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Favourite live music venues


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I'm back 'home' in Carlisle for a few days and I went to a rock fest at The Brickyard in the city. It's a great little and intimate venue of about 400 capacity. 

I'm fortunate (gig-wise only!) in that I live in London and even nowadays still have a good choice of live music venues. I like the Boston Rooms, Our Black Heart and for bigger bands there's nowhere better than Brixton Academy.

What are your favourites?

 

 

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18 minutes ago, Number 16 said:

I'm back 'home' in Carlisle for a few days and I went to a rock fest at The Brickyard in the city. It's a great little and intimate venue of about 400 capacity. 

I'm fortunate (gig-wise only!) in that I live in London and even nowadays still have a good choice of live music venues. I like the Boston Rooms, Our Black Heart and for bigger bands there's nowhere better than Brixton Academy.

What are your favourites?

 

 

i have a list of about 40 venues in london,that i have visited over 50 odd years...too many good ones to mention...though brixton,shepherds bush empire are very good venues...but smaller id say half moon,powerhaus(was dingwalls) nells,lexington.lafayette...and for real intimate gigs  sold out with 50 in it..the green note

must get to ronnie scotts one day!..

Edited by 40yearsatlondon
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When I came to Bradford over 50 years ago, the University's Student Union had fantastic bands and acoustics in the Great Hall. Across the corridor was the Small Hall , which put on discos with psychedelic lighting and dry ice. Slade, the Kinks, Pink Floyd, Thin Lizzy, Osibisa, all played there. The crowd (hundreds) was evenly divided between students and locals Then the University told the Student Union that it could no longer use the Halls and concerts moved to the refectory, where I saw Wilko Johnson. These days, I doubt if any bands are put on ... there are certainly no posters put up around town.

Bradford still has three decent venues that could handle around two hundred people ... Underground, Nightrain and Sally Browns. Tickles can do the same but only opens rarely. The former Odeon Cinema is being converted to a concert hall for around 3000 people.

St Georges Hall is a council-owned venue that can hold about 1700 people. Bowie, Fleetwood Mac, Free etc played there in the past but all the top names now play  at the Leeds Arena.

In my life, I've seen loads of top bands but, these days, prefer watching local bands playing in small pubs where you can get real ale. In that regard, Bradford has got great little venues in the Boar and Fable, Al's Juke Bar and the Exchange Bar. There's another just outside the city centre called Tapestry Arts, but I've never been there.

Great small-venue acts ... Craig Braun, Creedence Clearwater Revival Revival, Waiting for Wednesday, Pat Fulgoni, Howlin' Jonny and the Devil's Rejects, Funk Lockers, Natural Rhythm, 309's, Dave McKenzie, Luke d'Apolito, Superstrut.

Kate Peters doesn't play Bradford much, but if you get the chance, go see her. Mainly York and Leeds venues.

 

 

Edited by Wolford6

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1 hour ago, 40yearsatlondon said:

i have a list of about 40 venues in london,that i have visited over 50 odd years...too many good ones to mention...though brixton,shepherds bush empire are very good venues...but smaller id say half moon,powerhaus(was dingwalls) nells,lexington.lafayette...and for real intimate gigs  sold out with 50 in it..the green note

must get to ronnie scotts one day!..

Smaller venues I also like are New Cross Inn (tetanus jab at the door!!), Dublin Castle and the opulent Bush Hall. 

I really miss the Borderline, had some great nights there.

And then there was the Marquee! 

 

Edited by Number 16
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good = Brudenell Leeds- picturedrome Holmfirth - roadmender- Northampton

bad= that place in Wakefield formerly called warehouse 23 - any arena - Leeds one just been a giant soulless asda 

see you later undertaker - in a while necrophile 

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What a great thread.

Been to a few of the great venues already mentioned but have to give a shout out to The Star and Garter in Manchester and King Tuts in Glasgow. For bigger venues The Barrowlands in Glasgow is hard to beat, but I did love St Georges Hall in Blackburn when I went there. 

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14 minutes ago, Number 16 said:

I went to a venue in Leeds in 1980 to see a Birmingham band called Money. The place was the Fforde Grene, but I don't recall much about the place.

I also went in 1980 to see Ginger Baker. His band played the opening number and Ginger wasn’t happy with the way his drums had been set up, he uttered some expletives, threw his sticks away and stormed off stage. Definitely the shortest concert I’ve ever been to.

The Fforde Green pub at the time was the biggest seller of Tetleys ale in Leeds. It’s now an Asian supermarket.

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2 hours ago, MattSantos said:

Barrowland in Glasgow is decent. 

Few places in Newtown, Sydney also stand out, but I don't remember names. Enmore and Metro maybe?

Ooh. Northumbria Uni was a belter as well. 

Was that previously Newcastle Poly? I saw Split Enz, Slade and... hmmm ... Gary Glitter there in the early 80s. 

Newcastle City Hall was also banging back then!

 

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I've never been to the Picturedrome to see a band but I went to a talk by Doug Scott, the first Briton to climb Everest. It was an excellent venue and a great showing of slides from his climbing career.

