I wonder how many listed here are still open?
Portsmouth
Edge of the wedge (think the wedge might be too big)
The Fat Fox
Little Johnny Russell’s
Eastney tavern
Maybe speak to Pie and Vinyl (they some times do shows at the wave maiden)
And maybe worth chatting to strong island records about spaces
How big is this tour they’re doing?!
You’ve missed Reading. It’s all about the south street centre. Haven’t listened to the music in the op but dot dot dash (promoters) tend to put the most interesting shows when interesting things happen in Reading.
Yep, that’s it alright. It’s a good little venue
The aim is not to just have a list for my friend’s band’s tour but to help other friends in bands who want to tour. They can work out how small or big their tour will be and contact venues/promoters accordingly.
As a Kentish man (or Man of Kent, I can never remember which), I’m not sure there are any venues of note in any of these places. Rochester has The Royal Function Rooms, which touring bands have played in the past, but it’s rare (I saw The Wedding Present there last year). There is Riverside Studio One in Chatham, but very little has been put on there. Also Sun Pier House.
Haven’t known of anything much in Canterbury since The Barn closed. Think the Penny Theatre is still a going thing, but not much of note being put on there. You might get the odd gig at The Gulbekian.
Maidstone has nothing other than pubs with live music licences , as far as I know. Certainly nothing worth recommending. Maybe the odd band playing Pizza Express, other than local covers bands.
There is a new place in Dover called The Booking Hall, which seems to be getting some interesting stuff. Folkestone has the Quartehouse and Leas Cliff Halls. Margate, Tom Thumb Theatre and the Winter Gardens.
You’re a Kentish Man if you’re on the side of the Medway nearest to London. I’m a Man of Kent myself.
A friend of mime mentioned the other week that he’d been to a gig at the Beacon Court Tavern in Gillingham but I’d guess it’s one of those pubs not worth mentioning, that what happens depends on the odd person randomly deciding to do something decent for a change.
The Beacon Court closed a while ago. Was a bit of tribute act graveyard, tbf, although I did see Jeffrey Lewis there once. The Ship Inn in Gillingham, is OK. They get the odd decent act (Tom Hingley and Mark Morriss play on a fairly regular basis), but with shows being free, they do kind of get an odd reception due to the locals not even slightly interested in seeing them.
Kentish Man, by the way.
Oh, there’s also Opium in Edinburgh, just to add one more to your list.
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Nothing at the Nag’s Head anymore? I think last time I was there to see a band was seven or eight years ago? (Catching the last train back up to London afterwards.)
They have the odd band, tends to be the local scene though. Stuart Turner, Bob Collins (my cousin), Theatre Royal, etc. Been a while since I’ve seen a touring band down there (Stagecoach, probably), but then we haven’t really got any promoters bringing acts to the Medway Towns now.
We’ve had the Homespun Festival for the past few years, although it wasn’t on this year. A multi-venue all-dayer, with one-off shows in the days leading up to it. The aforementioned Royal Function Rooms and Sun Pier House hosting the “headline” shows, which tend to be out-of-towners. (https://homespunmedway.com/), along with Poco Loco, hosting the noisier stuff late into the evening.
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Cardiff news:
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It’s the other end of the county, but The Forum in Tunbridge Wells is a ruddy lovely venue.
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The Old England
Yep, it’s pretty sweet. Just assumed it had already been mentioned. Being Medway based, I’m lucky enough to be almost equidistant between the Thanet venues and Tunbridge Wells.
Years ago I saw Thee Headcoats in a venue on Rochester High Street, upstairs place. Looking on Google Street View I think it’s now an Italian restaurant called Divizia.
Ah yes, used to be The Underground once upon a time. Never been to a gig there, but went to a few club nights back in the day.
Just thought of another one in Rochester; The Billabong club. Sits on top of and round the back of the Royal Function Rooms. Primarily a comedy club, but I’ve been to a few gigs there in the past. They also have the most internet v1.0 website in the world! BILLABONG COMEDY CLUB
The Sebright Arms is very good too.
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