Shelter Has Reopened As ALL
As they say all good things come to an end, as was certainly the case with legendary nightclub Shelter, which was forced to close a few months back. But recently rumors have been swirling around that Shelter was reopening in a new location in Shanghai. Where, no one knew until now.
Shanghai WOW! was invited to see the new incarnation of Shelter, ALL, a week before it was due to open on June 9th, but it turns out this was a ruse to throw people off the scent. On the day of the private media viewing, ALL’s WeChat account sent out a post saying that they would open at 10pm, the line up including Yen Tech (live), Dis Fig, Tzusing, Shackup, and Howell.
Some of you reading this may have already visited the club, but allow us to carry on. Indulge us briefly please.
ALL has been set up by some of the people behind Shelter, but let’s make this clear this isn’t Shelter 2.0. In a move away from the dynamics of the Shelter, ALL is located on the second floor of the same building that houses Perry’s on the increasing popular area of north Xiangyang road, between Julu road and Changle road, but there’s no sign outside of anything like that at the moment.
The club is probably slightly smaller in size than Shelter with a capacity of around 350, but there’s much better use of the space. The centerpiece is the dance floor. The acoustics are great thanks to the walls being covered in acoustic foam, with a grid structure over the top protecting it. There’s also a huge 2m x 2.5m screen on the wall behind the DJ.
The dance floor is completely separated from the bar and is a decent size for around 150 people, maybe slightly more. The concrete is bare and this mixed with the grid structure gives the place an industrial feel. There’s going to be a fair few fun nights here.
The main bar area has plenty of seating space away from the dance floor so you’ll be able to chat and chill for a bit. The walls in this part are covered with the same material that is on the inside of a cooling tower. Why? Because it looks good, why not.
As for the name of the new club, why ALL? The truth is no why, so make up what you want. I like the fact that there’s no VIP section so the club is ALL inclusive. See what I did there? Anyway as boss Gaz Williams says, he just likes the shape of the word ALL. The logo, made up of four monoliths with two falling into each other, is visually striking and fits with the industrial underground vibe of the place.
What has improved from Shelter are the drinks. There are pretty decent cocktails ranging from RMB65 to RMB75. We tried the Mojito, Mint Julep, and Old Fashioned. As Williams says though, “ALL isn’t a cocktail bar,” but the drinks are certainly nicer than Shelter for sure.
Beers include Asahi (RMB35), Corona (RMB45) and Le Chouffe (RMB55). There’s also a High Ball machine and it’d be a good bet that the High Ball (RMB40-50) will become the drink of choice for most people. Shots range from RMB35 to RMB55.
There is an open mixed bathroom, which is a massive improvement from Shelter, but how long this will last is anyone’s guess.
People want to hear music as it’s recorded and because of the studio quality sound on the dance floor, ALL delivers. DJs will have fun playing here and therefore the punters will have fun dancing here too. This is good for everyone. The Shelter’s reputation will get people to come, but over time ALL will develop it’s own reputation as the place to play tunes and also as a place to get down until the early hours.
ALL
Address: 2F, 17 North Xiangyang Road, near Changle Road