Club Review: West End, Santa Monica

by Tomm Carroll

It certainly won't be confused with the tony London theatre district, but Santa Monica's own West End has a huge, faithful following as well. Drinking and dancing are the double bill of choice here at this longtime venue.

The Buzz: A UK-style pub/rock club with a good selection of beers and a regular roster of bands, the West End (the older sister of the similarly monikered Redondo Beach club) is a popular hangout for the Off-Promenade crowd, especially those into disco, reggae and 1980s nostalgia.

The Roots: This joint was formerly Millie O'Malley's, an Irish bar, so it's got good genealogy.

The Look: Your basic well-laid-out rock club. A good-sized room, with a generous stage at one end, a raised platform (complete with seating and counter space) at the other, and a conveniently large checkered dance floor in the middle. There's a long bar that winds around and continues into a smaller, more intimate back room with tables and chairs and beer taps at the bar.

The decor consists of video monitors, mirror ball, concert posters and a huge mural of the Beatles' "Abbey Road" album cover. There are also some smart-ass signs hanging around, including "No Smoking. Next Smoking Section: Nevada" over the bar and "Used Beer Dept." over the restrooms.

The Clientele: Avid fans of the regular bands and disc jockeys, with a good selection of locals. The crowd is young, party-minded and, on weekends, equally co-ed.

Where There's Smoke: You don't have to go as far as Nevada; outside the front door on Fifth Street will suffice.

On Tap: As expected from a British Pub, there's a great draught list -- Guinness, Bass, Newcastle, Beck's, Sierra Nevada and the usual bad corporate American beer. The bottled and canned selection is worth a look as well. Full bar libations are offered, and they are taken advantage of.

Beer-Buyers' Tip: Drop by the West End on Wednesday (reggae night); all draught brew is only $2 a pint!

The Entertainment: Live bands and/or disc jockeys six nights a week. The West End hews to a pretty regular schedule of live music. Every weekend, the Funky Hippeez and DJ Marcus go retro-disco for "Friday Night Fever," while "Flashback Saturdays" feature cover tunes from the 1980s by the M-80's, and the best (and worst) records of the era as spun by DJ Scotty Boy.

Sunday is trance night with "Deluxe," featuring ambient and house DJs from around the globe, while Tuesday varies -- from live comedy with the Polyester Players to turntable action from the likes of DJ Ynot and MC Rock. Wednesdays are "Reggae Massive" with live sounds from Mongoose and discs slung by DJ Ron Miller, and Tuesdays supply "The Fix" -- courtesy of DJs Rock and Omar and their collection of R&B, hip-hop and house grooves.

Amidst videos of Bob Marley on the huge projection screen one recent Wednesday evening, the horn-fueled Mongoose skanked up a storm with some dub-heavy sounds while the crowd of rude boys and girls knocked back the discounted draughts and then danced de reggae under the disco lights on the dance floor. All was Irie for a hump night in Santa Monica.

Club Facts: The West End, Fifth St. and Arizona, Santa Monica, 313-3293, over 21, cover varies.