Last Wednesday I found myself out, quite late on Valentine’s night, rather unsure of what to do with myself. My friends were in Hangar, and with little else open at 1am I very reluctantly made my way to Andrew’s Lane to join them. I didn’t even know what was on. The moment I turned off Exchequer St I was met with absolute surprise, the first of many that evening. Blaring through the boarded-up windows of the Hangar warehouse was Beyoncé’s “Crazy in Love”. I let out a laugh of delight as I approached the bouncers. They checked my ID and I handed over a tenner in return for a stamp. A little pricey perhaps, but I was soon informed that had I arrived before the watershed, the night would have set me back just €2.
For those who have stayed away from Hangar more recently, the inside has been converted into two rooms, a smaller one in the front with a bar, and a large warehouse space in the back – a wise decision that has allowed Hangar to appeal to a wider demographic as well as make more money, as two different genres can now be played at the same time. But the clientele who greeted me as I walked into the Hangar last Wednesday was far from what I had expected. No lads in bucket hats, and no cans in sight. The mix in the small room was somewhere between the downstairs in Workman’s and Everleigh. Good vibes only.
What surprised me most on the night was the quality of the tunes. Hip-hop nights in Dublin can be monotonous and commercial. Bad’n’Boujee gets mixed with Rihanna and it just isn’t up to much. Drake Day, however, played tracks off the Black Panther soundtrack, UK Afrobeat and grime with a healthy helping of everything from East-coast mumble rap to Drake, of course. To make it even better, drinks were only €2. It was genuinely so much fun and barely made a dent in my pocket.
Fast forward to the end of the night when the hip-hop ceased and we ventured out into the main room for the last half hour. I listened to what was probably the most boring 30 minutes of a dry techno/house set I’ve ever heard, but the two hours preceding were so enjoyable that I really didn’t care. Hangar most certainly isn’t everyone’s idea of a good night, but I have definitely softened my reservations towards it in recent weeks. I would highly recommend that you head in for old time’s sake before it’s gone forever. I mean, they are open almost every night.
