Unusual (and small) Venues

Subject: Unusual (and small) Venues
From: GUEST,Ian Hendrie
Date: 25 Jan 16 - 01:24 PM

I came across the Old Cinema Launderette website by accident. It's near Durham in the north-east of England and is a genuine launderette by day and sometime concert venue by night. Rather surprisingly it seems to have concerts with some notable artists even though it looks incredibly small. I imagine that part of its attraction for artists lies in its unique nature.

It set me thinking, are there any other unusual (and perhaps small) venues like this operating successfully?

Subject: RE: Unusual (and small) Venues
From: GUEST,Peter
Date: 25 Jan 16 - 03:27 PM

Golden Hinde

The Winemakers Club is used for monthly-ish small concerts.

No longer running but there used to be a similar set up to the OP's in a dress shop in Shoreditch. The performers stood in the window.

Subject: RE: Unusual (and small) Venues
From: TheSnail
Date: 25 Jan 16 - 05:30 PM

Well, it's a music shop so perhaps not that unusual but it is very small. Union Music Store

Subject: RE: Unusual (and small) Venues
From: Crane Driver
Date: 25 Jan 16 - 06:03 PM

We don't use it as a venue for concerts, but for a small and unusual session venue, we use the local community boat for music while travelling on the river - see here for what we do.

Andrew

Subject: RE: Unusual (and small) Venues
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 25 Jan 16 - 06:07 PM

This one sounds a bit quirky anyway...
directions...Bull's Head on your left ...follow road that bears left.
Up the hill Take 1st left =Wilderbrook Lane..
Follow lane for about 1/2 mile, there will be a house on right, swiftly followed by a driveway/bumpy track. (on left)
This is Handley Farm Where you will find Bull Shed!

Monday Acoustic - the Bull Shed - Handley Farm Belper 
DE56 2DT. 01773 550056 

20:00-23:30
Every Monday we hold an acoustic session, at the Bull Shed, Handley Farm, Shottle 
Hosted By 
Dale Rowles of BB BlackDog 
and John Devine.

Bring an instrument, and jam along, or play a song or two of your own.
No Amplifiers, just real music by real people.

www.facebook.com/Monday-Acoustic-Sessions-at-the-Bull-Shed-Handley-Farm-Shottle-DE56-2DT-670084856372530 "

and this one in a bike shop, though it decamped to the recording studio next door and hasn't restarted in 2016 yet...

" ...We have opened the shop up to unplugged acoustic evenings every last Thursday of the month. 
To find out about previous Shop Sessions you can checkout our blog here 
http://tcjshopsessions.blogspot.co.uk/
Or our Video Channel 
www.youtube.com/user/shopsessions/videos

Venue

Cycle Junction   Zan Industrial Park, Crewe Rd, 
Sandbach, Cheshire 
CW11 4QH
www.thecyclejunction.com/shopsessions/
01270 767115 
https://maps.google.com/?cid=14626221110231365250 "

Subject: RE: Unusual (and small) Venues
From: GUEST,Ian Hendrie
Date: 26 Jan 16 - 03:42 AM

I definitely like the Community Boat idea and have been on folk club canal trips in the past. I've just realised that our local folk trains come into the category.

Do any of these very small venues actually manage to pay their performers?

Subject: RE: Unusual (and small) Venues
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 26 Jan 16 - 07:14 AM

The mostly converted cowshed at the back of that pub in Frodsham, Cheshire, run by Ian Woods in the 70's amd 80's and later by Mr & Mrs Alexander - Alt and .......................

Subject: RE: Unusual (and small) Venues
From: Harmonium Hero
Date: 26 Jan 16 - 11:32 AM

Sorry Les - had to correct that one! - it was a stable, complete with stalls and mangers, and seats and tables made from some old church pews. The late Dave Boardman was resident for a while after Ian Woods packed it in, and then The Wakes for a year or so. Alt and Carol Alexander then ran it for what must have been abour thirty years, and it is now run by Grace Woods (ex-wife of the above-mentioned Ian). Sadly, the pub was taken over about fifteen years ago by one of these 'PubCos', who promptly evicted the club and others who used the stable block, and tarted the place up to cater for the yoof trade. Usual story. The Folk Club is now in the Conservative Club just down the road. Still going strong after 48 years.
John Kelly.

Subject: RE: Unusual (and small) Venues
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 26 Jan 16 - 11:38 AM

Thanks John, I am sure you are correct! We saw all sorts there and sang there off and on. Saw Mike Harding one night - great fun as always. Some poor unfortunate was being sick in a corner - I think mike said something like leave him alone he has had a really good night so far.

Wasit the Queens Head?

