It was a tragic day when Shanghai had to say goodbye to its favourite underground electronic clubs The Shelter and Arkham, leaving their cult followers homeless for far too long. But the time has come for the return of the Shanghai underground – Arkham made its comeback just a couple of weeks ago beside Found 158, and as of last night, former manager of The Shelter Gaz Williams and company are officially back in action, making their big return with new club ALL.
If you've been missing your weekly doses of techno, house, tech house, deep house, drum 'n' bass – all that beautiful stuff – the opening of ALL comes as a wonderful thing. The club is located on Xiangyang Lu just below the infamous Perry's. Sure, it's no bomb shelter... but we'll take it.
Williams is quick to discourage comparisons to The Shelter – it's a different constellation of people behind the venture and definitely not 'The Shelter 2.0'. And still, comparisons are hard to avoid. The club is split into dimly lit lounge area and smokey dance floor, holding the same stripped down industrial vibe as The Shelter. However, the drinks are a notch better than you might expect, with a nice range of classic cocktails on offer that you won't usually find in digs like these – stuff like Old Fashioneds, gin fizzes, Manhattans and even Aperol spritzes (65-75RMB). After all, FFS you should be able to enjoy both stellar beats and delicious drinks at the same time.
The bar is also equipped with a Suntory High Ball machine. If you've not heard of it, here's the scoop: it essentially makes the perfect High Ball. Get one of the original, strong, plum or cassis variety for 40-50RMB.
Welcome back, team Shelter. You've been sorely missed.
ALL Second Floor, 17 Xiangyang Bei Lu, near Changle Lu.