When I was younger, most of the concerts/gigs I went to were in big arenas. My first proper gig was Paramore, at age 12, back in 2010, for their Brand New Eyes tour at the O2 Arena in London. I used to be in awe of arena shows because I didn't mind dancing in one spot and had a fear of crowds, so liked the safety of not having to stand. As I've got older and my music taste has developed, I've come to realise smaller gig venues are far superior for complete emersion in music and a collective music experience. There's something about standing in a crowd, staring at the musicians on an 'in-touching-distance' stage, dancing and singing along with only a couple hundred other people, that feels kind of magical and a gives you a sense of unity. I thought I'd create a comprehensive list of some of the smaller music venues I've been to and why I think they're great. I made it my goal to go to more gigs in Leeds this year and I definitely upped my number from First Year so that has meant that two venues are from that city - but let's be honest here, who's surprised?

Hometown glory: The Boileroom, Guildford.

Location: Guildford.
Capacity: c. 300?
Other attributes: Bar,  beer garden, noodle bar, tattoo parlor above.
Address: The Boileroom, 13 Stokefields, Guildford, Surrey GU1 4LS

The words 'cool' and 'Guildford' are very rarely used in the same sentence. However, I think The Boileroom is the one place in Guildford that I genuinely would consider calling 'cool'. Whilst it does feel slightly out of place in a town where life is very static, it attracts some of the biggest up and coming artists of all genres.  For instance, just before he released his debut single 'The A Team', Ed Sheeran performed here. He is among other big acts like Wolf Alice, The 1975, First Aid Kit and Foals to take to the Guildford stage before they began playing bigger and bigger venues. Something I really like about the venue is that it's covered walls to ceiling in posters and stickers of previous gigs. I know other venues are quite classy and selective about what they put on display as part of their history, but I think this shows off the diversity of The Boileroom acts and the pride it has in local, small bands and artists.

My first gig at The Boileroom was semi-local singer/songwriter Frank Hamilton in 2013. I remember loving the intimacy of the venue as it was such a contrast to the other venues I'd been to. Whilst there is a barrier between the standing area and the stage, it didn't feel like the ones they have at arenas etc. where there's then a big gap between the stage and the crowd. I think it's mostly there to actually mark where the standing area stops and the stage begins as it does feel like there's a blurry line between the two at The Boileroom. Hamilton was then able to come into the crowd and do a song without any mic. or amplification. For me this was definitely the moment that had me sway towards smaller venues because obviously due to size, this could never happen in theatre venues, let alone arenas and it was really beautiful.

If you're ever in the area, check out The Boileroom website here for upcoming events and for inquiries into venue hire.

The classic exterior recently had a snazzy revamp. Looking fiiiiiiine

Jewel of the big city: Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen

Location: Hoxton, London.
Capacity: 300.
Other attributes: Bar, outdoor seating, close to transport routes.
Address: 2-4 Hoxton Square, London N1 6NU

An attractive quality of London is its plethora of green spaces; parks and small grassy squares are scattered throughout this concrete metropolis. Just off Hoxton Square, a piece of greenery tucked away in Shoreditch, is a vibrant little music venue renowned for showcasing up and coming talent. It had Florence + the Machine, Vampire Weekend and Mumford & Sons perform here in the early days of their careers and continues to give the stage to musicians clearly set for world domination.  I think if you went in the bar just for a drink, you wouldn't necessarily know that there was a little venue tucked away here as there's not much signage, but when you enter into the room, it is a lot larger than one would expect. Again, it has a bar at the back and the stage is farthest from the door. The stage is quite small and allows for musicians to easily enter the audience with lack of much division other than the raised platform the stage is on.

The one gig I've been to here made me fall in love with this venue. Of course, my obsession with American girl power band, MUNA, is well-known by most people so it may have been the fact they performed every song off of their album which made me feel so alive there, but I definitely think the atmosphere in the venue had something to do with it. It felt small enough that I got to know the people around me just from being near them. The guy in front of my friend and I spoke to us briefly when the support act started to be a bit crazy and then sang every word of MUNA's album as passionately as I did, pumping his fist into the air during a line in 'Promise' which says 'You wanna hold my hand / I make a fist / a false promise'. His diligence made me analyse how much that one line must have meant to him. Little did I know one of my favourite singer/songwriters Lauren Aquilina was there that night but she tweeted afterward that she danced so hard her boob almost popped out. It was electric and the venue provided the experience with a rich sense of belonging because it was in the back of a bar, in the heart of London, safely away from the bustle of the busy city.

Check out the website for show listings and other info here.

Source: http://www.whatsoninlondon.co.uk/attraction/hoxton-square-bar-kitchen/

Community spirit: Brudenell Social Club

Location: Hyde Park, Leeds.
Capacity: The largest room has a capacity of 400.
Other attributes: Bar selling cask ales and specialty beers including those of local brewers, games room, outdoor seating, Pieminister affiliation.
Address: 33 Queen's Road, Leeds, LS6 1NY.

