The End

The End was a basement nightclub in London's West End, tucked away on West Central Street just a few minutes from Tottenham Court Road station. It was opened in December 1995 by DJs Layo Paskin and Mr C, who converted a derelict former postal sorting office into a purpose-built club designed by Layo's architect father, complete with a central DJ booth, polished dancefloor and a sound system built with clubbers rather than commerce in mind.

Over almost fourteen years, The End became one of the mid-sized venues most closely associated with London's electronic music scene. It ran genre-specific nights through the week, with drum 'n' bass and breaks on Fridays via promoters like Full Cycle and RAM Records, and techno or house at the weekends, alongside the long-running Subterrain and the influential electroclash and indie night Trash, hosted by Erol Alkan. The venue also gave early UK platforms to acts such as Scissor Sisters and LCD Soundsystem, and ran its own label, End Recordings.

Residents and regulars across its lifetime included Mr C himself, Layo, Erol Alkan, Fatboy Slim, Roni Size, Andy C, Laurent Garnier and Ben Watt, with the club drawing a huge range of touring DJs thanks to its reputation for sound quality and intimate atmosphere. It was often described by those in the scene as a proper superclub where big names played considered, lengthy sets rather than quick commercial slots, helping it stand apart from many of London's larger or more mainstream venues of the era.

The End closed its doors in January 2009 after developers bought the building for £8 million intending to build flats, although that scheme later collapsed. The closing weekend included a drum and bass finale with Fabio and Grooverider, and a closing party and afterhours session featuring Laurent Garnier, Mr C, Layo & Bushwacka! and Erol Alkan, finishing with a 24-hour party. The site briefly reopened as a club called The Den, which closed in 2012, and the building has since been earmarked for redevelopment into shops, offices and housing. In October 2025, founders Layo and Zoe Paskin marked the club's thirtieth anniversary with a three-night reunion event at Camden's KOKO, celebrating its place in London's clubbing history.