Subject: RE: Unusual (and small) Venues
From: Harmonium Hero
Date: 26 Jan 16 - 02:36 PM

Yes. JK

Subject: RE: Unusual (and small) Venues
From: Harmonium Hero
Date: 26 Jan 16 - 05:49 PM

I say 'stable'; actually part of a 200-year-old stable block which, if I'm not mistaken, is a listed building. Are there any other clubs in listed buildings?
In the way of small venues, what about the Wee Folk Club in Edinburgh? In the basement bar of the Royal Oak in (if memory serves) Infirmary St - although I stand to be corrected. It holds about 30 people. Or the Windlesham club in Berkshire which, if it's still where it was, holds about 15. Leadfingers could confirm that.
Many, many years ago, there was a boat moored in one of the Livepool docks, which was run as a night club. The Clubship 'Landfall' it was called. The Crofters had their club there for a while.
That's all I can think of for now, but I'm sure there are one or two others. JK.

Subject: RE: Unusual (and small) Venues
From: Gallus Moll
Date: 26 Jan 16 - 06:38 PM

there are events in The Strachur Smiddy, a small blacksmisth's forge, now a museum trust -- but virtually untouched; in fact from time to time a blacksmith will come and make metal items for sale in the craft shop, or a farrier will demonstrate shoeing a horse

The Smiddy seats 25 on a variety of chairs, and as some of the sessions and concerts (Folk at the Forge) are fundraisers in memory of an amazing musician who died two years ago the performers can only be offered fuel expenses (if the raffle makes sufficient £££)
The Music in the Smiddy events can offer the door money to artiste(s)- - but 25 in the audience doesn't generate a huge amount!
Wonderfully atmospheric venue with the forge fire blazing - and your thermals and winter boots on!

Subject: RE: Unusual (and small) Venues
From: Harmonium Hero
Date: 26 Jan 16 - 06:47 PM

And then ther's the old Derby Jail....just the place for ballads about 'angings and 'orrible murders. They should book me....
JK

Subject: RE: Unusual (and small) Venues
From: banjoman
Date: 27 Jan 16 - 04:48 AM

The Custom House in Liverpool in the 1970,s ran a club in the smallest room imaginable. I remember one guest (Roy Harris?) asking "Are we moving upstairs soon" Great nights with indoor Moris Dancing in the main bar.

Subject: RE: Unusual (and small) Venues
From: banjoman
Date: 27 Jan 16 - 04:48 AM

The Custom House in Liverpool in the 1970,s ran a club in the smallest room imaginable. I remember one guest (Roy Harris?) asking "Are we moving upstairs soon" Great nights with indoor Morris Dancing in the main bar.

Subject: RE: Unusual (and small) Venues
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 27 Jan 16 - 08:17 AM

Who remembers the Singers Club fronted by Tony, forgotten his second name, how could I? Big lad with a big beard and big voice from the North East. One of the founders of Southport Folk Club.

It started in a pub near the tunnel entrance. Small room with some bamboo on the walls and some of the seats were sets of 3 or 4 from a cinema.

Subject: RE: Unusual (and small) Venues
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Jan 16 - 09:04 AM

"Are there any other clubs in listed buildings?"
I am sure that there are plenty. Sharps immediately comes to mind of course and there are 157 listed pubs in Greater London alone including The Ivy House (concerts and singarounds for The Goose is Out! folk club)

Subject: RE: Unusual (and small) Venues
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 27 Jan 16 - 09:18 AM

I've been to a couple of concerts at St Cuthbert's House - an old chapel converted to a 5* B&B - in North Sunderland/Seahouses. They have (and have had) quite a line-up in guest musicians.

Subject: RE: Unusual (and small) Venues
From: Jack Campin
Date: 27 Jan 16 - 10:47 AM

There is a folk club that, as far as I know, still meets every Friday in one of the corner towers of the city wall in Kayseri, central Anatolia. They have a great big banner outside as if it's a full-scale folk festival but the room is a small mediaeval crypt equipped with nothing more than a soft drinks fridge.

A rather more formal one is the central space of the music school in Amasya, northern Turkey. They have a variety of Turkish music concerts there. It's a clever re-use of a mediaeval Islamic hospital; it was designed with small side rooms where groups of patients could be treated by music therapy, each room getting music in the same mode (typically any one mode would suit a range of different conditions) - the treatment rooms are now practice rooms and offices. The central space is nicely set out with carpets, but the wall decor is the really neat touch - reproductions from old Ottoman manuscript surgery texts, so you can listen to a student clarinet recital while looking at how a mediaeval wooden screw-opening speculum worked.

From the same sort of period, they've had early music events at Clifford's Tower in York. Given its history it seems a pretty creepy choice.

Subject: RE: Unusual (and small) Venues
From: GUEST,Keith Price
Date: 27 Jan 16 - 10:57 AM

That would be Tony Wilson aka Molyneux Les, sadly no longer with us.
He was a resident at the Liverpool Folk Club with Bernie Davis and John Howson at the Mitre pub near the old tunnel entrance.

Keith

Subject: RE: Unusual (and small) Venues
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 27 Jan 16 - 12:43 PM

Thanks Keith, I thought it was Tony Wilson but Manchester had one also and it phased me a bit. I remember the Mitre to and a pub crawl around town in order to find a suitable venue for a Club as opposed to a Singeraround - all good fun.

