Good or bad venue

[Stephen Houghton]

Has anybody had the hype of a venue and been disappointed when they got there .a couple of years ago our crew went to a venue in Stratford-upon-Avon can't recall the place but it was central, it looked like a library from the outside inside small brightly lit room .wouldn't go again but bought a couple of tunes .and the flip from this place we went to the sink in Liverpool small underground club with masses of atmosphere dark and brick arched dancefloor, has anybody any stories ,good or bad

[Leicester Boy]

2 hours ago, Stephen Houghton said:

Has anybody had the hype of a venue and been disappointed when they got there .a couple of years ago our crew went to a venue in Stratford-upon-Avon can't recall the place but it was central, it looked like a library from the outside inside small brightly lit room .wouldn't go again but bought a couple of tunes .and the flip from this place we went to the sink in Liverpool small underground club with masses of atmosphere dark and brick arched dancefloor, has anybody any stories ,good or bad

Do you mean the arts centre? I thought that was pretty decent to be fair.

[Stephen Houghton]

The art centre doesn't sound like the one we went ,I'm getting old now memory not like it was last week 

[Leicester Boy]

3 minutes ago, Stephen Houghton said:

The art centre doesn't sound like the one we went ,I'm getting old now memory not like it was last week 

Ain't we all probably biased but oddfellows never disappoints. 

[Stephen Houghton]

Yep I've heard good vibes about oddfellows, but just some venues just don't do it ,they can be too light no atmosphere, and the tunes .but some like the one we went a couple of yrs ago in the Wigan courts .the first one down in the basement brill feeling as soon as you went in ,ex tunes and dimmly lit ,very memorable. But just some don't do it for us .

[Hornet]

The windmill club Rotherham , derby assembly rooms and A niter in Sheffield which was A sports hall complete with badminton markings all lacking in atmosphere , guess I just liked the seedy venues .

[Winsford Soul]

Middleton civic centre was fantastic,  dark, seedy, brilliant then Middleton Arena was the complete opposite   Glass, well lit, plastic everywhere.  Horrible 

Exactly the same happened to Nantwich civic centre.  

Oh lord what's happening to your people.  When will they ever learn. Leave things alone 

[Hornet]

Allways enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere in Bidds tho off most people’s radar !

[Len]

It's all about the lighting (Darkness!) Health and safety has ruined that.

Always a running argument towards the later years at a venue I used to run about the fire exit down lights on each side of the room - They didn't understand about 'ambiance' 

You shouldn't be able to see the other side of the hall! No one wants to be seen dancing......Do they? 

Dark = Atmosphere!

Len 

[Stephen Houghton]

Nice to hear all your comments good and bad ,once you get the vibe and atmosphere it becomes memorable. Its not all about this place or that place ,but just some places we'll attended or not don't do it ,

[Stephen Houghton]

The florry in Liverpool well lit school disco hall garbage atmosphere, the feeling like you don't belong there ,never again 

[Len]

Yeh if a venue is too light it gives the feel of a wedding reception (Weddings can be good if you're there for a wedding of course) 

Len 

[Martyn Pitt]

Tony's Empress Ballroom ... now that was dark, there were corners in there you couldn't see using military grade image intensifiers  

 

 

[Leicester Boy]

Our thing is best in the near dark without a doubt. No handbags to trip over at the best places anyway.

[Winsford Soul]

50 minutes ago, Martyn Pitt said:

Tony's Empress Ballroom ... now that was dark, there were corners in there you couldn't see using military grade image intensifiers  

 

 

Martyn.  100 % agree my friend spent 5 hours one night there looking for Big Roger. And he was not the smallest or easiest person to miss as you know

[Davenpete]

Remember going to St Ives in the small dark room (only lit by the cueing/record box lights) - I was chatting away to a mate (think it was Daz Dakin or Mad Mick) got up to have a dance, sat back down and continued my conversation for a couple of minutes until I realised he had gone for a dance himself and someone else had sat down in his place. The back room at The Fleet in Peterborough was much the same. Dx

Edited June 6, 2021 by Davenpete

[Geeselad]

On 02/06/2021 at 22:00, Hornet said:

Allways enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere in Bidds tho off most people’s radar !

Those toilets and re stocking the bar with a shopping trolly mid way through, only added to the ambiance. 

[Mssoulie]

On 02/06/2021 at 22:00, Hornet said:

Allways enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere in Bidds tho off most people’s radar !

And Sheridan's.

