Wah Wah Lounge Review

Review By Michelle Smart

Down a tiny, tiny alleyway lies a tiny, tiny place: the Wah Wah lounge. You know, there is a secret to tell if a place is any good or not… the lines. If a place has a snail trail the size of King Kong’s, it’s bound to be a good place. Now with the Wah Wah lounge, it’s like looking in a mirror. It’s upside down and reversed. So without any line it can’t be a good place, right? Wrong.

The Wah Wah lounge is the best place to go for a function. Birthday, wedding, bucks party, hens party, or anything ending with party, the Wah Wah lounge is a great place to hire out; hence the absence of lines. Wah Wah lounge hosts their own parties as well. So being the blunt nail that I am, don’t head to the Wah Wah lounge unless you know you can crash someone’s party or make your own.

The Wah Wah lounge is nothing on size, but it isn’t always size that matters. The atmosphere can be the best you’ll ever have (figuratively speaking), and there is nothing like bringing along a group of mates to a birthday or like me, heading out to an official O-week party. If you’re on the list it’s relatively cheap – anywhere from free to $10, depending on the organiser. The first level sets you up in an apartment sized place called the Lounge Bar. Its rounded mirrors on the brick wall look like oversized water drops while along other walls hang brailed edged mirrors. The large amount of mirrors demonstrates just how intimate Wah Wah lounge really is… after all, aren’t mirrors supposed to make a place look bigger?

You will find the Lounge Bar makes you think ‘rustic and slightly sexy’. The small downstairs dance floor will have you pumping away to some RnB, electro and Pop, with a DJ who can mix it up until he gets bored. The Bubble Bar is slightly different: modern and sleek. If you think it’s like the younger sister to the Lounge Bar, you would be right. The Bubble Bar is like its name: bubbly, upbeat and pumping. However, it is very selective; it’s your lucky night if this area gets opened. It only opens when the downstairs Lounge Bar is overrun. You can dance over and on a trippy series of wall features. The Bubble Wall is a series of round lights that deck the roof of the dance floor – yes like bubbles. It’s like a ride inside with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory weirdness with that epic sense of quirky that will have clubbers tripping out or tripping up.

Thursday night specials are the cream of promo standards; $2.50 pots of your choice, but unfortunately only two types of beer on tap. There are also $5 basic spirit drinks and $5 shot specials. Don’t let that fool you though – tricky little Wah Wah Lounge will have other drinks outrageously priced. Shouting outside the drinks specials almost has you wishing you could vomit it all back up. My friend shouted us three Jager bombs, and let’s just say the $40 mark was a giant rocket launcher with missile targeting on our wallets. I also must admit it must have been an amateur bar hand because you will find the bar tenders mix the Jager for you much rather than providing you with the professional way of a separate shot glass and standard glass. It’s all about making as much money with very little. All up the Wah Wah lounge serves up an interesting mix, sacrificing quality for quantity and a strange obsession with size.




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A Second Review Of Wah Wah Lounge

Review By Kaitlyn Bennett

Split into two very different levels, Wah Wah offers something for most. On first arrival you feel as though you have entered a funhouse at a carnival. Mirrors decorate the brick interior and candles line the shelving running along the walls. Upstairs, the rainbow circular shaped roof above the dance floor will keep your eyes looking up as you feel as though you’re partying inside a giant rainbow tunnel. Entry into this funhouse is cheaper than that of a carnival with the entry price being $10 or under.

Despite arriving close to midnight, the place was not exactly pumping. However, after a short warm up on the dance floor the place was packed. The amount of people crammed into upstairs room makes it quite hot, however the giant industrial fans situated in each corner of the dance floor provides temporary relief. If that’s not enough to cool you down the bar is situated not far from the dance floor (the minimal size of the venue means everything is not far from one another).

Drinks are very affordable (if it’s alcohol we’re talking about). I paid $6 for a ‘Red Bull’ and was handed a mysterious silver can labeled ‘energy drink’. This fraud was later forgiven when handed a free shot from a bartender later on (according to promoters Wah staff often do this). If the cheap drinks don’t satisfy you then the coat room also sells icy poles and lollipops as well as providing an iphone charging service (convenient if your mobiles the way you plan on organising your trip home).

If you’re looking to escape the action upstairs for a sit down or simply more space, downstairs offers a more relaxed environment. The bottom room gives a slightly disco vibe with lighting and mirrors creating some nice effects on the dance floor. The music is best described as minimal and deep house and differs from the quirky music played upstairs.

What separates Wah Wah from other clubs is the vibe the visitors give the place. It’s clear the regulars have made this place their own and along with this, have inducted an individual type of dress code. In a nutshell, wear what you’re comfortable in. Think shorts, singlets, hats, and runners (didn’t see many heels or dresses). The dress code is surprisingly refreshing as blistered feet and rising hems are not an issue.

Also, unlike many other clubs, it seems most patrons are there to have a fun time and dance the night away rather than stand in a corner and look pretty. The dancing at Wah Wah is both intense and unique but goes to show that it’s above having fun rather than thinking about what others think of you. The general age group seems to range between 18-23, but I did spot some older patrons. The people seem to be what makes Wah Wah what it is.

Combined together, the friendly vibe and the dress code makes for a comfortable and fun night. The affordability and individuality of the venue architecture are only the cherry on top to a truly good night out.

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