Is there really a need for grotty old venues that have that ominous combination of sticky floors, obscenely graffitied toilet doors and that remarkable smell of sweat and stale beer? Even in our economic climate people are still more than willing to pay a little bit extra to see their favourite bands. It doesn’t matter if they’re already famous, the next big thing or your sister’s mates’ band.
The Joiners has been an important music venue for 40 years, it helped to start the careers of Oasis, The Libertines, Muse and the Manic Street Preachers to name but a few. It is also a vital platform for new and local bands to play their first gigs. Over the years the venue has been recognized as part of the UK ‘toilet circuit’. Chris Stemp a booking agent at The Joiners explains: “The term toilet circuit is affectionately given to venues which aren’t exactly the nicest looking of places but have that special kind of warmth about them that you don’t get at one of the bigger, more commercial venues.” As he works for The Joiners he is obviously going to be slightly biased but Stemp believes that “We need venues like The Joiners to provide the aforementioned warmth it provides, to make first time gig-goers feel less intimidated and comfortable, and to give regular gig goers the chance to see the bands of tomorrow in an intimate setting- one that you’ll never get to see again once they hit the big time.”
It is almost impossible to religiously attend smaller venues like The Joiners because they have limited stage space and also have a certain number of gig goers that they can fit in. It may be the case that your favourite famous band will only play at bigger venues because they are able to sell more tickets and may have a stage show more suited for a big stage. “I do regularly go to bigger venues such as Southampton Guildhall because if I didn’t I simply wouldn’t be able to see some of my favourite bands. I admit, the atmosphere doesn’t compare to a smaller more intimate venue but you have to accept it’s what happens when your favourite band gets more popular. In an ideal world we’d all like to see our favourite bands play in our living room at house parties “states Stemp.
The pros for venues such as the Bournemouth International Centre or the Brighton Centre is that they can have a wider range of shows like Mozart By Candlelight or ice skating but they lack the intimacy you get from gigs in smaller venues. They are not obviously spotless and may sometimes have the odd sticky floor but on the whole are cleaner and have more seating.
However, I can’t imagine why you would want to sit down when Crystal Arcade are playing. They met at university and went on to form a unique indie group. They have just released an E.P ‘All the things she said” which was produced at Foel studios. The band consists of: Ross Rolph, Mike Rolph, Daniel Ratcliff and Matt Skeats. They have played at The Joiners seven times and believe smaller venues are very important. I spoke to Ross about Crystal Arcade’s experiences at The Joiners: “We very strongly believe we still need venues like The Joiners. Venues like this are an absolute essential for most bands to play, not only when they are unsigned but when they are first signed and trying to really push their name out there. Many acts that have gone on to huge success have graced the floors and doors of The Joiners.”
There is a risk with smaller venues showcasing less well known bands that the attendance might be low. Ross says: “mostly I prefer going to the bigger venues as you can guarantee everyone there will jump around and dance or whatever as there are so many people no one is afraid of 'letting their hair down' whereas sometimes at smaller venues especially if the venue isn’t really busy people worry too much about what other people think and won’t enjoy themselves and jump around like they would if it was at a bigger venue....We prefer playing in bigger venues most the time but occasionally it is nice to play at a small venue that you have absolutely rammed with people as it presents that closeness to the fans that is hard to get at the big venues.”
Steve Turner the Entertainment and Events Manager at the BIC says: “The advantage of having a larger venue is that you can attract either larger performances or better known artist to the area. The financial requirement for these larger performances to tour means that unless you can dissipate the costs over a larger capacity they are financially unsustainable. To meet the costs in a small venue you would have to charge an unrealistic ticket price.”
Everyone who has been to The Joiners will have their own favourite gig or reason to keep going back. Stemp says: “My favourite thing about The Joiners is the feel of the place. If you walk around the venue in the daytime you can sense the long history it’s had. I remember my first time of being in the old band room in the cellar thinking of all the legends of rock n roll that had been there before me and being quite in awe of that fact. I also love hearing how The Joiners has got such a high reputation in the industry for being a great venue; it always helps when I’m trying to book bands!” The cellar isn’t used anymore due to flood damage; the new band room is upstairs with graffiti free walls. Seeing all the obscene scribbles and band logos in the cellar that have built up over 40 years is mind blowing.
Crystal Arcade talk about their favourite Joiners moment: “We have had a lot of very good times there. If I had to name one though I would say the night we played The Joiners with Alphabeat and Palladium was a top night. Really good lively crowd, and was great meeting some big name bands” Ross Rolph says:”My favourite thing about The Joiners is becoming part of history. When you play there you know that you are standing on the same stage that so many legends have stood on before they were big and you also become part of the history.”
The history is the main reason we need venues like The Joiners. Think about all the bands that have played there and made their mark in the cellar. They all owe some of their success to the venue and the gig experience really can’t be matched by gigs in bigger venues. In The Joiners you can stand less than a foot away from the band and can clearly see the guitarist’s fingers commanding that awesome solo. In bigger venues you almost need binoculars to see the drummer. So despite the sticky floors, ominous smell and obscene graffiti, we need The Joiners!
By Katherine Buckland of Underground Music.
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