Call the Office

I was here last night for Retro night. Everything is a fuzzy blur, but it was a lot of fun. There’s very few dive bars that I like in London, Ontario. But this is the one that keeps me coming back not for just retro night Sunday’s, but its a great music venue as well.

I’ve only been here once, about 2.5 years ago. I have fuzzy memories of the place, as I was pretty intoxicated. However, I do remember it being a fun time. I came on a Sunday night (they call it Raygun) so they were playing all the retro hits. Definitely my scene. Super fun to dance to. However, the people there were a little questionable. I just remember old dudes hanging out. Like, retirement-​age old. Anyways, at one point, I think I shouted that it was my birthday (it was not), and an old guy bought me and my friends a round of whiskey shots. Then, he said he wanted to play with my hair. That didn’t happen. I think I got creeped out and sobered up. I never went back but I swear it has nothing to do with the old man (I got a free drink!). My friends just tend to stick to the 5 bars/​clubs on Richmond Row and don’t venture out. With the right friends and a good amount of alcohol, I think I could go back and have a fun night out!

While there is nothing spectacular about Call the Office it is a London staple. It’s small, old and kind of dirty but it has a TON of character.
Retro Sundays were always a BLAST when I used to go. Drinks were pretty cheap and they usually had pitcher deals beforehand. The last time I went the music had deviated from the 80s rock & pop classics that people loved to dance and sing along to. It was more of a obscure hipster vibe.
One of my favourite parts of this bar is all of the old calenders and posters on the wall from as far back as the 1970s.
I have also seen a few shows here (the Ataris x2 and Bif Naked) and it has a great intimate vibe. However, if you’re like me and aren’t really into moshing or getting squished it might not be the bar for you.

Good fun place.
People who frequent here are laid back people.
Great shows pop up once and a while.
Retro sundays are really fun.

Firstoff, let’s not sugarcoat this. The place is a shithole, no doubt about it. But you don’t go here expecting something that’s fancy shmancy when you’re going to a concert or to get hammered.

The place is a bit of dive but that’s part of the fun. My favourite night at Call the Office is Wednesday (Funk Night). Like the other reviewer below said, this is probably the best club venue in London.

I’ve always heard about this place but I had never been to London before until recently. Was really happy I got to check this legendary venue out. The first thing I noticed when I walked in was the sea of press photos of all the people who have played there over the years… Pretty impressive!
The stage is a little awkwardly placed being in the corner. This means the surface of the stage is basically a triangle and there’s a pillar directly in front, so that could cause some unfortunate viewing spaces. The people working this night were awfully friendly to me, so that’s a plus. Sound was alright, but the overall vibe and history of this place gives me the indication it’s likely the best venue in London.

Probably the best ‘club’ venue in London. I definitely prefer it over the Embassy (which I’ve been told as shut down actually, sadface).
It’s not terribly big but it can fit a bunch of people and manages to position itself somewhere in between being intimate and impersonal.
There are shows here regularly and it attracts enough good acts enough of the time that if you’re in London for any length of time and you like live music you will find yourself here.

Call the Office is one of the most popular music venues in the city for smaller indie bands. Despite the horrible layout and bad sound quality.

Played here with Poison The Well and Fall of Troy. Pretty good show, sound there is pretty bad. But then I got to eat poutine after so it was okay.