You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
I saw some discussion on the best albums of 2013 threadregarding the Brixton academy.....so which are/were your fave three venues (and why).
1 - Kentish Town forum - good sound & not far to stagger home. highlight was a 3.5 hour Ryan Adams gig pre ryan's sobriety .
2 - Riverside -Newcastle - I saw some amazingly loud,hot & sweaty gigs (eg Red Hot chilli peppers,manics ,that petrol emotion etc) there before it closed in late 90's
3. - Astoria in london - same as 2. Highlight - LCD soundsystem with soulwax/toomany DJ's support. Much woopage.
as you can tell I don't get out as much these days - where's good now?
Easy -
1. Brighton Concorde II. Best bands in a small club. Bone shaking sound system.
2. Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms. (Used to be) best bands in a small (ok, tiny) club. Good soundsystem. Seems to be only shitty tribute bands these days 🙁
3. Brighton Digital. Anther tiny venue, under the arches. Quality acts, but not often enough.
The original Marquee was brilliant
TJ's in Newport
The Button Factory in Dublin, only seen one band there but they were brilliant and met a lot of very nice people.
Red Rocks just outside of Denver is amazing but too big, like my venues small hot and sweaty.
The Ritz in Manchester. A proper old school, stick-to-the-carpet fleapit, where you almost feel obliged by the decor(?) to buy a bottle of WKD blue. A brilliant venue! Just the perfect size to get a great atmosphere.
The Hacienda is alas no more 🙁
Not been to The Forum yet, off there in November to see Trentemoller so it is good to hear someone likes the venue.
I went to Village Underground recently, I liked that a lot. Nothing fancy, just a nice sized space with a loud system. Brixton Academy I can take or leave, it's ok but nothing special. I went up to Manchester last December to Victoria Warehouse (I think it was called) and that was wicked. A proper dirty old factory that made me feel a but grimy. I like that.
The SubClub in Glasgow, with Substanz for afters.
Excluding the 90's rave scene
Of the ones I've been to....
Leadmill - Sheffield
Rock City - Nottingham
Bath Place Community Centre, Leamington Spa,now burned down sadly.
Some fantastic times there in the small, packed sweaty hall seeing lots of punk bands.
Culture Shock, Cowboy Killers, Negazione, Snuff, Visions of Change, Chumbawumba etc...
Just round the corner now is the fantastic Leamington Assembly Rooms. Interior by Lawrence Llewellyn Bowen, Tammy Wynettes caravan in the back for the bands to chill in, and Gareth Gates playing next month!!!
Kentish Town Forum (nee Town & Country Club) for me too. Just the right size and a great ambience.
LCD soundsystem with soulwax/toomany DJ's
To quote LCD himself: "I was there". Was a great show, sadly missed most of the Go! Team in support which was who I really wanted to see but LCD made up for it.
So my top 3...
Forum
Harlow Square (sentinmental reasons)
Oxford Zodiac (only went once but seemed like the perfect little venue)
What did people say about the Brixton Academy? I ****ing hate that place, always overcrowded with aggressive security and it takes an age to get a drink.
[i]LCD soundsystem [/i]
Yeah saw them at my favourite venue too.. if you've ever seen a middle aged man dance his arse off...! 😀
I miss The End in London. Another fairly simple venue, a couple of underground arches with a top sound system and the bar was never too crowded. I remember my ears ringing for a couple of days after going there.
The Ritz in Manchester
Saw a few there... The Fall and Happy Mondays spring to mind. The audience were as mashed as the performers. Happy days. Glad I don't have to do it all again though.
Koko is great and I love the Underworld (Red Fang and The Sword 'recently') but Concorde 2 probably my favourite.
The Astoria was a superb venue. As was Edwards No.8 in Brum. Both long gone.
Used to love going to the Newcastle Riverside - my missus used to interview the bands so got to hang around back stage sometimes. And I have great memories of the Tivoli in Buckley - saw loads of bands there.. and the Wolverhampton Civic/Wulfrun.
Shepherds Bush empire and Camden Palace/KOKO are both decent venues too.
Small venues are the best imo.
I remember TJ's in newport. 😀
Also had a few good nights at harlow sq. , plus I also went to the international in manc a few times & the boardwalk!
Also agree concorde in Brighton is a cracker of a venue.
Can't get away with the Underworld - the pillar is an issue for me.ha.
There's another venue in Brighton called the Haunt. They have great bands on there, but the venue is absolute cack! It's like a T shape so you can't see a damn thing unless you're right at the front. Did see Jon Spencer there and got in early enough to be at the front, which was superb, but can't be arsed to go again.
My top 3 are:
Birmingham Odeon - now no longer a music venue but my first memories of seeing bands live
The Hummingbird - again in Brum, proper sweaty standing only venue, seen some great bands there
Civic Hall - Wolverhampton, again a nice sweaty place, plenty of atmosphere and had some great nights there.
As mentioned above, prefer the smaller venues where the atmosphere and show always seem a bit more personal and involved rather than the bigger venues where even front row seems detached from the stage, have had great times at festivals but the gap between stage and punter seems to grow year on year.
Riverside -Newcastle - before it closed in late 90's
Not been up there (Newcastle) since, er, the mid 90s. Didn't know it had gone. That news makes me sad. One of the best gigs I've been to was RATM at the Riverside.
I miss The End in London.
Me too, another one I didn't know had gone. I'm starting to not enjoy this thread...
The Astoria was a superb venue.
I agree. And I did know about that one closing!
Duchess of York (Leeds) - also long gone and now an overpriced clothes shop (Hugo Boss). Too many great bands, too many..
I have been to the odd venue that's still going, of which my favourite is probably the Cockpit in Leeds, and if I had to nail down specific gigs I'd say the Black Keys, and The Datsuns, both there.
