Here’s the obvious: Brighton has a thriving music scene. There’s so much talent here! It’s really great for any aspiring musician if they need motivation to push themselves. But where should we all be going to witness this talent? Where do all the stars of tomorrow play? Here’s some food for thought; You can pay £3 to see an up-and-coming local band play live, meet them and maybe even get a demo or something from them. If that band becomes famous, suddenly that £3 to watch them play becomes £50 and that free demo they were giving out is now an album that everybody else has. How cool would it be to have that original E.P or demo from when they were nobody and be able to remember how you supported them when they really needed it, or even sell it for a small fortune. Here are my 5 favourite music venues in Brighton:
1. The Prince Albert - From Cable Club to Will Moore, this venue has become one of the best in Brighton. This place has the best of both worlds, showcasing the best local talent as well as hosting national-level acts. If you’re about to begin your musical journey, or want to watch the hottest acts of tomorrow, The Prince Albert is where you need to be!
2. Concorde 2 - Did anybody else see the Foo Fighters here, last year? C2 is a real gem of a venue that can throw great surprises at you, whether it be a secret Foo Fighters gig or a showcase of some of the best Urban MC’s in town (Slip Jam!!!) Concorde plays host to mostly national and international-level acts and it’s always top-quality music, sound and atmosphere.
3. The Bees Mouth - If you want intimate, then The Bee’s Mouth definitely brings that (your sofas are damn comfy, guys!). This place probably has the smallest capacity out of the venues on this list, but the atmosphere totally makes up for it. I really want to get some of the local Urban acts (and a few from out-of-town, too) together to play an intimate acoustic gig here at the end of 2016. Weekly open-mic nights and poetry nights make this one of the go-to places if you want a chilled night. If you’re lucky, you can catch some really well-known local acts testing new material at the open mic nights. Probably the best venue in Brighton to go to in terms of atmosphere. It’s just a nice place to be. Be sure to head down here for the Mutations Festival on the 28th November! Event details here:
https://www.facebook.com/mutationsfestival/
4. Latest Music Bar - Hosting many of the End of The Trail Records showcases, this venue is probably more of a ‘hidden’ gem than Concorde 2 and The Prince Albert. Located right on the edge of Brighton town centre and Kemptown, the sound quality achieved by the techs are amazing. If you wanna get a good idea on how your band REALLY sounds, play here! Crystal clear. You know what these guys need? A monthly showcase of the top local acts in Brighton and surrounding areas, which is not only a live gig, but also broadcast on their TV channel. How cool would that be? That’d be some great exposure for the Brighton music scene.
5. The Green Door Store - Just to put it out there, my fiancée and I had our 3rd date here, watching Normanton Street. This place will always hold special memories for me! Gigwise recently listed this place as one of the ’50 Greatest Music Venues’ in the UK. I have to agree with them completely. I’ve seen local, national and international-level acts here, from Demental to Sigur Rós, and this is pretty much what I want in a venue: A consistency in the quality of acts, a variety in genres and good sound technicians. The stone floor makes for bands to have a unique sound, acoustically, which adds to the charm of this place. The Green Door Blues was introduced to me this month. This is every Sunday night and is free entry. Can’t really argue with that, right?
6. The Brunswick - Ok, so it was meant to be 5, but these guys get a special mention, just because of the Jazz jam nights. Everybody needs to go to one, it’s just a Rite of Passage. Every Tuesday from 8:30pm until 11pm and it’s free entry.