Trust you are well and full of beans

Subject: RE: Unusual (and small) Venues
From: GUEST,Malcolm Storey
Date: 27 Jan 16 - 06:17 PM

I would not call the room that the York club uses at the Black Swan large and it is certainly old and interesting. The stairs would drive a building inspector mad in a modern setting.

Incidentally Tony Wilson (Molyneux) edited the Whitby Folk Week newsletter for a number of years.

Tyneside still has a well known Tony Wilson of course.

Subject: RE: Unusual (and small) Venues
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 27 Jan 16 - 07:09 PM

John Kelly is right about The Royal Oak in Edinburgh: it does only hold 30 on Wee Folk Club nights. Although you go downstairs from the street level main bar (which isn't that big either), if you go and look out of the window, the Cowgate, an ancient throughfare if the Auld Toon, is several storeys below you!
And The Captain's Bar, not far away, is also pretty small but a great folk pub: decorated with piratical props!

Subject: RE: Unusual (and small) Venues
From: banjoman
Date: 28 Jan 16 - 05:19 AM

Keith - great to see you are still around. It wasn.t the Mitre which had bamboo curtains etc. It was the Victoria which later moved to the Mitre. Surprised no one else mentioned the Customs House?
Pete

Subject: RE: Unusual (and small) Venues
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 28 Jan 16 - 05:42 AM

The Vic was the bamboo and cinema seats. I think I went to the Customs House around 69 -71. Also for a short while the Hare and Hounds maybe?

Subject: RE: Unusual (and small) Venues
From: GUEST,Ian
Date: 28 Jan 16 - 08:29 AM

Intrigued as to how a small venue could afford to host guests I googled the Wee Folk Club in Edinburgh.

Firstly there appeared to be a full list of guests in the coming months but ...

there was no year given with the dates so ...

after I looked into the guests' websites I found that the Wee Folk Club's site was not current.

No year in a published concert date is a pet hate of mine - it is very annoying.

But, back to the thread, does this mean that the Wee Folk Club no longer has guests?

How do these small venues pay a decent fee to professional performers?

Subject: RE: Unusual (and small) Venues
From: Jack Campin
Date: 28 Jan 16 - 09:10 AM

Wee Folk Club listings are here:

http://www.royal-oak-folk.com/concerts.html

They've never been very fond of this interweb thingy.

Or check here:

http://www.gigguide.co.uk/Edinburgh%20Listings/edinburghsunday.htm

Subject: RE: Unusual (and small) Venues
From: GUEST,Ian
Date: 28 Jan 16 - 11:46 AM

Good to see that the Wee Folk Club is active.

Obviously I came across some previous site which was just hanging around in the ether to cause chaos and confusion. Isn't this 'interweb thingy' wonderful!

Subject: RE: Unusual (and small) Venues
From: GUEST,Malcolm Storey
Date: 29 Jan 16 - 01:14 AM

The interweb thingy would be even more useful if there was a simple way of either removing non current and non informative material or indicating whether a siote was still active.

I know some sites do carry latest update details but there are far too many that don't.

I at one time administered the Whitby Folok Week site which was kept up to date until I retired.

As far as I know it is still somewhere up there as it was not picked up by the new brooms. In fact my son who now lives at the address the festival had up to 1994 still gets the occasional enquiry.

Subject: RE: Unusual (and small) Venues
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Jan 16 - 02:09 AM

like it. it's interesting to discuss
sewa apartemen

Subject: RE: Unusual (and small) Venues
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 17 May 18 - 06:55 PM

mudelves ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ spam

Subject: RE: Unusual (and small) Venues
From: Paul Reade
Date: 18 May 18 - 02:48 AM

The buffet bar on Stalybridge station near Manchester must be one of the most unusual venues. Don’t know if it’s still going

Subject: RE: Unusual (and small) Venues
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 18 May 18 - 04:04 AM

I once had a gig with Dominic Patten for the Wells Civic Society annual dinner. It was in the cloisters at Wells cathedral. The odd thing about it was that the room proportions are about 120 feet by 20 feet. We were at one side in the middle trying to engage an audience stretching away into the distance to both sides!

Robin

Subject: RE: Unusual (and small) Venues
From: Howard Jones
Date: 18 May 18 - 05:10 AM

Back in the 1970s/early 1980s Chelmsford Folk Club used to meet in a disco, on a Sunday night when the nightclub didn't open. It came complete with glitter ball, sticky floors and seating in fixed booths, but worked surprisingly well and we had some great nights in there.

Subject: RE: Unusual (and small) Venues
From: rich-joy
Date: 21 May 18 - 01:35 AM

The long-running Top End Folk Club, Darwin (est. 1971), in Australia's Northern Territory, for many many years performed weekly in the WWII Gun Turrets at East Point, overlooking the Arafura Sea and with extensive concrete tunnels underneath. Very picturesque, with cooling tropical breezes - and fabulous acoustics! I believe the guns were scrapped to the Japanese after the war! (Though one is a museum, now with replica gun now installed)....

'Catters, Stewie and Tony in Darwin, would know more!

Cheers,
R-J