Tokyo, York
A club that hasn't quite made up its mind.
Review
We all know a person like Tokyo. Well-dressed and well-heeled, they
promise good things. Yet ask them about their hobbies or the situation
in Syria and that's when the intrigue ends. If Tokyo were a person, it
would be going through a midlife crisis. Is it the classy A-list
standard club its décor and VIP booths paint it as? An all
boobs-and-bum Shagaluf-style rave as its controversial onstage sex
games suggest? A late night canteen for munchie-driven clubbers as its
bizarre free toast Tuesdays imply? Itchy doesn't know and apparently
neither does Tokyo. Either way, the club has some serious schizophrenic
problems and an imminent meltdown is apparent if not already seen in
the aforementioned 'Toast Tuesdays'.
Despite this, Tokyo remains one of the busier clubs in York throughout the week. However, like most places in town, choosing the right night to go can be riskier than going to explore a strange noise while watching a horror movie. The wrong day and you could find yourself trampled and suffocated by the backcombed bouffants of the girls you have been sandwiched between. Alternatively you may be the only one on the dancefloor strutting your Saturday night moves whilst dodging the tumbleweed rolling around your feet. The University of York student night on Thursdays and the York St Johns night on Wednesdays guarantee at least a good turnout on two days.
While the main dance floor challenges itself to play as much generic chart music as it can, the second downstairs indie/rock room attracts an altogether more pierced and bearded clan. The upstairs rotates between local performers, karaoke, quizzes and whatever else they can get their mitts on. Local musicians are a nice touch as well as the addition of a chill out section of the club for those who fancy a rest from the main dance floor or more likely a cheeky doze in the corner away from the hawk-eyes of the bouncers.
The club provides extra entertainment in its booking of such A-list celebrities as *drumroll* S Club 3 (significantly older and fatter and destroying all of our childhood memories in case you're interested), Austin Powers' Mini-Me and that one guy off of Geordie Shore. It also boasts its own Tokyo-branded car that sometimes sits outside the venue. However, beware of mistakenly posing by it believing it to be a good photo opportunity as you WILL be rushed at angrily by security in the same manner as if you had just tried to hotwire it. In fact, this image of the Tokyo car sitting sad and alone outside the venue instead of going out on magnificent Brum-style adventures sums up Tokyo in a nutshell. It has all the effort, promise and polish yet time and time again an atmosphere about as deflated as the tyres of their car might as well be.
Jess Astbury
Despite this, Tokyo remains one of the busier clubs in York throughout the week. However, like most places in town, choosing the right night to go can be riskier than going to explore a strange noise while watching a horror movie. The wrong day and you could find yourself trampled and suffocated by the backcombed bouffants of the girls you have been sandwiched between. Alternatively you may be the only one on the dancefloor strutting your Saturday night moves whilst dodging the tumbleweed rolling around your feet. The University of York student night on Thursdays and the York St Johns night on Wednesdays guarantee at least a good turnout on two days.
While the main dance floor challenges itself to play as much generic chart music as it can, the second downstairs indie/rock room attracts an altogether more pierced and bearded clan. The upstairs rotates between local performers, karaoke, quizzes and whatever else they can get their mitts on. Local musicians are a nice touch as well as the addition of a chill out section of the club for those who fancy a rest from the main dance floor or more likely a cheeky doze in the corner away from the hawk-eyes of the bouncers.
The club provides extra entertainment in its booking of such A-list celebrities as *drumroll* S Club 3 (significantly older and fatter and destroying all of our childhood memories in case you're interested), Austin Powers' Mini-Me and that one guy off of Geordie Shore. It also boasts its own Tokyo-branded car that sometimes sits outside the venue. However, beware of mistakenly posing by it believing it to be a good photo opportunity as you WILL be rushed at angrily by security in the same manner as if you had just tried to hotwire it. In fact, this image of the Tokyo car sitting sad and alone outside the venue instead of going out on magnificent Brum-style adventures sums up Tokyo in a nutshell. It has all the effort, promise and polish yet time and time again an atmosphere about as deflated as the tyres of their car might as well be.
Jess Astbury
