Entertainment For Lively Minds
Best, Worst and Most Missed Venues?
The chat on the Podcast about old venues got me thinking about The Word Massive's venues of choice.
The places you rarely see a bad gig to the ones where even if your favourite artist was playing a three hour run through of "old" with no crappy support band you'd rather stay in and watch Coronation Street.
I quite like the idea of Paul Weller with The Coral as support but it's at the O2 Arena and although, I've not been there yet, I really don't think I can be bothered with a venue like that.
My favourite venue: Shepherd's Bush Empire, great sound and atmosphere with wonderful comfortable balconies for us old gits and excellent bars. Class acts and some cracking gigs: Sparks, Patti Smith, Iggy, Coral, David Byrne, Joe Strummer, Go-Gos, Shack, Go-Betweens, Television amongst others.
Worst venue: Carling Islington Academy - A toilet in a shopping mall - the entrance is like going into a public swimming pool and the acoustics are pretty similar too. Awful bar almost next to the stage - crap view and very unfriendly security.
Most missed: London Lyceum - maybe clouded in a nostalgic rose tinted haze as most of my youthful trips to the big city to see bands seemed to be here.
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I second...
the SB Empire. I always enjoy gigs there.
I've only been to a couple of gigs there, but I like Nottingham Rock City and have a major soft spot for Sheffield's Leadmill.
Personally, I can't stand the O2. Saw Prince last year and although the gig was amazing, it was like watching someone play in Heathrow Airport!
best venues:
Best outdoor: Somerset house: the blue nile gig there was great as was Sigor ros , it's smallish but granda nd conatined and the building add to the dramma and there's a slope on the cobbles so evryone can see.
Best indoor: either Ronnie scotts or the bush hall or the opub at the end of my road in New cross oh and I don't mind brixton academy.
Worst can't agree about balcony seats at shepherds bush if you over 5 foot 3 they are terribly cramped and vertigous downstairs is ok. But i think offical the worst place to see any band is the apollo in hammersmith. The moment I get into my seat I just a fall asleep regardless of the band the places sucks the life out of the gig and it's wales. I have not gone to see bands I love because they are playing there, it's an over priced out of the way dump.
Can't stand the Apollo either...
I saw The Flaming Lips there a couple of years ago - up on the balcony. At first I thought it wasn't too bad a view then the band came on and everyone stood up, good that the crowd were into it and that security didn't force everyone to sit down.
However, I could not see a bloody thing - the poor positioning of the seats meant that you had to be 6 foot 5 or over to see the stage and I spent the whole gig looking at the big screen and the back of someone's head!
Apollo
Oddly enough, I really like Hammersmith.
I've really enjoyed gigs by Ryan Adams, Belle & Sebastian and The Strokes there. It's got the best, clearest sound of pretty much any venue I've been to.
Maybe it also helps that I live in West London and am 6'6", and therefore don't find the "out of the way" or not being able to see problems relevant!
Sadly missed: The Wardour Street Marquee
The Shepherd's Bush Empire always seems like a good venue to me. Good sound, good sightlines and the cracking bar at the back of the downstairs floor
Worst: The Empire Pool Wembley/Arena. Just appalling. The worst sound quality and dreadful slapback from the back wall
My kitchen
friday nights, a few bottles of red on the go, my choice of music..better than any live "Gig".
Best venue I've been to is in the USA...
the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. Made my trip to LA worthwhile (just about)
I HAVE to say Leeds Poly
Don't I? Even though it's called Leeds Met now. Pistols, Ramones, Clash, AC/DC, Dire Straits, Jonathan Richman, Adam Ant, er Stackridge.
Better throw in Leeds Uni for good measure. Rockpile, Santana, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Costello, Rick Wakeman, The Runaways, The Who, er Ralph McTell.
Oh the memories...
Leeds Leeds Leeds
I really like the Met (Poly) though my gigs are of a recent vintage (for example British Sea Power, Beta Band ....).
I've seen a lot more bands at Leeds Uni but I have to say I can't stick it. Just a long dining room with half the atmosphere of the Met.
Best venue, though, is the Brudenell Working Mens Club in Leeds. OK the bands aren't of the same stature as those at the Met but the sound is great - loud and clear - the beer cheap and it is all pleasant, friendly and slightly shambolic. Saw BSP there late last year (?) as well as many local bands since (iLiKETRAiNs, I Concur, Wintermute, Forward Russia, Her Name Is Calla .....)
Oh and it's like watching bands at the Phoenix club ....
Aye
you can't beat a band in a pub. Providing they don't shut the bar when the band come on...
Is the Fforde Grene still going? I did not see the gig but I have photos of the Sex Pistols playing there. They look like a typical pub band instead of dangerous punks.
Fforde Grene = supermarche?
I wasn't aware of the Fforde Grene (maybe not that surprising ... I actually live in York).
Dispiritingly a quick googling suggests it was transformed into a "continental supermarket" a couple of years ago.
Typical ... they shut the Town & Country 5mins after I moved to Yorkshire. I always find out about things too late ...
The T & C has re-opened
It's now Leeds Academy
http://www.leeds-academy.co.uk/
Architecture
I knew the Academy was on part of the old T&C site but was lead to believe that the Outback Bar next door was also built on the T&C.
