xilddx Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 To kick off .. Largest was the Larmer Tree Festival main stage last summer, probably 70ft wide and 30ft deep. Great fun running around that with the dry ice going off! Smallest was the Mau Mau Bar in Portobello Road which is a bit like playing on a dinner table, 7 piece band with kit and keys on a stage about 12ft by 7ft. Had to play my headless in an URB style! The place is brilliant though, amazing atmosphere and full of people drinking and dancing. I think I prefer big stages, but small club atmosphere is almost unbeatable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 I love small venues. I've played at quite a few venues without stages! The biggest stage was outdoor at a "festival" thingy in lichfield. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 [quote name='silddx' post='241873' date='Jul 17 2008, 04:29 PM']....Smallest was the Mau Mau Bar in Portobello Road which is a bit like playing on a dinner table....[/quote] The Blues Bar (Ain't Nothin' But...) makes the Mau Mau look like a football field! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 [quote name='cheddatom' post='241875' date='Jul 17 2008, 04:31 PM']I love small venues. I've played at quite a few venues without stages! The biggest stage was outdoor at a "festival" thingy in lichfield.[/quote] Fuse? LRAP? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted July 17, 2008 Author Share Posted July 17, 2008 [quote name='chris_b' post='241885' date='Jul 17 2008, 04:41 PM']The Blues Bar (Ain't Nothin' But...) makes the Mau Mau look like a football field![/quote] Agreed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 [quote name='EBS_freak' post='241896' date='Jul 17 2008, 04:49 PM']Fuse? LRAP?[/quote] LRAP when the quo played. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 [quote name='cheddatom' post='241900' date='Jul 17 2008, 04:51 PM']LRAP when the quo played.[/quote] LRAP RIP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 [quote name='EBS_freak' post='241919' date='Jul 17 2008, 05:02 PM']LRAP RIP.[/quote] Heh, yeh. The guy who organised it (Mervyn spence used to be in wishbone ash) is getting sued by the council I think for sh*t loads. He was our manager for far too long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 Smallest... loads of 'em! I love sweaty pub gigs where you're all standing on each other. Great fun. Here's one from St. Paddy's: Biggest.. it's probably a tie. Americana in Newark was cool: Hall One at the Sage in Gateshead, too: Newcastle City Hall was the best, though: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 By the way, I enjoyed the City Hall the most because it's a rock and roll temple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josh3184 Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 (edited) LRAP: loan repayment assistance program? Edited July 17, 2008 by josh3184 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Funk Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 [quote name='chris_b' post='241885' date='Jul 17 2008, 04:41 PM']The Blues Bar (Ain't Nothin' But...) makes the Mau Mau look like a football field![/quote] The stage at Jazz After Dark feels smaller but probably isn't. I love that little shithole! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captain black Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 WOT +1 for the City hall. Well done mate. Seen all my Idols play there over the years. Oh and, BTW ... love your collection of basses (especially the Jazz). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oscar South Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 Biggest I played was probably in a really big church in newquay, although it was pretty modern looking in there and it was a great gig. I wondered what happened to LRAP. I'm probably playing Fuse next year myself, did anyone go last weekend this year? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jase Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 I've been lucky enough to play quite a few large venues, indoor and out, probably one of the smallest was a chap who hires bands to play in his house, he has a bar, beer garden and it's all on a very small scale, he and his business pals get together, order food in and expect to be entertained, lovely chap, tiny gig, big wages One other thing with small intimate venues.....I find them nereve racking as hell! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 Biggest: Probably an MTV gig on the beach in Belmar, NJ, while they were covering Greekfest one year and putting on some volleyball tournament or other. Don't think we went out on the telly, but we were the local heroes so we had a huge and awesome crowd. Last tune I could barely play for being bumped by sluts in bikinis. Wish gigs in Yorkshire were like that... Smallest: Probably (what was) The Post Haste in Wakefield. Last time I saw it it was a gay bar and the stage was mostly host to drag queens (the one I saw was very good actually!), no idea whether it's even still open. We'd enlisted my mate Tosh to operate the smoke machine but he got pissed (true to form) and forgot to plug it in, so when he decided to let out some smoke all he achieved was squirting me in the back with nasty green slime. Ah, gigs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gafbass02 Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 (edited) Ive also been lucky enough to do a few big 'uns, Birmingham Symphony Hall was big, and the SECC in Glasgow. in terms of coolness Hammersmith Apollo was pretty smart, and the Run To The Sun festival in Newquay. The smallest was legendary place in a smal town called Lutterworth near Leicester called the Hind, not much bigger than a snooker table but regularly full of shirtless sweaty teens tripping over you as you played, good times! Edited July 18, 2008 by gafbass02 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynepunkdude Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 Biggest was probably The Underworld in Camden, played a lot of places with no stages and I love it when a mosh off kicks and people go flying past you. Best place was probably Hayes FC didn't know we had the gig till the morning of the gig drove for 3 hours got there and there was about 250 people crammed in and we were loving the reaction we got. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 (edited) Hammersmith Odeon. The Mason's Arms in Pantygasseg - that'll be no stage at all Edited July 18, 2008 by bilbo230763 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niceguyhomer Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 (edited) Biggest for us was the big ballroom at Norbreck Castle in Blackpool (pic below) The smallest will be tonight's gig at The Jackson's in Chorley - I kid you not, my living room at home is bigger than the venue. Edited July 18, 2008 by niceguyhomer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynepunkdude Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 [quote name='niceguyhomer' post='242387' date='Jul 18 2008, 09:15 AM']Biggest for us was the big ballroom at Norbreck Castle in Blackpool (pic below) The smallest will be tonight's gig at The Jackson's in Chorley - I kid you not, my living room at home is bigger than the venue.[/quote] That is a big place but i don't think i could play to people sitting down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrenochrome Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 Biggest stage was probably the big marquee at this years East Leeds Lions bike rally [we were booked by ARGH's drummer], but there wasn't an enormous amount of space to run about because of all the gear onstage. Great gig even though we didn't get a soundcheck and our set was cut short due to the previous band overrunning... Most space could have been The Studio at Hartlepool but the atmosphere was flat 'cos it was so quiet. Smallest stage is definitely Bar Mojo at Wakefield - up 2 flights of stairs as well! 50 people in meant it was packed! Don't have a preference, whichever gig has a good crowd usually works for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah5string Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 I haven't played anywhere other than our practice studio... *sob* but we might be playing the Varsity in Wolverhampton in August..... *frantically crossing everything and touching random wood* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niceguyhomer Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 [quote name='waynepunkdude' post='242390' date='Jul 18 2008, 09:18 AM']That is a big place but i don't think i could play to people sitting down.[/quote] Yeh - I know what you mean but we were told to go on and they hadn't finished their meal! It was the Army Officer's Christmas do and there was only about 100 of them. The room was way over the top - you can only see about two thirds of it in the pic. We hired a 10k rig for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 [quote name='niceguyhomer' post='242523' date='Jul 18 2008, 11:21 AM']It was the Army Officer's Christmas do and there was only about 100 of them.[/quote] Its always a bit harder when there are 100 people in the room that could kill you instantly using only their thumb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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