Makati’s Poblacion district is already teeming with trendy bars and restaurants — but a new addition to the area aims to fill the relatively small but passionate demand for a space in Manila specializing in house and techno music.
The Void is (literally) an underground club located below the Makati Sports Bar in Kalayaan Ave. Clubgoers make their way down a short flight of stairs and into a space that can only be described as “straightforward,” especially when compared to the kind of aesthetic that we’re used to seeing at the many high-concept bars in this area.
Its walls are mostly bare and gray, save for some neon lights and footprint cutouts — the logo of local promoter Footprints.
Owner and DJ Gabby Zulueta (Gabby Z), speaking to Coconuts Manila during a visit to the venue this past Saturday, described The Void as a “no-frills club” that focuses on the music, rather than just a space playing dress-up for the sake of social media. The Void was open that night for Fête de la Musique PH 2019’s Dancatronic pocket stage, and doesn’t officially open until this coming Saturday, June 29 for an event featuring DJ Shaun Reeves of Visionquest.
On what prompted him to open this club in the first place, Zulueta simply said: “There’s a void in the scene that needed to be filled.”
He used to DJ at the now-defunct Time club in Makati Ave. and said that those in the underground music scene lost their favorite hangout spot when it closed. “All of a sudden, after it (Time) closed, we didn’t have a place to go,” Zulueta said. “We felt like we lost our home.”
For those who don’t know, Time closed following a controversial drug raid in August last year.
Zulueta told us that for him, filling this void is enough reason to open a new club.
“It’s a gamble, it’s a risk, you know, it’s a lot of stress, but I think after tonight, once we see people coming in and people from the scene coming in, they hear the music and hopefully … I provide a venue that’s been missing,” Zulueta said.
He found out that a space in Poblacion opened up and thought it would be a good location for a club that plays house and techno, genres that he said are all about raw feeling and emotions.
Zulueta is an investor in 20:20, a bar in Makati’s Chino Roces Ave., but says he’s more hands-on when it comes to managing The Void, calling the club his “baby.”
With the club, he plans to push for the underground music scene by showcasing international and local DJs. On Fête night, about eight DJs were on the lineup to control the decks.
Also, good news for the night owls: The Void will stay open later than most clubs. According to Zulueta, their operating hours will be from 10pm to 6am from Wednesday to Saturday.
“The Void is for Manila’s underground scene … for those who enjoy this particular brand of music,” Zulueta said.
As for the drinks on offer, the current selection is pretty simple — the menu listed just 11 standard cocktails and five kinds of spirits on the night that we went. Each drink was priced between PHP200 (US$3.89) to PHP380 (US$7.39). We were told that this particular bar list was tailored for that night’s Fête event, but Zulueta also said that their final menu will be similar to this one.
FIND IT:
The Void is at 8456 Doña Carmen St. cor. Kalayaan Ave., Poblacion, Makati City
Wednesday – Saturday, 10pm – 6am
Phone: +63 928 708 8414
Email: info@thevoidph.club, reservations@thevoidph.club
Facebook: @thevoidunderground
