ninehertz

1. • Pete
   • What's your favourite gig venue? And for those in bands, favourite venues to play as well.
     
     Mine are...
     
     Brudenell Social Club - Leeds
     1 in 12 Club - Bradford
     Sacred Trinity Church - Salford (for the one gig I've been to there)
     Old Angel - Nottingham
     Cricketers Arms - Sheffield
     Hop and Grape - Manchester (nothing great but have been to so many good gigs there)
     Underworld - London (as above, I suspect it maybe a place you get tired of if you live there, I dunno)
     
     The best venues have good, separate pubs in my book, to enjoy between bands, although I know some promoters prefer one room venues so people are there for all bands.
   • [20:58 on 27/05/13]
2. • Carey
   • Love lots of these. I used to like Kentish Town Forum for a large venue - heard recently that it had closed down.
     
     I love the Star and Garter in Manchester too, seems to generally attract a really positive, supportive crowd.
   • [21:47 on 27/05/13]
3. • Ben
   • Centre Stage in Minehead Butlins, will miss it now ATP have stopped doing holdiday camp festivals.
     
     The old Bank Street Corporation was great for gigs too.
     
     Kentish Town Forum seems to not be closed down.
   • [08:00 on 28/05/13]
4. • Ollie
   • Defintely prefer venues that have the band and the bar all in one room.
     
     Camden Underworld
     Camden Purple Turtle
     Bournemouth The Anvil
     Bristol The Fleece
     Plymouth The Phoenix (R.I.P)
     Camden Black Heart
     Plymouth Cooperage (R.I.P)
     Exeter Cavern
     Glasgow Classic Grand
     
     There's plenty more out there we want to play!!!! Offers!!!!
   • [08:54 on 28/05/13]
5. • sabbathfan
   • The Bull and Gate in Kentish Town stopped doing music I think, but not The Forum as far as I can tell.
     
     My favourite venues:
     
     Smaller ones
     
     Camden Underworld - very good for intimacy and getting close to a band, seen some great gigs there
     
     Star and Garter, Manchester - again, small and intimate and I like the way it's positioned right above the pub. Good location for the train station too.
     
     100 Club, London - Not that spectacular a venue but I loved it for the history [during the punk era it was legendary] and it was a privilege to see Witchsorrow play there.
     
     Yorkshire House, Lancaster - used to hang out here a lot at uni and saw some good gigs in the upstairs room.
     
     
     Medium-sized
     
     Astoria, London [RIP] - My favourite London venue, but sadly Crossrail brought things to a close. Saw some great gigs there and it felt spacious but intimate at the same time, if that makes sense. Hawkwind's show there in Xmas 2003 remains in my top two or three gigs of all time.
     
     Brixton Academy - Dirtier and scuzzier than Hammersmith, and I prefer it slightly for that reason - more grit to the place. Last time I saw Motorhead there was one of the loudest shows I've ever been to.
     
     Ritz, Manchester - Unusual venue to see a band in, sprung dancefloor and more of a ballroom than a rock show place.
     
     
     Large venues
     
     Brighton Centre - not because it's that unique, but because it's right by the seaside, and it feels slightly strange going to the beach to see a rock concert. Plus the Heaven and Hell show I saw there was absolutely amazing.
     
     The O2 - What they should have done with the Millenium Dome in the first place they eventually did in 2007 and tbh even though it's a big corporate arena it's how a big corporate arena should be - comfortable seats, good viewpoints/acoustics, easy to get to, a lot of nice eateries and bars to dine at and it seems to have more character than a lot of larger venues.
     
     Emirates Stadium [Arsenal's ground] - Went to see Muse there last Sunday and was very impressed by it, good modern building, quite a bit of character and easy to get in and out of - stewarded well too. Not quite so good for how long it takes to get back to the tube station after a show though - lots of queuing required.
     [Edited by sabbathfan at 09:05 on 28/05/13]
   • [09:02 on 28/05/13]
6. • Bacchanal
   • 013 in Tilburg - all the rooms, only downer is how hot it gets.
     
     Local - The Fleece as mentioned above, Croft had its charms but is no more, replaced by the Exchange which is a good swap really.
     