Went to The Metrodome in Barnsley just the once. Sports halls with concrete floors aren't for me.

Hugh

[Petesi]

The Torch had atmosphere, and of course Wigan well kinda, also Tiffs Newcastle... both downstairs and up.

Nowadays Kings H, Ivo or Burgess hall as it is now, Grosvenor rooms never fails if your old school (I am) Northern line at Alford H Warrington is great too.

I guess it will depend on the music and DJ`s cos if the dancefloor is good and its belting along then the rest is just a blur.

Edited June 8, 2021 by Petesi

[Chilli]

Pow Wow in Sheffield had a great vibe, in both of the venues that I can remember going to.  Remember going to an after-party at Club 60, which is basically an illegal drinking establishment (no license) in a downstairs cellar which you could only get to through a printing shop .  The cellar was not in the best of upkeep and looked like what I can only imagine the Cavern in Liverpool would have been like in the 60s.  Absolutely brilliant vibe in there; the only problem being I had to leave at about 5am to get home to take the son to play football on the Sunday morning . 

[Stephen Houghton]

Listening to the comments on this feed,it sounds like everybody loves a dark dingy venue brightly lit school halls or the like sack them

[Timillustrator]

On 06/06/2021 at 17:48, Petesi said:

The Torch had atmosphere, and of course Wigan well kinda, also Tiffs Newcastle... both downstairs and up.

Nowadays Kings H, Ivo or Burgess hall as it is now, Grosvenor rooms never fails if your old school (I am) Northern line at Alford H Warrington is great too.

I guess it will depend on the music and DJ`s cos if the dancefloor is good and its belting along then the rest is just a blur.

Grosvenor rooms is great, amazing floor too - like a sheet of glass!

 

[Stephen Houghton]

Hi just asking what would be your ideal venue if you could wish.over the years would it be like I like dark and a little rough round the edges, cheap beer prices and tunes that just hit the spot.no bright lights and disco lights going on and off round the Dec's. ,and no beer carried across the dance floor 

What's your venue 

[Lionelonthevinyl]

Great thread!!! I think everyone has had some mad experiences....a couple that spring to mind (won't mention where and dj,s) #1  the line up on the decks was superb and expecting plenty of rare records played...turned into a Motown night for the !ocals...there is playing to the f!oor.... but it was advertised as a northern do with top dj,s playing....#2 arrived at a working men's club, lots of windows boarded up and my mate who was driving his 60k company car crapping himself!!!...bucket catching the water from the leak in the roof as you walked through the door...was a great night!!....Keith Money was playing his brilliant mid tempo records...cheap beer, friendly but a tad scary with the locals....just as it should be!!!...thank you...Rob

P.s didn't mention dj,s from the 1st event I mentioned.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 1, 2021 by Lionelonthevinyl

[Stephen Houghton]

Queens Hall at Bradford was one of them places too ,dark dingy sweat dripping from the ceiling and a cafe to get a sandwich and a brew absolutely loved this place we came from macclesfield to this venue and never missed one .just class and atmosphere all over it ,proper place 

[Chris Turnbull]

On 01/08/2021 at 17:23, Stephen Houghton said:

Queens Hall at Bradford was one of them places too ,dark dingy sweat dripping from the ceiling and a cafe to get a sandwich and a brew absolutely loved this place we came from macclesfield to this venue and never missed one .just class and atmosphere all over it ,proper place 

Queens Hall was so dark it took five minutes for your eyes to adjust

[Stephen Houghton]

Yep your right fella ,but what a atmosphere. Some venues now are like cafes just no atmosphere at all .

[Mach]

Queens hall had a Brill atmosphere, only light i saw was like a bedroom table lamp on the side of the dj decks up on the balcony, worst had to be that Dragons Niter at a place nobody could find in Farsley (suberb of Leeds) in the 90s, dance floor with a maximum of about 10 people, soulies still arriving at 4-5 in the morning,those that could find it, and then record dealers were tucked away in a quiet seperate room altogether, worst niter i ever attended.

[Timillustrator]

Always like a nice Town/Civic Hall type building, Kings Hall Stoke, Sheffield City Hall, Birmingham Town Hall, Kidderminster Town Hall, Darlaston Town Hall. They usually have a massive dance floor, usually rather subdued lighting, great acoustics and there's nothing like the backdrop of a big pipe organ behind the DJ. There's a couple of ex-churches (one in Burton, can't remember the name?) too which have a great interior. In a venue like that the quality of the music isn't so crucial, even mediocre tunes echoing around have impact.