I'd like to add The Black Cross in Bromsgrove to the list of good venues! We played there for the second time on saturday! Free entry on a saturday night means a steady stream of people coming in! Good, appreciative crowd, landlord and staff all really friendly and eager to make it an enjoyable night! Sure there's no stage, but the area for bands is adequate! All backline, so sound is pretty easy to sort out!
1. The Marrs Bar - crap sound system and clinically deaf sound guys! Crap bands too from out of town.
2. The Cellar Bar - crap sound system on acoustic nights along with a duffer of an MC. Move the bar or the stage area and sack the MC.
3. Evolution - A sweat box and generally the worst acoustics in town.
4. Swan With Two Nicks - rubbish acoustics - no space for more than a duo.
5. The Lamb (Malvern) - crap sound, rude audience and really crap bogs. And to play there you have got to be mates of the open mic organisers or the pissed up landlord.
6. The Cavalry Arms (Malvern) - rubbish acoustics - no space for bands - duff beer, no organisation!
7. The Wyche (Malvern) - bogs stink, rubbish stage area (pillars in the way), grumpy landlord.
The good places:
1. The Firefly - excellent venue for acoustic players. Nice staff and gaffer, good outside area for unplugged music on sunny days - good beer.
2. The Bedwardine (St John's) - good stage area, loads of Video screens showing the bands - room for two stages - welcoming gaffer & wife. Some of the locals are a bit chav like, but they soon run away.
3. The Mount Pleasant (Malvern) - great sound, great atmosphere (when busy) and Free entry!
4. The Railway Hotel (Evesham) - Always been a good venue since the 1970's for live music. With a good band and organiser, this place rocks. Nice video screen too! Sound system okay - bands should try their own.
5. The Tardibigge (Redditch) - Awesome venue for all muso's. Big stage, great back drop videos and amazing sound system. Recommended.
6. The Boathouse at Upton - brilliant acoustics - great outlook on the Severn. Good free grub for bands.
7. The Rowing Club (Stourport) - excellent venue for bands and acoustic players. Nice staff, cheap beer - good dressing room!
8. The Plough (Little Dewchurch, Hereford) - Awesome country pub with loads of music potential for acoustic players. Nice owners, good beer!
9. Keystones (Worcester) - Good underground venue - good sound system (when a decent sound guy in charge), area to chat away from stage but beers too expensive and limited. Far better than the Marrs Bar!
10. Bossa Nova - a lot wrong with this place as far as organisation etc, but it is a great venue for bands with awesome sound when there is a bloke who knows what to do on the sound desk. Upstairs there is an a great place for inntimate acoustic stuff. Needs a serios kick up the arse, but a good venue all the same. Needs some TLC from punters and bands to make it work.
We played there at very short notice because the main band of the evening (The Echoes) apparently couldn't be bothered to find their own support. Despite this there was hardly a "thank you" on the evening (and there wouldn't have been one at all as far as I can tell if one of our guys hadn't bothered to speak to Stuart (the landlord) and pretty much encouraged it out of him).
The sound quality as far as I can tell wasn't bad, at least people didn't seem to have any trouble hearing us. As for organisation, it was awful - i.e. there was none. I'd been speaking to The Echoes since we'd been asked to play to sort out whether we could share equipment etc and been told they'd be there at ~7:00. We got there at about 7:30 to give them a chance to soundcheck but only their drummer was there. I managed to find Stuart and he was a bit vague about what we should be doing, so we just set up on the "stage". Eventually "the PA guy" was pointed out to us and we arranged to do a soundcheck and then sat down and waited. Eventually the other people playing that night arrived but this was nearly 9:00 and time for James Nye to get on and do his opening act. Even then, he seemed to not know whether he should be going on or not. The Echoes managed to get their stuff in place before he started, but didn't soundcheck at that point.
James played, then went off. We though, ok, what now...so we just went on and played. There was not even a nod or an introduction or anything.
We came off, then the Echoes went on and did a soundcheck just before they started then played.
As I said - very disappointing. We expected a lot more from a place that has so much live music advertised - we thought the evening would have been reasonably well organised, and that someone would actually have bothered to try to talk to us and let us know what was happening as well as introducing us. Not only that, we eve had to pay full price for our own drinks!
The other particularly disappointing part of the evening was the attitude of The Echoes; they were the headline band that evening and appeared to have played quite a few gigs, but they just turned up at the last minute rather than getting there in time to do soundchecks and check out the other acts. In addition, despite the time I spent trying to arrange with them to share equipment, they arrived too late to make that happen and we were told the guitarist's amp was too flaky to guarantee that it would work for us (no sign of any flakiness while they were playing).