     London - many a good night at the Underworld, but for all that it has a few drawbacks. The sound can be a bit shoddy and the pillars are annoying. Aside from that there's nowhere that really stands out as a venue, aside from maybe the Garage. I'm not a fan of the big places like Koko or the Forum but if you want to see say Neurosis, Clutch or Kyuss (lives) then that's where it'll be.
     Least favourite may well be Islington Academy
   • [11:54 on 28/05/13]
7. • Tino Insana
   • Star and Garter
     Old Angel
     Cricketers
     120 Rats
     Three Cranes (ahem)
     Scruffy Murphy's
     Stuck on a Name
     The Gaff
     
     And the Royal Albert Hall!
   • [15:08 on 28/05/13]
8. • mamba
   • If I had to pick one, it would be The Borderline in London. Only been there a handful of times (Fu Manchu, Earthless and Incubus back in the day), but always been great, sweaty close-up rock shows.
     
     From my uni days, The Charlotte in Leicester was always great too.
     
     Been to dozens of shows over the years at the Oxford Zodiac which is still good even though it has been 'Academied'. The newer big room isn't great though.
     
     I would also echo the thoughts of others with The Fleece, The Astoria, Brixton Academy (for bigger stuff).
     
     The only two venues which would put me off going to a gig are Islington Academy (self explanatory if you have been there), and Wembley Arena. Not just because it is massive, it is soulless and sounds crap. The O2 is way better.
   • [15:25 on 28/05/13]
9. • Bacchanal
   • I'm not sure really what the problem is with that Islington venue, it used to be the famous Marquee Club after all, but for some reason it's just gash.
   • [16:50 on 28/05/13]
10. • Pete
    • I love the Star & Garter, went to many a gig there in my uni days, have seen Total Fucking Destruction, Bongzilla, Beehoover, Sons of Otis, Vorhees, Spy vs Spy, Mistress, Sally, Khang, Blutch and many more there, love the old school video games and the old man nature of the pub downstairs, love/hate in equal measure the mix of skaters and prostitutes that hang around outside... but it has a famous monthly The Smiths night, a crime enough to exclude it from my list.
      
      Another two for my list:
      The Fenton, Leeds (good pub, good gigs (Witchcraft, Weedeater etc), good venue above pub)
      Zion Arts Centre, Hulme, Manchester - an art space with a theatre where I saw Earth play a mesmeric set.
    • [17:36 on 28/05/13]
11. • mamba
    • Forgot The Railway in Winchester even though I've only ever been to one busy gig there. It's a nice pub in the front with good beer, with a decent venue out back. It's the sort of place I will open when I win the lottery, and then run into the ground.
    • [21:49 on 28/05/13]
12. • bad admiral
    • bristol junction
      lark in the park
      the gaff
      old blue last
      100 club
      spitz
      
      not necessarily in that order and for various reasons, although sadly most of these are no more.
    • [08:47 on 29/05/13]
13. • Bacchanal
    • Ha my missis's friends/family run the Railway at the moment.
      Best thing about it that I've seen is the flyers for their metal night that say "NO INDIE PRICKS"
    • [10:26 on 29/05/13]
14. • Mazz
    • The George - Bradford On Avon
      Scruffy Murphy's
      
    • [10:30 on 29/05/13]
15. • Jack
    • The Black Heart is where it's at right now
    • [13:07 on 29/05/13]
16. • Mazz
    • Jack says:

      The Black Heart is where it's at right now
      
      
      
      The booze at the George is cheaper.
    • [13:17 on 29/05/13]
17. • Pete
    • mamba says:

      It's the sort of place I will open when I win the lottery, and then run into the ground.
      
      
      That's my lottery plan too.
      
      What's so bad about the Islington Academy? I've read a few comments on here before about it being bad.
      
    • [17:36 on 29/05/13]
18. • mamba
    • Pete says:

      
      What's so bad about the Islington Academy? I've read a few comments on here before about it being bad.
      
      Not really sure. Just a soulless room with bar down the side, which you can't get to. I generally find that you can't move anywhere - maybe that's because it's always been sold out when I've been there. Sound is average.
      
      There's a balcony upstairs which is ok if you just want to chill, but a waste of time if you want to watch any of the bands as you can't see the stage unless you're right up front.
      
      Bit weird that it's in a shopping centre too. Not that you can tell that from inside.
    • [18:17 on 29/05/13]
19. • Jack
    • I agree with Mambas reasons for Islington. It's my least favourite place to see bands in London
    • [09:56 on 30/05/13]
20. • bosskeloid
    • The Brixton Windmill....... Obviously!
    • [11:20 on 30/05/13]

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