Big names at small clubs

[Calvert]

They're the best gigs. Small venues hosting either bands who are clearly going to be massive, massive bands warming up for tour/ doing an unplugged session to a selected audience, or formerly big bands on their way down.

Been there?

[WOM]

Big names at small clubs

So, when he said 'Big names'....

[RobM]

Big names at small clubs

Dylan at The Barrowlands in Glasgow, same night Portugal duffed England out of the European championships in 2004.

[Bored Of Education]

Big names at small clubs

Guns and Roses at the Marquee, not the first gig over here but the second and third. The Ramones upstairs at the Clarendon. Saw Hanoi Rocks and Johnny Thunders at a couple of 'secret' gigs but they weren't bog names really. Madonna at the Brixton Academy to promote "Music" seemed like a small gig for her.

[Mumpo]

Big names at small clubs

Blagged my way into the release party for Depeche Mode's Ultra, and saw them play five songs in front of two hundred or so people...

[Amor de Cosmos]

Big names at small clubs

Lots of folkie ones, which I suppose is understandable. Notables: Paul Simon at Les Cousins in 1966. Randy Newman/Jim Croce at the Riverboat in Toronto. Bands: Pink Floyd and Soft Machine at UFO on Tottenham Court Rd. 1967. The Clash, after hours gig at the Smilin' Buddha here in Vancouver c1980.

They're the most extreme biggest/smallest that spring to mind.

[moolag]

Big names at small clubs

The Stone Roses at Widnes Queen's hall, 1989, around 200 people. A year later they played Spike Island, around half a mile away to 20,000.

I also saw Muse at a pub/ gig venue called The Piazza in Torquay in a midweek up and coming band's night. This would have been 1995. I remember thinking they were trying to hard to sound like Radiohead. I am not sure when they got big. I think it was a couple of years later?

[Valentino Mazzola]

Big names at small clubs

Oasis in the Limelight, Belfast the night Definitely Maybe went to number 1. Not that I was there, but I feel as if I should join in, given that 250,000 people now say they were at it.

Best I can do personally is REM at Brixton Academy, it's cheating really as it a) wasn't exactly 1993 and b) without Bill Berry. Still, they were both (2 nights) great shows. Should probably stick in their 'rehearsed practice' gig at the Olympia, demoing new songs in 2007, but don't care since those song were crap and REM by that stage were a joke. Good to be there though.

Do any of Prince's aftershows count? Well, one of those then. Again, long, long after comparative 'relevency'.

[evilC]

Big names at small clubs

It's all relative/proportionate, innit?

Rage Against The Machine's 2nd gig (I think) in this country, at the ULU in London.

Interpol at The Borderline

Polysics at the 100 Club

British Sea Power / ILikeTrains at Aldershot West End Centre

Manorexia (Jim Foetus) at St. Giles in the Field church

Marc Almond at Wilton's Music Hall

John Foxx at the ICA

Ummmm...

[Lucia Lanigan]

Big names at small clubs

I suppose seeing The Darkness at London's little 93 Feet East venue, about a week before they became massive, would count. Brilliant gig, Justin riding his friend's shoulders around the venue with a cig hanging out of his gob while soloing was a neat trick. About 100 people in the room, I'd guess.

Other than that, I've not seen so many really. Although I did see Kool Herc DJ to a room of about 60 heads in Norwich - hip hop's second home in England after Middlesbrough - in the 90s.

[moolag]

Big names at small clubs

Oh, forgot - I saw The Srokes at Heaven nightlclub, would have been 2000 - this was just before Is This It

I went on the strength of their Hard To Explain 7"

Edit; it must have been 2001/2, not 2000

[evilC]

Big names at small clubs

moolag wrote:

Oh, forgot - I saw The Srokes at Heaven nightlclub, would have been 2000 - this was just before Is This It

I went on the strength of their Hard To Explain 7"

That's reminded me - Heaven 17 at Heaven.

Thomas Dolby at The Plaza, in Kings Cross.

McAlmont & Butler, with Edwyn Collins in support, at the Hanover Grand.

A Certain Ratio at The Slimelight (Electrowerkz).

Xeno & Oaklander at The Cowley Club, in Brighton.

I suppose The Young Gods always played smallish venues, so it's kind of futile to name them, but the gig at the Subterania was my favourite one of theirs.

[moolag]

Big names at small clubs

McAlmont & Butler, with Edwyn Collins in support, at the Hanover Grand.

