Independent Venue Week ’24: Your Favourite Artists, On Their Favourite Venues
There’s no two ways about it: live music is in crisis. According to a recent study, 125 grassroots music spaces went under in 2023, and there is every sign that the coming year will be equally problematic for venues across the land.
But there’s hope, too. Independent Venue Week aims to shine a light on the grassroots, illuminating the work done your humble, everyday local venue. Breeding grounds for new talent, it’s here that the next Ed Sheeran can be found. In every way, today’s support act is truly tomorrow’s stadium-filling sensation.
Kicking off today, Independent Venue Week gathers 100s of musicians at 205 venues across the land, crossing generations and genre lines in the process. It’s a pivotal moment, but it’s also a true celebration of independence in all its forms.
Stretching from corner to corner of the UK, Independent Venue Week helps connect fans with the teams at their local live music hubs. In keeping with this, Clash asked some of our favourite artists to nominate their own favourite venues…
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My favourite UK venue has to be King Tuts hands down. Partly because it’s an iconic venue, but also due to the fact it was the first venue I ever played as a headliner when lockdown was officially lifted.
I knew the history behind it and to sell it out only having a few singles released was an amazing feeling. It’ll be a core memory forever for sure.
– Brooke Combe (IVW Scotland ambassador)
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The Windmill in Brixton will forever be our favourite independent venue. It’s the place where it all really began for us. Tim the booker (Gandalf of South London music scene) gave us a shot during IVW last year after we had played a few shows at the venue. We were so excited to support Maruja and Honeyglaze, bands that we are huge fans of. We will never forget that night, as we were spotted by the team we work with today and were so grateful to have been supported by a local venue.
Without Tim giving us this shot and independent venues like The Windmill existing, we’d never have been exposed to the opportunities that we were presented with that evening. Not only that, but independent venues like The Windmill bring communities together and enabled us to make friends after moving from Liverpool to London with no mates lol. SUPPORT LOCAL INDEPENDENT VENUES!!!
ps. We love you Tim
– Picture Parlour
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Esquires is one of – if not the only – music venue in Bedford frequently visited by touring artists, making it a goddamn cultural epicentre.
Having grown up in an orbiting village, this venue was the closest (and best) place for me to see live music without taking the Thameslink into London. It’s a crucial part of the community with three rooms, lovely staff and great music from local bands and beyond. If it wasn’t for Esquires the county’s music scene would frankly be nothing but tumbleweeds, just saying.
It’s an honour to be headlining Esquires on February 3rd, things have come full circle and I’m both horrifically nervous and terrifically excited.
– English Teacher (Bedford boy Douglas Frost)
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The Eagle Inn, Salford.
Absolutely dwarfed now by new developments, skyscrapers and unaffordable investment properties, The Eagle Inn is still proudly standing its ground. We rehearse upstairs in a tiny attic room. It’s a combination of a ‘proper’ pub, a massive terrace area and a gig venue that’s an old two-up two-down house knocked through, complete with a fireplace left high up on the wall from what used to be a second floor.
The epitome of a best of both worlds venue, proper ales and then a trip next door to see breaking DJs and bands you wouldn’t see anywhere else in the city. Just class. A building that’s able to transform into whatever you need it to be.
– Antony Szmierek
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For me Barrowlands is a special place. A right of passage for when you get to that next level. The light outside is a beacon for all indie bands to head to. The bouncing floors and the charming Glaswegian crew always make it an unforgettable night on tour. Here we f**kin go!
– Circa Waves (Kieran Shudall)
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For a full breakdown of all Independent Venue Week 2024 shows visit their official website.
English Teacher Photo Credit: Tatiana Pozuelo
