Tuff Club Was Meant To Be A Short Pop-Up. Now, It’s Having Its First Birthday
Tuff Club has welcomed industry giants like Peggy Gou (Credit: The Council Facebook page)
It’s amazing how things evolve. One day, you’re doing a pop-up experiment in a Chinese restaurant, turning an unlikely habitat into a club. And a couple of months later, it morphs into a nightlife institution of its own. That’s precisely what happened with Tuff Club, a scene sensation brought about by its zestful operators, The Council.
Tuff Club is the go-to post-Headquarters spot for The Council’s devotees (Credit: The Council Facebook page)
On 31 August, the purple-hued, glass-walled rave spot marks its first anniversary; a prolonged stint in Oxley Tower that’s hardly overstayed its welcome, as most avid punters would agree. From its nest on the 19th floor, Tuff Club has hosted international elites like Peggy Gou, Perc, B.Traits and Marcel Dettmann, just to name a few. And it’s also been an arbiter of progress in the local scene, opening its doors to events organised by fellow crews and labels like Collective Minds, Good Times, Ice Cream Sundays, Midnight Shift, and more. In other words, Tuff Club is a champion of the scene, and its extended residency is a well-deserved trophy.
Its birthday bash welcomes French groovemeister, Zimmer, as its headliner. A familiar face on the established Roche Musique label, Zimmer is renowned for his eclectic repertoire, which ranges from tropical-textured deep house to ebullient disco. For an all-night-till-pretty-late affair, Zimmer will be joined by an ensemble of scene favourites – Ulysses, Bongomann, Toppings, and CATS ON CRACK – so you know your dancerobics workout is well sorted.
Kim Ann Foxman is yet another one of Tuff Club’s top alumni (Credit: The Council Facebook page)
“With Tuff Club around, it’s allowed us to do things that might not quite fit at Headquarters [The Council’s flagship club], both in terms of music and crowd size,” explains Eileen Chan (AKA CATS ON CRACK) on the venue’s phenomenal growth. “We wanted to create a space that was more welcoming and less intimidating than Headquarters. It was meant to just be a pop-up for a few months, but the feedback and response from the community made us decide to keep it going.”
And well, from what I’ve witnessed at Tuff Club and its year-long assortment of top gigs, I’m certain this community will be out in full force come 31 August.
Will you?
(Credit: The Council Facebook page)
Tuff Club Anniversary Feat. Zimmer, 31 August 2019, Tuff Club, #19-01 Oxley Tower, 138 Robinson Road, Singapore 068906. For tickets, head to this website.