Am I wrong? If I am does this mean I'll actually have some idea what the T&C was like when I go?
That'd be good. It'd be nice to see some old venues resurface ... even with the naff new names.
Not sure about the most missed...
...But for best sounding - St David's Hall in Cardiff, and worst, upstairs in Bristol Colston Hall. (Downstairs is fine, though)
I won't miss The Astoria that's for sure.
But I do like the O2 - compared to just about any other equivalent sized venue I've been to it does what it's supposed to and the sound is great. Earls Court is OK.
The Luminaire in Kilburn is quite, quite wonderful though. Really lovely vibe, great sound, even good beer. Magical little place.
noel may have spoilt earls court
for me I went to see oasis there and tehy wre there usual rubbish live selves so I went of the venue which just seemed loud and echoey
And yet...
the Floyd managed to get a good sound at Earls Court for the Wall shows. The sound at the Animals shows was ok as well - considering the general standard of sound reinforcement in 1977
I've seen good(ish) and ghastly there
Good(ish): Dylan (Street Legal tour). Ghastly: Bowie (Heroes tour).
The Barras....
I have a fondness for the Barrowland Ballroom in Glasgow, scene of many a hot and sweaty gig from my youth. Also "The Venue" in Calton Road, Edinburgh, despite the infeasibly disgusting toilets downstairs.
Overseas I love Slims's in San Francisco (owned by Boz Scaggs fact fans), and the Greek Theatre in Berkeley. Saw Coldplay and Ash there in 2002, and there's something magical about the place... watching Coldplay play their largest headlining gig of their career (at the time) in front of the Greek columns with the lights of San Francisco in the background was something special, and I'm not that much of a fan.
Worst? Has to be the S.E.C.C in Glasgow, aka the Big Red Shed... HORRIBLE.
Underworld!
As a bit of a metalhead, I have to vote for the Underworld in Camden for nailing its market - the bar is well out of the way, there's room at 'stage level' if you want to let rip and you can escape to the upper level if you need to, where you can usually get a good view of the onstage mayhem. I really love it.
I would add a vote for Shepherd's Bush, but for the 'great' bar that everyone's been raving about. The noise it generates is immense and has spoilt several quieter acts for me because people there won't shut up. Not including anyone on this site among those making a racket, but it can't just be me who finds it intrusive, can it? I saw the Magnetic Fields there once, and people listening had to plead with the punters at the bar to put a sock in it.
Worst venue: Yes! to the Islington Academy. What a dump.
Most missed: Embassy Rooms opposite Warren Street tube. Again, loved the fact that the bar was kept separate, and the room was nice and wide so you were quite near to the acts wherever you ended up standing. Specialism in Americana and post-rock. Killed off by an unsuccessful club night, I heard ... maybe someone can flesh that story out?
Most missed
Royal Oak - Tooley street.
Kentish Town Forum
never seen a crap gig there, ever. Also they have spent some cash on it lately so has new bar and refurb upstairs
Shep Bush is excellent but the bars downstairs do encourage the people who like to chat throughout a gig to think they are in a pub that just happpens to have a band playing. As a shortarse its either dahn front or up on the balcony.
Brixton Academy with its sloping floor and great atmos gets the thumbs up - puts the bars at the back and outside where they belong.
Union Chapel - stunning surroundings for the right kind of gigs. The Spiritualized shows there last year were truly magical
I'm in a minority with my mates of absolutely loving the Roundhouse where i think the sound is great and the view is too once you get past the pillars. Only problem is getting out afterwards, just one big crush.
The Astoria will be missed by me cos its a great sweaty dive but the staff are absolute Gareth Hunts. Seen some great bands before they made it big at the Scala
worst venue- Koko: sucks the life out of any band, just an awful place. The Islington Academy is crap too, shit staff, no atmos, awful sound and vision. Its a real shame that Sparks played their 21 gig run there (mostly).
Sparks at Islington
put me off to, so I cheated and plumped for the last night only which was at the Shepherd's Bush Empire! I wrote about that on a previous thread somewhere here.
http://www.wordmagazine.co.uk/content/more-annoying-gig-behaviour
How can this thread have gone on for so long. . .
without mentioning the Stoneground in Manchester? A ceiling so low Mark Ellen would have to stoop his way back from the bar, sticky carpets and sofas, home-made curry that was rumoured to be the result of a clandestine arrangement with the local stray-dog's home, liquid-wheel projections and Can (or was it Amon Düül?), lysergically refreshed beyond the point of human understanding and playing 27-minute improvisations in front of stacks and stacks of gasper-scorched Orange amps.
Looxureh!
Birmingham...
....closes more venues than it opens, why it is so fab to have the Town Hall back, after a 10 year gap, much, much improved, accoustically, I should add, by taking out the upper floors to some degree.
I also used to be a great attender at the Odeon New Street, seeing all comers, nearly, between 1980 and whenever it closed down, perhaps 1985 or so. It wasn't great, but it was a good size and hence guaranteed most groups came to Brum, rather than opting for bloody Wolverhampton Town Hall or the Civic Hall.
The Bredon Bar was a fab small pub venue, now knocked down, specialising in americana before it was called americana: loads of goodies played there, Flaco Jiminez, Jimmie Dale Gilmour and Butch Hancock being 2 acts I remember well, forgiving even JGDs awful nasal pipes.