I agree, we've played the robin as part of their live band of the year comp twice in the last month, and will be again in november. The venue is a great venue, stage a good size, and soundguys know what they're doing. Near perfect sound both times. I've never played Marrs Bar (not for want of trying), but I've heard mixed opinions on the sound...and yes the room is a silly shape and beer extortionate.
It's the same situation everywhere though. Too many venues are too afraid to take risks on new bands. Too many 'promoters' do little more than just book bands. I understand that venues need people to come, in order to make money, but to book a band on the provisio that they bring a minimum of 20 people is ridiculous. Especially for out of town bands. We can spam the hell out of myspace all we like, but if we go to (let's say newcastle) to play a gig, if gotta be the promoters job to get the crowd in and we'll do the rest. I'm sick of turning up to venues and having a poor turnout and not seeing a single flyer/poster/mention of anything happening. For local gigs, I do as much as I can to get people in. For gigs at a distance, it's difficult! O well. Onwards and upwards! We will persevere!
Andy wrote:
I'd like to see a proper music venue in Worcester but really I don't think that people want it badly enough... Until they do I recommend going to "The Robin 2" in Bilston and seeing how it should be done. It's only a 40 minute drive and usually has some top bands.
i hate it. it sucks to be frank, everybody is dull and boring and you dont want to start to do stuff there because youl look like a jackass. also they stop people going out to smoke, you can only go out once for a fag!!!
I have considered that Andy I really have.. I am only doing this anonymously as I don't want any grudges to be held against me. I've been on this so-called scene for a while and the cliqueyness has to stop that's what is killing the scene in my opinion. How many venues use a safe stock pile of bands to get crowds in? Without taking any risks? How many bands around here think they are hot because they are told it all the time in the press or ass kissing reviews?? Not because they actually deserve it? No one in this town is the same standard as bands APATT or The Laze from Liverpool yet people like Apatt are very down to earth. They arent egotistical about their position in the food chain. A bunch of friends put them on at Keystones and they were amazing. Before that we put them on at Tobys Tavern. They deserve the accolades they get and the attention they have they worked hard for it. Im not peeing on anyone elses parade of self indulgence here but seriously new bands and out of town bands deserve a chance. I used to be a part of this whole cliquey scene mentality but Ive grown up. Its about the music everything else- egos, success, money - should be secondary or in all fairness it shouldnt be a factor at all.
Remember, Information is not knowledge; Knowledge is not Wisdom; Wisdom is not truth; Truth is not beauty; Beauty is not love; Love is not music; Music is the best. Frank Zappa
Here is a bitter rant with a point..a lot wont agree but hell with it..
Ok I dont like the marrs bar.. I have played their a bunch of times with various different crowds, turn outs. So here are my reasons
1:Its an odd shaped room so intentional controlled feedback is a bitch to pull off as the sound usually just dies before you really get some squeals, this also gives a kind of studio feel to the sound in their almost like its put through a compressor. Unlike TJs {which had character, great acoustics, excellent feedback variables, didnt pretend to be anything other than a sh** hole and the tea break nights to boot - I.E as near a unified scene Worcester has ever had,} the marrs bar has a flat lifeless sound to it.
2: the atmosphere is none existent! People seem to just sit down and watch in a very civilised manner {though I think this is in some part due to the smoking ban,}
3:The sound is usually appalling I remember a sound check that took 45 minutes once and it STILL wasnt good enough for members of the band I was with!
4: The P.A is both too big and over bearing for such a room I and friends have both got better results out of smaller P.As in bigger rooms in the past and recently,
5:the drink prices take the piss.
6:But worse of all its scene scene scene it loves been the focal point of the Worcester Scene when lets face it so many people burn bridges between promoters and bands in this town we never will have a unified scene there is just too much diversity. Yet the marrs bar pedals this scene to everyone. It is constantly in your face..
Other nights besides the whole band band band thing do exist in Worcester they just dont get promoted in the same way the marrs bar does! such as; the Llama Lounge {3nd Saturday of the month at the Angel centre} a pretty good cabaret night of film, theatre, comedy, music ect this has been quite a success so far but only though minimal flyering and word of mouth. But all proceeds go to charity and room hire not into the promoters pockets so to speak. Theirs a thought huh. The same goes for nights at the arts work shop such as Café Subterranean or perhaps Infusion {27 and 72 so far} a new night started by Jez mort similar principle as Llama Lounge different venue though with the concept been to create the illusion of 72 random ideas simultaneously.. in the past we have had varied nights such as Philip Newth {also at the Arts Workshop}
Come on Worcester open your eyes to the possibilities of change and be inspired how long can we peddle the same format forever?
