Favourite Venues

MikeUpNorth

Wobbles like a massive pair of tits
Joined
Apr 26, 2007
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Where are your favourite places to watch a good band?

In London I'd say the Union Chapel is best for acoustic gigs - the sound is amazing and the church setting gives the right kind of ambience. For heavier stuff probably either The Scala or The Roundhouse, which just has something about it.

The one venue I really don't like is The Forum in Kentish Town which usually sounds dead and undefined.
 
St. Georges market in Belfast smelt of cabbage when I went to see Kasabian, other than that it was good.

Also went to see Black Stone Cherry in the Limelight which was just awful, though that was probably more to do with the set up and style of music. Couldn't hear the vocals at all.
 
MikeUpNorth said:
In London I'd say the Union Chapel is best for acoustic gigs - the sound is amazing and the church setting gives the right kind of ambience.
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It always feels a bit weird sitting in a Church supping a tin. Kinda trampy. It's a great venue though, I can't remember who I saw there though.

Generally the smaller venues are better but so many places are ruined by either a poor soundsystem or sound engineering. The Bridgewater Hall in Manchester is the best for sound, but there's no real ambience to the place and far too light.
 
Ye I like the smaller venues, cant be doing with massive stadiums or anything like that for gigs.
Not been to that Union Chapel. The Roundhouse is quality. Indigo2 at the Dome is very underrated venue, intimate and good quality acoustics - wish they had more good stuff on there.

Still had many a good nights in the old theatres like manchester apollo or brixton academy but really they are shitholes with crappy sound
 
When I was a young teen, I loved watching small acts at Club Academy - went to some really intimate gigs there.

Not much of a 'gig' type person now though.
 
Yeah, my mum loves it. I've never been.
 
You can't drink at Union Chapel, right? Annoying as feck. London has so many great venues. A few of the best gigs I've been to have been at the Kentish Town Forum, but that was down to the bands, not the venue.
 
I really like the Roundhouse too. It shouldn't work but it does. I generally prefer ampitheatres. They're shaped that way for a reason. Neil Young on a sunny evening in Slane Castle was probably my all time best gig experience.

A worst venue thread would be interesting. Ally Pally is an amazing building but an absolutely dreadful place to watch a band.
 
Manchester Roadhouse. It's tiny and there's a pillar in the way but it's brilliant.
 
One of my favourite venues I've been to was the Georgia Theatre in Athens, GA., but also really like the Black Cat and 9:30 Club in DC.

Back home, I've always liked the Cockpit in Leeds - nice slightly seedy little venue with a good atmosphere, and the Royal Varieties which is also small but otherwise the complete opposite - all lush velvet and turn of the century opulence. Staying in the same city though, Leeds Uni is a bloody dreadful cavernous cafeteria of a venue with a completely wasted balcony, annoying pillars throughout, and no way to control natural light from the ceiling-level windows.

Also on the bad front, the Newcastle Uni Union is literally a cafeteria, and looks and feels like just that - seen some great bands there, but the atmosphere has been shit every time.
I've also generally disliked most of the larger venues I've been to (Newcastle Academy, Brixton Academy, and Birmingham NIA.
 
Don't really have a favourite, I kind of like the way one varies from the next.

The Koko in London was pretty good last time I was there. Nice and small, but still not cramped. Easy to go and get drinks, then wonder back near the stage, clear sound, and quite swanky looking.

I don't like The Forum much either, though I've only been there once. It just seemed a bit bland in every way. Plus there was this weird lazer shit going on which was hurting my eyes. Might be seeing Incubus there next week, so we'll see.

Didn't like the Olympia either come to think of it. It's just a big hall and was so echoey you could barely make out the actual music.
 
Liverpool Academy 2, Manchester Academy 3 and Club Academy are also awesome.
 
I'm going to Red Rocks in Colorado, to watch Jentro Tull and Kansas on wednesday. Should be mind blowingly awesome. Its probably the best place for a concert in the States and possibly the best amphitheatre there is.
 
Alex99 said:
Manchester Roadhouse. It's tiny and there's a pillar in the way but it's brilliant.
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Been there too many times - its horrible really, one of those dingy basement dives - but still saw some great bands there over the years.
 
Rood said:
Been there too many times - its horrible really, one of those dingy basement dives - but still saw some great bands there over the years.
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There's like 2 meters between the bar and the stage, what's not to love?
 
Koko is fun. Basically it's all about the band and the performance. All the better if they can make a fantastic show out of a shit venue. It's weird... I've been to a million gigs but can't think of any venue being more special than the rest.
 
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