Beiluo Livehouse nugget to Close This Month

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After three years of gracing the capital with indie tunes and artsy gatherings all beneath the purple neon of their pug logo, cafe, livehouse, cocktail bar and all around fun place to be nugget will be closing its doors at the end of August, with a new owner taking over the space.

Here, in his own words, co-founder and Irish expat Dave Carey discusses the closure and the space's upcoming final show.

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Everything beautiful in this city is fleeting. Transience is one of the most wonderful things about Beijing, forcing you to really appreciate what you have in front of you because it could be gone at any moment. People fly in to teach English, only to be gone a year or two later. Your favourite restaurant closes with little fanfare. That speakeasy you always took people out to when they were in town gets bricked up.

In our time here, since the halcyon days of 2015 till now, we’ve witnessed the closure of Temple, the old DDC, Cellar Door, El Nido’s former location, and even the sudden demolition of the strip that housed the original Tiki Bungalow as well as Knight & Merchants, a Game of Thrones-style mead-hall run by a steampunk-clad bar owner who would let his patrons don fencing gear and fight with swords in the hutong outside.

nugget has been a great spot for live music and even live art shows throughout its three-year run

As we witnessed the closure of these spaces, the old Beijing we loved slowly disappearing around us, we decided it was time to carve out a little space of our own in the city, to preserve a venue for independent culture, diverse people and points of view – a place for music of all types, art of all kinds. It was with this ethos in mind that nugget was born. (We never quite managed to resurrect the drunken sword fighting, however!)

We’ve spent three years nestled in the hutongs that gave us so much, and now it seems our time is finally coming to an end. Over these three years, that have so often felt like a decade, we witnessed many changes taking place in our society, not all of them to our liking, and it’s time for both the business and ourselves personally to move on.

Co-founder Jen Rao outside nugget during renovations in 2020

It’s not easy running a cultural space in the hutongs of Beijing. From noise complaints to constantly staying abreast of an ever-shifting line of what’s permissible and what isn’t, there’ve been times we’ve crossed the line, both unwittingly and with purpose.

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Pushing the envelope, as nugget has done, has brought us occasional 麻烦 máfan, but also so much joy and pride for what we’ve been able to accomplish here in Beijing. Since our opening, we’ve been a space for all, never turning anyone away from our doorstep. Drag shows have taken place a day after a harsh noise gig, followed just the next evening by a room full of drunken revelry as 20 people compete for the title of Mario Kart champion. In a world that’s growing ever further apart, it’s so important for us to retain spaces that bring us all together.

Betty D. bringing out the big guns at one of nugget's Gender Bender Balls

nugget will be closing at the end of August, but we’re going out not with a whimper, but rather with a bang! We’re having a week-long music festival, NUGCHELLA, from Wed, Aug 23 to Sun, Aug 27. It features some of our favorite bands that have played in our tiny venue over the last few years. Check out the poster [below] and scan the code to reserve your place. All shows are free and we thank the bands taking part for being so generous with their time

There’ll be drink deals over the week, with it being your last chance to get your hands on a Sourtower, Strawberry Papa or some of our other signature cocktails that have won us Beijing Cocktail Bar of the Year twice in a row!

Strawberry Papa, a strawberry milkshake with more than a touch of Buckfast

Going forward, although nugget is leaving our Beiluoguxiang digs, the space will continue on. We have found someone to take over the bar, with a new name and vibe but still above all a warm and welcoming space for all those looking for a community in Beijing to call their own. Silence Coffee will still be there in the daytime, and our newest addition in the kitchen, FOODLE, will be introducing some yummy treats for everyone soon! We ourselves will continue as a record label, releasing tapes from our homes as we began doing all those years ago, championing the best indie music in the city.

The pocket nugget, a tape player from nugget records

If you want to support us, you don’t need to wait for NUGCHELLA! Come and check out our packed lineup of events over the next month, which you can find out about through our official account below.

See you there at the end. It’s been a blast, it’s been an honor. nugget loves you all!

The original nugget team – Dave, Jen & Baozi

Catch nugget's final festival, NUGCHELLA '23, happening from Wed, Aug 23, to Sun, Aug 27, with shows starting at 9pm each night. Entry is free, but it's recommended to scan the QR code in the poster to reserve your spot.

nugget 小块儿

8 Andingmen Huayuan Qian'gang, Dongcheng District
东城区安定门花园前巷8号
Hours: Tue-Sun, noon-midnight
Contact: 186 1852 3822

Images courtesy of nugget

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