Wrapping up all the things we love about our favourite watering holes under one roof: modern artwork, traditional textures, cosy feelings, good drinks – The Legion promises to be an absolute game-changer.
There wasn’t a dry eye in Liverpool when the news broke that Bumper would indeed be closing. No more hilarious facades, no more waking up the next day to find out you’d even entered this very establishment due to a branded logo on the hand and no more 5am post bumper takeaways. No longer must you despair: say hello to The Legion Of Lost Souls – its trailblazing concept opening October 20th 2016, offering the public a fully immersive experience, where Urban Outfitters meets The Rovers Return. Located on Hardman Street, a major thoroughfare within Liverpool’s Education Quarter, The Legion of Lost Souls is not only a standout destination but one that is tightly woven into the historical social fabric of the city.
Photo by The Essential Journal
Its previous incarnations, which have seen the site at the very heart of Liverpool nightlife for over the past thirty years, have generated a large and loyal following; an equity that is rare in a city flooded with drinking establishments, and where customers can so easily vote with their feet. Welcoming newcomers and the old-guard alike, The Legion dominates its mid-street location, instantly attracting attention from curious clubbers and hipster bar-hoppers, and the venue confidently sails uncharted territory in Liverpool’s bar sector, celebrating the weird and the wonderful.
Photo by The Essential Journal
The Legion promises to engage all the senses, and a revitalised fascia only hints at what lies inside – a playground of sensory environments, specially designed to delight and deceive. A sense of exploration mounts when approaching the new site – and you can’t help but be inquisitive to discover more about the bizarre environment that’s contained within its three distinct and different areas. As you enter you’re immersed immediately in an indoor garden, complete with wrought iron pergola, verdant greenery and a forest soundtrack. Home to the main bar with its vast apothecary shelves and entwined by flowers and creepers, it includes the venue’s signature bloom – a peculiar but enticing carnivorous flower – one that reveals human teeth are sitting amongst its fragrant petals. Venture further and topiary and botanicals make way for an English pub, which looks like its been untouched since the years when telly came only with four channels. The Pub has a lived-in homely feel. Rich colours, floral wallpaper, flocked booths, sturdy Victorian tables and candelabras dripping with wax all contribute to the effect that you actually are in a provincial boozer. So convincing actually is the overall scheme, you can almost imagine bubbly barmaids sporting raven black hair pulling pints of Bitter with a side of pork scratchings.
Photo by The Essential Journal
The third space sits perfectly uncomfortably with the former two. Arthouse is a steely, hard and industrial space, reminiscent of underground clubs in Berlin. Jarring wonderfully with its organic neighbour, the Arthouse area comes complete with metro tiles, dayglo electric cabling, paint splattered work tables and a familiar looking reader board that sports the melancholic legend; “Thats going nowhere.” As well as a detailed spacial design treatment, each of The Legion’s areas has its own tailored drinks offer, with cocktail menus purposefully designed to reflect each environment. The Garden lists traditional british flowers amongst its titles, including elderflower, dandelion, rose and daisy. Spiked with hard liquor these pretty florals have some serious bite – another subtle nod to the site’s primrose logo. The Pub’s menu includes a Nan’s drinks trolley of favourites including Rum and Coke, White Russian and a Rusty Nail, whilst The Arthouse has an 80’s influence with Manhattan Transfer and the intriguingly named Zsa Zsa.
Photo by The Essential Journal
Drinks carry mid-market tickets, with The Legion wanting to be seen as an affordable repeat destination rather than somewhere for a wallet-busting one- off visit – a place as much to bring your friends and meet new ones for celebratory cocktails, as to enjoy post-work drinks. Design and drinks are laid against a considered backdrop of eclectic tunes with The Legion writing its own evolving soundtrack. With the addition of music, the whole becomes cohesive, complete and deeply entertaining. Collaborations are planned with creative DJ’s, muso’s, and the city’s mysterious counter cultures; and a regular programme in The Legion’s event spaces includes Monday’s “Blue Monday” where only sad songs get played, whilst Wednesdays sees “Psychic Bingo” with gamers winning sausages and toilet roll. On Thursdays The Legion is home to “HomoRetro” an eclectic night from the LGBT community, and Fridays has classics with a twist at “POPped in SOul’d OuT.” There’s a very British spirit to the place, it’s filmic, spirited and surreal but equally familiar and nostalgic. The name itself, inspired by British Legion social clubs, was intentionally chosen so that it would be shortened to ‘The Legion’ by customers.
The Legion launches on 20th October with a free bar. The event is invite only but we have two tickets to give away. Tweet us here why you should win them and we’ll pick a winner soon.