+1 for Brixton Academy being a least favourite.
Riverside -Newcastle - before it closed in late 90's
Not been up there (Newcastle) since, er, the mid 90s. Didn't know it had gone. That news makes me sad. One of the best gigs I've been to was RATM at the Riverside.
One of my fave gigs was Mogwai (supported by the For Carnation) in that tiny room upstairs in about 97/98. LOUD!
Otherwise, I've always loved the Academy in Manchester.
Alas, my hearing's too knackered to go to gigs these days.
[img] 
[/img]
Barrowland Ballroom in Glasgow.
Crikey , my apologies to Glasgow , forgotten about barrowlands.....
And king tuts of course!
Duchess of York - another cracker. 🙂
Roadmenders in Northampton was always good for a small but loud venue.
The pitz in Milton Keynes back in the day for some serious metal
And as above the Astoria (Janes addiction in about 1990 were amazing)
Yeah, Duchess in Leeds was legendary. Many a good night in there.
Brudenell Social club is fast becoming a favourite of mine. It's a bit Phoenix Nights with a real mix of people.
Some of my favourite gigs have been at The Academy in Brizzle.
Arenas do very little for me. I felt no intimacy when I saw JLS at Wembley. 😐
Healeys - Barrow in Furness
The Canteen - Barrow in Furness
Did once go to Manchester Academy 3 aswell.
John Keenan who used to put gigs on at The Duchess is now doing the same at The New Roscoe in Sheepscar. looks awful from the outside, and in a rough industrial estate, but inside the music room is top notch & the PA guys are excellent.
I quite like the Picturedrome at Holmfirth, but it's a sod to get to
Alas, my hearing's too knackered to go to gigs these days.
Wear earplugs. I have tinnitus as a result of a Phil Lynott Grand Slam gig, but nothing will stop me going to gigs, so I just put some plugs in.
Venues? Oddly enough, I like the O2, for such a huge venue, there is an unobstructed view, especially if you're down the front, and the sound is superb, more than can be said about many large barns, like the NEC.
I liked the Forum, in Kentish Town, Union Chapel in Islington is wonderful, as is St George's in Bristol.
The Fleece in Bristol has been a source of some great gigs over the years, as has the Thekla, and the Louisiana.
Shepherd's Bush Empire isn't a bad place, either.
Seen too many bands to really pick out highlights.
Oxford Zodiac was a brilliant venue. A few years ago it got a refit into a Carling Academy which absolutely ruined it 🙁
We were spoiled in the midlands - Dudley JBs served up band after band on a Friday night. Always £3 in for the likes of Blur, Manics, Roses, Charlatans, Levellers...etc
Birmingham with Hummingbird (FNM, RHCP, Janes - bigger bands/venue but still great)
Wolvo with the Civic/Wulfrun for everything in between.
Have been to most of the small/mid sized venues round the UK with NMA - I always loved Barrowlands.
Brixton Academy is a venue that needs a great soundman, seen plenty of cack there but Mastodon, The Specials and Machinehead (different times) were brilliant. Saw The Strokes there on the 'Is This It' tour and they just got completely lost.
It is the biggest venue I'll (happily) go to though. It's weird what people think, I probably go to 9/10 bands a year in venues like KOKO, Scala, Electric Ballroom etc but talking about it at work I've been asked why I don't go to more 'proper' gigs. Apparently it's not proper if it's not at the O2!
Earplugs wise I use these when rehearsing with the band and to see gigs:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Proguard-Lin-Ear-PR20-music-earplugs/dp/B009H2Y2TC
Don't colour the sound too much and won't break the bank.
Best gig I ever saw was at the Kentish Town Forum, so, tempted to just say that. Nothing wrong with it at all and lots right.
I really miss the old Venue in Edinburgh- nothing special, just a good size venue, the right shape, stage the right height, easy to get to the bar, benches round the side, nicely run down, all that good stuff. And a properly sticky floor too.
And, well why not, Milton Keynes Bowl. I remember we had to exit Metallica just before the end, and turning around at the top of the bowl and seeing it all laid out before you was just phenomenal...
Lifer - MemberMastodon, The Specials and Machinehead (different times)
You don't say! 😆
I grew up seeing Brixton on posters, reviews, bootlegs etc. Therapy? playing with a riot outside... Finally got there a couple of years ago to see Carter and I loved it, it's not a perfect venue but it just felt [i]right[/i]. Stupid slopey floor and barriers of death aside.
Back in the day:
Astoria
Town and Country Club, Kentish Town
Borderline
Now:
Gladstone Arms, Borough
Betsey Trotwood, Clerkenwell
Beehive, Swindon
Queens Hall, Bradford - did many a gig in the cellar bar, and once played a gig where we opened for Chumbawumba in the proper upstairs ballroom - that was a nice venue.
it's now a 70s themed disco bar, with a mahoosive island bar right in the middle of where the dancefloor was (and probably still is) - but it completely kills the idea of being able to use the stage for its original purpose
[img] 
[/img]
or something
Underworld
Proper gig venue, not too big, up close & personal 😀
[url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8367/8593778918_f014eaf0a5.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/cheesyfeet/8593778918/ ]IMG_1148[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/cheesyfeet/ ]-Cheesyfeet-[/url], on Flickr
My most memorable gigs have all been at the civic in Wolverhampton. Great little venue, always felt very intimate and the sound was always great.
Haven't been there for a few years but must make a trip up.
I used to love The Bomb in Nottingham, fantastic rabbit warren of a venue.
The Academy in Manchester is where I've most gigs over the years, DJ Shadow and Orbital there on a number of occasions will always stay with me, and just up the road the old Boardwalk for Dave Haslam's Yellow... Oh and Sankey's for bugged out 🙂