As mentioned previously the annual celebration of smaller venues that is Independent Venue Week will soon be upon us. Independent venues across the land (and even some across the pond) will be hosting events in the seven days between Monday 28th January and Sunday 3rd February.
Once again one of my favourite venues, Portsmouth's venerable Wedgewood Rooms, will be taking part, and has announced that it will be welcoming Beans on Toast, Tankus the Henge, New York bluegrass/hip-hop (yes, it's a thing) outfit Gangstagrass and Canada's Cancer Bats, to name but three, to its stages over this period. Local promoters Trash Arts are also involved, they'll be hosting Anglo-Dutch foursome Alcuna Wilds at the Edge of The Wedge on Tuesday 29th January.
Alcuna Wilds consists of Brits Nadja Freeman (vocals, synths) and Pete Barnes (guitar) who, with Nederlanders Jordy Pama (synths, bass & backing vocals) and Sjaak van Dam (drums, samples), produce some rather beautiful, mellifluous, atmospheric and ambient rock:
Support on the night comes from local talent, with singer-songwriters Paddy Taylor and Teco Nicolello joined by self-confessed lumbersexuals The Jay Groovara Band. Tickets are priced at very reasonable £5 (advance, £6 on the door), which is an absolute bargain if you ask me.
Barely has the dust settled on the old year, heads still ringing from seeing in the new, and the gig calendar is starting to populate with new events to attend. Amongst the first of these is an all day event at the Edge of the Wedge, the Wedgewood Rooms' sister venue, held in support of Independent Venue Week.
An annual celebration of the UK's small music venues and the people that own, run and work in them, Independent Venue Week supports the stages where many artists receive their first taste of playing live to an audience, artists that may eventually end up playing to thousands at stadia and festivals.
Unfortunately the UK's smaller venues currently face threats from a variety of sources, whether it be rate increases, property developers or neighbourhood noise issues, resulting in names familiar to gig goers disappearing from listings across the land.
Independent Music Week 2019 runs from Monday 28th January through to Sunday 2rd February, with member venues throughout Blighty hosting gigs (locally this includes The Joiners and Suburbia in Southampton, Strings on the Isle of Wight, and the aforementioned Wedgewood Rooms).
Portsmouth DJs and event organisers Calamity Cratediggers have planned an all day shindig at the Edge, complete with record fair and local art showcase, for Sunday 3rd February. The first two confirmed acts playing are Slift, purveyors of psychedelic garage from Toulouse, and Khana Bierbood (คณะเบียร์บูด), a 60s influenced surf band from Thailand, with several more acts set to be announced soon;
Advance tickets are available now via the Wedgewood Rooms website, priced at a very reasonable £8. Yes, sounds a bargain to me too.
Update:
Calamity Cratediggers have announced more acts that have been added to the bill; from London comes punk four-piece Italia 90 and avant-rockers POSA, from closer to home are Portsmouth bands Violet Mud, The Staywakes and Highlights of Our Modern World.
Rounding out the bill is Chet Wynne (aka Adam Rickman from Jesse Wylde & The Stallions), the Battery Hens/Grief Daddy/Aeroplane Attack/Flubums supergroup that is Friday Night Weird Dreams, and Brighton's Squig. A rather natty poster, reproduced above, has been created for the event by illustrator Carl Tai Thompson and would, I feel, make a very nice framed addition for any discerning gig-goers wall.
As much as I loved Massive Attack's set at Portsmouth Guildhall last night, and an excellent array of tunes and arresting visuals it was too
(including a nice Terry Wogan tribute), my enjoyment of said gig was somewhat hampered by the drunken chatterboxes stood behind me who willfully bleated on throughout the show. It is my gig-going bugbear. My prime punter annoyance. Why pay £30+ for a ticket if you're going to talk all the way through the gig? Why cheer loudly when Horace Andy takes to the stage if you're just going to gab during his performance? Surely not just to piss me off, that they could've done far easier and cheaper than spending £££ for a ticket plus whatever to cover the amount of booze they'd imbibed. No matter, the Dave abides and, by shuffling my carcass slightly forward, I moved myself just about out of earshot (though slightly more up close and personal to some flat-cap wearing hipsters then I'd like) and could enjoy the show (and damn good it was too).
By my own admission, and no surprise to you reading this, I'm a bit of gig whore. I have been to a lot of shows over the years and, yes, I've sadly stood through too many that have been spoiled by someone crapping on about something when they should be listening. Venues have bars, if you want a chat go and stand there, prop up the counter and chew the fat. Don't stand next to me and talk to your mate about your favourite song, the one you want played at your wedding, that you then talk loudly through when the artist plays it (that was one time seeing Ed Harcourt) or just witter on incessantly and ignore the very British looks of umbrage that are being thrown in your direction (as happened at gigs by such fine artists as John Grant, Midlake and Sleaford Mods to name but three).
Last night's experience reminded me of times in The Cellars (RIP) where they had a notice pinned near the bar advising that it was a "listening venue"; if you spoke too loudly during a set then one of the bar staff would tell you off, and they weren't kidding either. Slightly less full on is a poster campaign by Independent Venue Week that makes the point very clearly; if the band is interrupting your conversation you're in the wrong place. Ideally venues shouldn't have to post up nanny state posters telling punters how to behave, nor should I have to waste pixels venting a small amount of spleen about some people I don't know who couldn't care less, but sadly that's just the way it is.
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(update - unfortunately the link to the IVW campaign appears to have expired, the posters are present via the illustrator though; click the image below to view them on Robbie Porter's website)