Sweet, sweet Brude. Deep in the Hyde Park community lies a venue with its foundations lying in its history as an old working men's club.  It's a non-profit organisation meaning it places 'communal' at the forefront of its design and attitude. With three different music rooms inside, it has the potential for harbouring a vast range of music fans all at one time - this is certainly seen at Gold Sounds Festival held at the Club every May. The main room to the left holds 400 people and has a bar at the back of it. Then, in 2017, the Community Room opened which also has its own bar as well as some classily hung fairy lights. The games room is also occasionally used as a venue too. The integral part it plays in Leeds' phenomenal music scene means it attracts a lot of up and coming bands as well as established musicians. It has also been known to hold 'secret' gigs from the likes of Franz Ferdinand and the Kaiser Chiefs.

So far I've been to two headline gigs here and Gold Sounds Festival in May of this year (2018). I saw Big Thief in the Community Room back in November 2017 and Karl Blau in the same room back in March 2018. Something I noticed from these two gigs is a) the venue's accommodation of support acts and b) its attraction of music lovers. What I mean by point a) is that I find that support acts often fall flat because either their sound isn't mixed properly or no one is really paying attention. There's something about the attitude at Brudenell which is really welcoming to the support act and the intimate nature of the venue allows a connection to build, leading to the audience actively watching instead of talking through it. This is highly beneficial to the musician because it means there's definitely a higher chance that the audience will go away and search for their music after the gig. This takes us nicely to point b) - the attraction of people who just want to see live music. I think Brudenell is definitely the venue where people just look at the upcoming schedule, pick a random gig and go to it. I've never felt like I'm in a room full of people who are familiar with the headlining artist's music but it is clearly full of people who can appreciate music for its artistry.

Gold Sounds Festival gave me my first taste of gigs in the main room at Brude. I think my initial thought was how cool the shape of the room is. It's kind of like a quarter of a circle with the stage put in the corner, requiring musicians to move around on stage to properly interact with everyone in the audience. The other small venues I have mentioned are all quite similar in the sense that they're rectangular rooms with the stage running against one wall so I found this an interesting feature. Another takeaway from Gold Sounds was its exhibition of how Brude can utilise its layout to present back-to-back musicians. While one room was being set-up for the next act, the other room had a band or musician performing which is something very few other small venues can achieve.

Brudenell Social Club is an indispensable part of Leeds and must-see for anyone visiting the city.
Have a gander at the website here.

Gold Sounds Festival, 19th May 2018.

Favourite watering hole: Belgrave Music Hall and Canteen

Location: Leeds City Centre.
Capacity: 300.
Other attributes: 3 different bars (downstairs, in the music venue, roof), roof terrace, permanent food vendors.
Address: 1-1a Cross Belgrave Street, Leeds, LS2 8JP.

Belgrave has a lot going for it - its location, its food, its large selection of drinks and its friendly staff. On top of that, it holds one of the coolest music venues in Leeds. With seating available to sit on at the sides and then a 'Snug' bar and sofas to chill on at the back, the music venue is a really laid back atmosphere for artists and fans alike to come to. The venue itself attracts slightly fewer established mainstream artists which means the upcoming lineup is a wealth of variety and undiscovered gems. Bands such as Superorganism have performed here with DJs like Ross From Friends hitting the stage in upcoming months. Additionally, the venue shows its multi-functionality by holding Yoga every Thursday and has been known to have retro games nights. It's somewhere which appeals to so many different age groups and is pivotal to music in Leeds' bustling city centre.

I do have to hold my hands up now and say I haven't been to a proper headline gig here BUT I have been to some of the acts at Live at Leeds in 2017 and 2018 so have seen the music venue in action. The stage is quite sizeable for a small venue but still provides the intimacy of the Boileroom and Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen. Looking at the diversity of the lineup, I predict it has the same vibe as Brudenell where it attracts music lovers to all shows even if they aren't familiar with a particular musician's music. Honestly, I just think the whole place is really cool and is a Leeds gem which should be seen by everyone.

For the website, head here.

Belgrave is also home to some BANGIN' neon signs.

A short list I hope to extend in the future - perhaps adding some from across the pond in Canada when I move there later this month. I honestly think small venues are so important to the healthy workings of the music industry and also to small artists who deserve bigger platforms.

Speak to you soon
Sarah xoxo

The song in the title is Frank Hamilton's 'You, Your Cat and Me' from his EP of the same title. Kind of ironic because he's actually saying there's nowhere he would rather be than 'on your sofa, watching crap TV' so obviously isn't thinking about small gig venues but I thought it was fitting.