the fact that just as we went on somebody noticed that Ronnie Wood had turned up, although not, it has to be said, to see us, but Saint Jude, who were on after us.

The main problem with the Paradise bar is the door and security staff, who seem to believe that they’re in some movie about clubs in the mid 80s, when door staff were at their worst. Nothing puts a downer on an evening more than getting unnecessary attitude on the door from humourless animals who give the impression that they’re doing YOU a favour by allowing you to spend money at the establishment.

Once inside, the feeling is very much one of being followed everywhere by burly men with walkie talkies as if the Berlin Wall had never fallen and you’re a visitor to some Eastern European military installation. In the past I’ve known of people getting beaten up outside, allegedly by the door staff. TONE IT DOWN LADS! I’ve already decided to visit the place as little as I can and I know of at least two promoters who’ve vowed to move their nights elsewhere as soon as possible.

Footnote: I’ve since found out that a friend of mine got punched twice in the face HARD (I saw the evidence last night) by once of the bouncers as he was leaving because he had the audacity to ask if his girlfriend could pop back inside to fetch his jacket.