The Marrs Bar is a great little venue - probably Worcester's best but I've seen 3 band there lately who all had issues with the sound and equipment.... pity... I think the management are busy doing other stuff and the place is deteriorating because of this. Also the layout is crap.
I went to The Bosa Nova once to see Sarah Warren... Great band... crap venue... No atmosphere.
Huntington Hall is ok and has some good bands but it's hardly rock and roll! Plus you get a sore ass from sitting on wooden benches all night.
Drummonds is fun and usually has a good turn out. They only have local bands and not only is it expensive to drink but they now charge to get in too which is just taking the p***. They should only charge for really good bands...
The Red Lion at Powick is just about ok but a bit too cramped.
Mostly I think that Worcester people are pretty apathetic where live music is concerned and don't really give it enough support which is why there are no truly great venues here. It seems to me that, even when they've paid to get in, most people would rather listen to themselves talking rather than the band... I just don't get this?... It spoils it for everyone else and I've even seen fights kick off in the Marrs Bar on account of it!
I'd like to see a proper music venue in Worcester but really I don't think that people want it badly enough... Until they do I recommend going to "The Robin 2" in Bilston and seeing how it should be done. It's only a 40 minute drive and usually has some top bands.
Richard is the landlord of the Red Lion, Powick. We had a gig booked there for Saturday 22nd . He phoned me up last week and told me about how he was behind on his PRS payments and they were taking him to court, therefore he is cancelling ALL Gigs....fair enough I thought, a bit silly to fall behind on payments but Im not going to kick a man whos down. Turns out he lied to us and none of it was true, hed simply changed his mind because we are too expensive (£40 per man)the booked a "cheaper band"...lol. The guy is a nutter and a pathalogical liar (ive heard other disturbing things since from others) I recommend you stear a wide berth of this place, he's bound to go out of business soon and then once a decent person takes over the place we can all go back and enjoy it. Sorry for the rant but I dont like to be blatently lied to like that.
what is huntingdon hall like. they have a few shows there don't they. I have never been myself?
Bossa Nova is ok I guess. the bar staff are miserable as f**k but what do you expect with decor like that. whos idea was it to put LPs on the wall. And the entire furniture seems to be bought from the IKEA caterlogue
Drummonds is quite cool for covers bands and Keystones have started having music there now. But marrs is great. bit expensive but its usually worth it.
Bossa nova is a major disappointment - no promotion and despite their ridiculously large PA the sound can be really poor. No monitors for Christ's sake!
The Railway at Evesham ain't bad, the landlord a miserable old duffer but he's alright under the skin. The Lamb is West Malvern is pretty decent too.
bossa-nova, isn't very good. They're disorganised, don't promote gigs at all.
We played halloween, supposedly 4 acts on, two cancelled, and when we went on there was about 10 people in the bar, 6 of which were our mates.
Best venues? only other place I've been that has live music is the marrs bar, nice place but I get the feeling there's a bit of a 'clique' for the bands that go on.
for me, TJ's is the best. it was my bands first gig and we played there twice after. all the bands seem to respect each other quite a bit and stick around to see all the other bands. its also a good laugh and good atmosphere
mars bar is good but way too expensive to utilise TJ's has gotta be it, yeah i agree its pretty wack set up but as far as the attitude of people who go and play there, they make up for it. its all about the raw music at tj's, there is nothing to hide under, u just have to go for it
tjs in worcester is the **** man. when everybody comes together and helps put on those free gigs... it doesn't matter if the sound is good or **** (incidentally, there have been some nights there where the sound kicked ass), but its the 'get up and go' attitude of everyone that plays there. also, there have been many bands on stage at tjs that would probably never have played worcester otherwise.
bossa nova is a **** venue. they have a wicked rig that would sound mint if someone there knew how to work the equipment. don't ever go to that place.
heroes was pretty cool with the reggae nights etc but i don't think they ever put live music on.
where else?? heenan and froud used to be a cool venue.. but for some reason they stopped doing gigs.
gonzo's isn't worth mentioning.
all in all, i would say tjs is the best, when its good; dirty, small enough but big enough, dingy, smelly and dark. but then that place is close to my heart. its a **** they're selling up and its gonna be a restaurant/cafe :(
