Your complete guide to Independent Venue Week
Sybil Bell fell into the music industry by accident. She was a music fan but didn’t know anybody in the industry, so she went to multiple events to network and see where she fit in such a complicated industry. This led to her working in a number of different fields, be it operating on behalf of trade bodies, band managers, or venue owners; however, being a venue owner showed her just how much independent spaces struggle. With that, Independent Venue Week was born.
“All I could really see to acknowledge the people that were doing this work was venue competitions, but they just don’t sit well with me; I think they’re so outdated,” said Bell when discussing her initial interest in starting Independent Venue Week, “The idea that one venue is better than all the rest across a year, it’s not the mindset that I’m about. My experience was then and still is very much that venues like to collaborate and work together.”
She continued, “I looked at the Record Store Day model, and I thought, ‘Well, why don’t I replicate that but for venues? Why don’t we create a moment in the calendar where we can just shine a spotlight and celebrate them?’ And that was the rationale behind it, really.”
Since its start, Independent Venue Week has grown exponentially. Venues from up and down the country, varying in size and scene, all contribute to it. They put on various gigs over the week that fans can attend and get excited about live music. It’s a great cause that has never been more important as independent venues continue to struggle.
Why is Independent Venue Week important?
Although the demand for music remains as prevalent as ever, the spaces available where people can see it are becoming increasingly limited. It’s becoming harder and harder for people to run music venues as the costs of keeping them open increase. Be it because of rent, energy or the price of drinks, it’s hard for places to keep running in the modern climate.
By attending a gig at Independent Venue Week, you support both the venue and the band, which goes a long way. However, the whole thing doesn’t just revolve around being supportive; another key reason why Independent Venue Week is important is that it’s a lot of fun. The end of January / beginning of February can always be a lull, so having these shows to look forward to is a huge plus.
“I made a very conscious decision to make sure that our remit was to be very positive and celebratory,” admitted Bell, “That doesn’t mean that we’re not aware of, or, you know, compassionate about the challenges the venues face, but there is something about just having a moment, a deep breath, in amongst all the doom and gloom just to say, ‘Just go to a gig!’
The artists of Independent Venue Week recommend their must-see gigs
The Bug Club – Suep
“We played with them in London a couple of years ago and had been trying to get them onto a show as we were fans of theirs,” said The Bug Club when asked which band at Independent Venue Week they would be most excited about seeing.
It can often be the case that when you finally see a band you’ve been a fan of for a while, you’re left disappointed, but that wasn’t the case when catching Suep live. “They were as good as we anticipated,” they said, desperate to see the band live again, “And created a great atmosphere around the whole show.”
Balancing Act – A Complete Unknown: A Tribute to Bob Dylan
Moth Club has become synonymous with these kinds of evenings recently, hosting events honouring musical legends like David Byrne and Bob Dylan. They’re not tribute nights per se, as rather than merely be someone impersonating the artist, a number of modern bands and musicians take to the stage to perform some of their favourite tracks from the evening’s chosen musical star.
“The film is obviously the talk of the town at the moment, so why not get your wayfarers on and go and watch potentially your new favourite artist delve into the catalogue?” Jackson Couzens from Balancing Act said, “Moth Club is a true London institution with copious amounts of character; surely, this night is a win-win.”
Fightmilk – ME REX, Spring Major, Comic Sans
“Aside from our show on the Saturday, obviously, a couple of listings that stood out are our friends ME REX with Spring Major at The Gove in Nottingham on 1st Feb, and the very brilliant Comic Sans playing the Strongroom Bar a few days before us. They’re so good and they’re gonna be massive,” said Nick from Fightmilk, offering up plenty of must-see acts.
He continued, “To be honest, there’s so many great venues that are a part of IVW that you could do worse than just checking out whatever is on at The Cavendish Arms, Paper Dress Vintage, The Ivy House or Sebright Arms. We’ve played these venues loads over the years and they’ve hosted so many incredible shows and survived independence throughout covid, evil landlords and the fickleness of the industry. They deserve the support all year around, not just this week!”
Gwenno – Cerys Hafana
“Cerys Hafana at the Albert Hall – that’ll be brilliant!” Short and sweet answer, but what else needs to be said? Both are excellent artists, and their gigs are must-sees for anyone looking to get involved in Independent Venue Week.
A lot of people mistake the idea of independent venues being small, and while that is often the case, there are a number of staples across the countries that are still independent despite becoming so popular. One of these is the Albert Hall, one of the most beautiful buildings in London. Any show here will make for an exciting evening.
Full gig listings for all of Independent Venue Week can be found on their website.
