Meet The Miniscule of Sound: The World's Smallest Nightclub

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Meet The Miniscule of Sound: The World's Smallest Nightclub

Bigger is certainly not always better.

"One time at Glastonbury, we managed to squeeze in 26 people," shares Kev Wright. There were people lying on the floor, lying across the ceiling; they were literally squeezed in and pretty much unable to breathe." For ten year, Kev's street art installation-meets-nightclub mockery, "The Minuscule of Sound" held the Guinness World Record for "Smallest Mobile Club." Cramming a DJ booth, coat check room, bar, and light-up dancefloor into its 2.8 square metre space, the project's intent was to challenge the absurdity of the over-priced and elitist clubbing experience.

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"At the time, people would be flying thousands of miles and paying thousands of pounds to go to huge, expensive nightclubs," he tells. "We came from a background of free parties and free festivals. We wanted to critique the nonsense." Established by Wright and three others co-founders, Mark Fairhurst, Sam Williamson, and Keef Packer, the Minuscule of Sound first debuted in the changing room of an abandoned pool.

"We did it it as a one-off joke, a laugh for the day," the now 43-year-old Wright reflects. "We dressed up in a suit at the front with a clipboard to indicate who could come in." Those fortunate enough to weasel their way past the unjust pseudo bouncers got their first glimpse of the downsized club, which normally only fits eight people. "Immediately, people were asking when it would happen again," he adds, humbly trying to mask his pride.

With their initial party a success, the Minuscule team recognized the potential for the project at top-notch European festivals. "We were thinking, well, we want to go to some festivals, maybe we could use it as a way to get there," mentions Wright, who has since checked Glastonbury, Bestival, and Fuji Rock Fest Japan off his bucket list. "We went to a couple festivals and straight away people were asking when they could book us."

Read more on THUMP: The 15 Weirdest Things We Overheard in Glastonbury's Dance Tents

While most considered the travelling club to be a refreshing change from the industry's typically grand conventions, one notable bully was offended and ready to retaliate. "We got a cease and desist order from the Ministry of Sound," confesses Wright, referring to the massive entertainment complex that dominates London nightlife. Thankfully, the dance club behemoth apologized for their aggressive actions after a journalist wrote an article that addressed the corporate club's attack on their underdog spoof.

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"I got a call from James Palumbo, the head of the Ministry of Sound, one afternoon," Wright recalls. "He said, 'we're really sorry, please come to our club. Don't mention this to anyone else, it could be really bad PR if we're attacking some really small pastiche.'" An experienced prankster, Wright understands pissing off fools to be merely another aspect of the Minuscule of Sound experience.

"It's the world's smallest nightclub, simple as that," he says with a playfully villainous laugh. "We have a long red carpet to make you feel special as you march up to the door, then there's two or three suit-clad bouncers in the front with headpieces. They might welcome people in, but often they don't let you in at all. Or, they'll make you stay out there for twenty minutes and play on the fact that you're prepared to stay out there for twenty minutes." While most visitors who are excluded from the tiny venue see the humour in the club's playful nature, some leave embarrassingly agitated — including the "Eat, Sleep, Rave, Repeat" brand ambassador, Fatboy Slim.

"Fatboy Slim came up to us when he was at the peak of his fame," Wright chuckles. "He asked if he could come play a set. Our bouncers told him he had to send in a mixtape first. He didn't get to play because he didn't send a tape." Regardless of their comical nastiness, the club remains a popular must-see attraction at events worldwide. "We've had entire marching bands in there; lots of ugly nakedness; there's been times we've had to physically hold the walls on; we've had people offer ten pounds, twenty pounds, fifty pounds to get in," he highlights as some of his favourite moments.

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Read more on THUMP: Fatboy Slim: "Make No Mistake: EDM Will Crash and Burn"

While the Minuscule of Sound has since lost the Guinness World Record to Liverpool, UK's 2.2 square metre discotheque Rumours, Wright's pride for his tiny club remains strong. "It's all pretty amazing. When I was a kid, I loved the Guinness Book of Records. It's quite incredible." Next summer, the travelling act will make a triumphant return to the festival circuit and look forward to yet another season of mischievous camaraderie.

"It's pretty amazing when people appreciate your pretty stupid creative endeavour. It's everything we could have wanted."

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