I might go and see the Rezillos this October.

https://www.picturedrome.net/

Edited by Wolford6

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8 hours ago, Number 16 said:

Was that previously Newcastle Poly? I saw Split Enz, Slade and... hmmm ... Gary Glitter there in the early 80s. 

Newcastle City Hall was also banging back then!

 

I've no idea. I saw Supergrass there in around 2000. 

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Back in the 70`s my favourites were Newcastle City Hall and Manchester Free Trade Hall , best gigs Family , Tull , Free ,Fairports ,Zeppelin and of course Lindisfarne , and all for less than a tenner and all easily booked over the phone......how times have changed .

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I'm at The Ritz in Manchester on Sat for Katatonia. Never been there before so hopefully it'll be ok.

As for fave venues... my current fave is The Boulevard in Wigan which puts on some great punk gigs.

The aforementioned Star & Garter in Manchester holds many memories for me and is such an iconic venue I overlook all its flaws.

As for  other places I always used to enjoy the Manchester Academy especially 1 & 2. Paid my first visit to Club Academy last year as well and that was alright.

My fave London venue was always LA 2 and The Astoria itself. I don't think I've even bothered going down to London since its demise.

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23 hours ago, Vambo said:

I'm at The Ritz in Manchester on Sat for Katatonia. Never been there before so hopefully it'll be ok.

As for fave venues... my current fave is The Boulevard in Wigan which puts on some great punk gigs.

The aforementioned Star & Garter in Manchester holds many memories for me and is such an iconic venue I overlook all its flaws.

As for  other places I always used to enjoy the Manchester Academy especially 1 & 2. Paid my first visit to Club Academy last year as well and that was alright.

My fave London venue was always LA 2 and The Astoria itself. I don't think I've even bothered going down to London since its demise.

I like The Ritz, but it needs a good size crowd for atmosphere. You can get a great view of the stage from the upper balcony if it's open. 

Boulevard in Wigan is great but only managed to get a couple of times but they are putting on some great lineups this year so need to get there more often 

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4 hours ago, Cumbrian Fanatic said:

I like The Ritz, but it needs a good size crowd for atmosphere. You can get a great view of the stage from the upper balcony if it's open. 

Boulevard in Wigan is great but only managed to get a couple of times but they are putting on some great lineups this year so need to get there more often 

Ritz is great. Afterwards, there was a brilliant club, in the arches, over road half way towards Hacienda flats. Bet it's been shut ages.

 

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1 hour ago, MattSantos said:

Ritz is great. Afterwards, there was a brilliant club, in the arches, over road half way towards Hacienda flats. Bet it's been shut ages.

 

There's a place over the road called Gorilla, which isn't too bad. Sometimes they have bands on after gigs have finished at The Ritz

The Salisbury, around the corner from Oxford Road Station and behind The Grand Central, often have pre-gig promotions on. If I remember, you have to present your ticket(s) to get the deal - think its generally 50p/pint

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On 07/02/2023 at 00:24, Number 16 said:

Was that previously Newcastle Poly? I saw Split Enz, Slade and... hmmm ... Gary Glitter there in the early 80s. 

Newcastle City Hall was also banging back then!

 

Newcastle when I started drinking in the late 80's/90s was great as loads of different types of venues both small and sort of large and all cheap in that day and age be it roll call to

Riverside

The Mayfair

Uni

Poly

The Broken Doll

Dog and Parrot

Egypt Cottage for the Juke Box etc

Hated the still standing City Hall as it was like going to the Opera and wasn't allowed the drink and don't know why The Clash, Motorhead and Madness choose that venue then the more crowd/drink friendly Mayfair.

Forgot The Jazz Cafe on Pink Lane 

Newcastle is pants now but Modern Life is Rubbish.

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Some venues from my past.

Palm Cove - Bradford

Royal Standard - Bradford (fantastic pub/venue)

Duchess of York - Leeds (so good)

F-Club - Leeds (can't remember name of actual venue)

Joseph's Well, Leeds 

Leadmill- Sheffield

Funhouse - Keighley

Leopard - Doncaster 

I still go to gigs but not that often these days (too old and decrepit) and sadly I'm pretty sure most if not all of these venues have closed. Happy days for me though. 

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Roundhouse in Camden was superb, I've long been fascinated by this building and always wanted to go to a gig here.

Aesthetically and acoustically superb but also the area around is great too, bustling Camden Markets and Camden town only 5 minutes away and the best Thai noodle bowl I've had!

Also another fan of Picturedrome, I grew up in Holmfirth so it's good to know the place is popular among non locals too.

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Salisbury Cathedral - great accoustically, whether in the intimacy of the quire, or using the whole cathedral for a concert or special service.  And that is my view whether I am singing or listening.

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9 hours ago, Wiltshire Warrior Dragon said:

Salisbury Cathedral - great accoustically, whether in the intimacy of the quire, or using the whole cathedral for a concert or special service.  And that is my view whether I am singing or listening.

Loved this last year when we went....Magna Carta is great 

Edited by Bedfordshire Bronco
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