I used to love that club.

[evilC]

Big names at small clubs

I only went there twice - once for that gig and once for a Marc Almond one. It had a regular club night there, didn't it? However, I found it to have perhaps the most expensive bar I've ever encountered, so I couldn't go there that often, even if I'd wanted to.

[Reed John]

Big names at small clubs

Matthew Good at Iota in Arlington, VA

Sex Pistols at the Manchester Free Trade Hall

[willie1foot]

Big names at small clubs

Simple Minds at The Royal Antler Hotel in Narrabeen, before they became 'big';' they were brilliant.

Unfortunately, I also saw them at the Sydney Entertainment Centre years later; they were shite.

[Sits]

Big names at small clubs

You've clearly been over a here a while, Willie. Incidentally there is now a "Narrow Bean" cafe in Narrabeen. As there should be. And a lot of pelican shit.

[Auntie Beryl]

Big names at small clubs

Pet Shop Boys at the Barfly in Camden; this was about seven years ago though, so well past their imperial phase.

[George]

Big names at small clubs

The Grumbleweeds at Monk Bretton Working Men's Club circa 1991. The days of having their own TV show long gone; the desperation and melancholy was palpable.

[Hamish! Dougal!]

Big names at small clubs

Not me personally, but my dad saw Stone Roses, Blur, Oasis, Manics and Carter USM at the Adelphi in Hull (not all on the same night), which is like playing in someone's front room.

I also worked with a chap who used to be on the committee at Batley Variety Club, and it was more a case of who didn't play there in the 60's and 70's.

[steveeeeeeeee]

Big names at small clubs

evilC wrote:

Rage Against The Machine's 2nd gig (I think) in this country, at the ULU in London.

I was at that one! Good gig, but I remember stage divers really spoiling it.

We've done this theme loads of times, but I never tire of it and I'm going to give the same answers I always give:

Radiohead, loads of times supporting The Frank & Walters and also a free show playing in the bar of the ULU, which was the night I realised they were going to be enormous. It must've been summer 1993, I've never seen them play live since then but I'm going to see them headline a festival in Lisbon this summer. So, it'll be 19 years between then and now, bet they haven't changed their live show one bit.

PJ Harvey, again many times when she was on Too Pure at venues like The Bull & Gate and The White Horse in Hampstead.

Stereolab, much like PJ Harvey at many Too Pure organised gigs but also a cracking gig at The Bass Cleff in Hoxton.

Suede with Justine supporting The Frank and Walters at The Borderline. I didn't like them.

Tindersticks many times, Bull & Gate and also their first gig at the Scala all night cinema.

Pulp at The New Cross Venue supporting The Boo Radleys. Pulp had an audience of about 15 people and Jarvis came out into the audience and splashed Old Spice onto every one of us.

Manic Street Preachers at The Diorama, a tiny art gallery near Great Portland Street.

The Chemical Brothers, then Dust, countless Sundays at The Heavenly Social at The Albany.

Daft Punk, playing live in the old Plastic People, which was on Oxford Street - no more than 70 people at that one, incredible night.

Erol Alkan, countless times at Plastic People, always thought he was a crap DJ, only ever went there because friends hung out there.

[willie1foot]

Big names at small clubs

stonelephant wrote:

You've clearly been over a here a while, Willie. Incidentally there is now a "Narrow Bean" cafe in Narrabeen. As there should be. And a lot of pelican shit.

Since 1977.... Had several schoolmates from the old country who set themselves up in Manly so I used to spend a fair bit of time over your neck of the woods.

[Crusoe]

Big names at small clubs

Supergrass and the Bluetones at the top room of the Potterow Student Union in Edinburgh.

[moolag]

Big names at small clubs

After a Black Grape gig in Exeter Uni we had Bez, along with a 'member of Black Grape' back to my mates place in Torquay, where he scored him some Es.

His mate played on my mate's decks whilst Bez danced / tried to sleep with my (female) friend.

Does this count?

[Sundeporino]

Big names at small clubs

REM at Tiffanys in Newcastle. Touring their third album I think. A sat night disco sort of place that I never even new existed until it was advertised.

I was refused entry to The Jam at Seaburn Hall Hotel in Sunderland in early 77 iirc for being too young. Free, Led Zepp, Family, Faces etc etc used to play there in the late 60s early 70s. Partly because it was on the sea front and they knew theyd all end up shagging on the beach if it was warm enough or so Ive been told. Knocked down now.