La Ferme du Bonheur

Two motorways, a detention centre and an oil depot blight the horizon; as the owner puts it to us, referencing the name of the venue, 'A Farm of Joy is the least we can ask for in this shithole.' The farm is something of an oasis in the midst of the asphalt wasteland of Nanterre, yet paradoxically it is made of the very industrial material that surrounds it: a hodgepodge of telephone poles, scaffolding and other detritus, the building is a homage to creativity and material ingenuity. Little surprise, then, that it plays host to all manner of cultural events. Drawing students from the nearby university, La Ferme du Bonheur regularly puts on everything from film screenings to experimental theatre, while also promoting community work and ethical farming. But it's for its offbeat club nights that it is best known: the regular L'Electro d'Bal events run from 4pm to midnight, attracting such renowned collectives as Katapult and Mamie, and doing a sterling job of blotting out the drab environs. An improbable treat.