FEATURE

Scream for me Bournemouth!

Harry Elwell gives the low-down on Bournemouths thriving live music scene.
Bournemouths O2 Academy bursting at the seams for Example! Metal-heads Devildriver give it their all for fans in Bournemouth.

The iBar is renowned for its casual bar level (right) and cosy basement for gigs (below)!

With its surging body of students brought in by the university, high levels of tourism in the summer and wild stag and hen parties, its no secret that Bournemouth has a nightlife exhilarating enough to rival some of the best towns and cities in the country. While were all perfectly familiar with the clubs, what about live music? Where do you go when youve become sick of hearing the same old tunes in Bournemouths nightclubs? When you have that unquenchable thirst for the adrenaline rush brought by experiencing your favourite artists up-close in the flesh? Bournemouth has something to suit everyones tastes; its just a case of finding it! If its the biggest names in music youre after, look no further than the Bournemouth International Centre, more commonly referred to as the BIC. This mammoth venues showpiece, the Windsor Hall, boasts the highest capacity of any

venue in the Bournemouth area (7000 seated and standing) and has been host to such colossal names as 50 Cent, Rhianna, Madness, Kanye West and Meatloaf. Since its 22 million redevelopment in 2005, the BIC has become the main venue for live entertainment in this coastal town. As well as supporting the biggest names in music, the BICs redevelopment has made it possible for it to host multiple gigs at any one time! Just some of the shows you can look forward to at the BIC in 2011 include Katy Perry, Scissor Sisters, The Script and N-Dubz. Another major player amongst Bournemouths gig venues is the O2 Academy in Boscombe. This 1925-capacity venue hosts up to 150 concerts per year, with names as a big as Pixie Lott, Deadmau5 and Manic Street Preachers! The building, built in 1895, was once known as the Opera House and is renowned for its stunning architecture.

Upon entering the auditorium, gig fans are taken aback by the three-floor viewing platform and 19th century grandeur. As well as the main auditorium, the Academy has its own separate function room, which often acts as the venue for the live gig after-parties. I had a chance to chat with Tom Collier, a long-time barman at the Academy, to ask about what the experience at this venue is like. Sometimes the after-parties are crazy, he commented, I remember after Klaxons the entire band came up with their friends and the drummers mum and hung out with everyone! It was really cool. At one point the lead-singer pulled out his Macbook and started showing people the bands [at that time] unreleased video for their latest single! At Slam Dunk [by the Sea, a jointheadline gig between 4 massive pop-punk names in May 2010] all of the bands came up and spent the rest of the night getting to know fans and giving out guitar picks. Its

times like that, when I notice bands admiring the venue and wanting to stick around after the show, that make me realise what a great venue the academy really is! But its not just big pop names in Bournemouth. There is also a flourishing live music scene for fans of metal, punk and hardcore. One such venue is Champions, a tiny room with a capacity of just 230! The best thing about this place, as well as its grungy pub-like character, is its ability to get huge names in alternative music to come and play!

The BIC fills out nicely for the likes of The Pigeon Detectives (left) and JLS (above). NERVE.CO.UK | 12

11 | NERVE.CO.UK

KNOW YOUR GIG VENUES, BOTH INSIDE AND OUT!

iBar Capacity: 200 The Studio Capacity: 300 O2 Academy Capacity: 1,925
Green-ish Day are just one of the many live tribute acts in Bournemouth. The level of intimacy at some Bournemouth shows is unbeatable! Gallows and Skindred are just some of the big names to crop up in this pocketsized venue. According to their website, Champions is a venue that prides itself on the fact that they focus on quality, original music, and the belief that the buzz of watching live music is one to be celebrated, and an experience which at its best can be hard to beat! Gallows fan Amy Gravelle, following a mind-blowing performance from the Watford punk-quintet, commented This is one of the best venues Ive been to! Its so small and intimate, you really feel like youre sharing an experience with the band! The iBar is another independent venue that shares Champions love for alternative artists. If names like The Eyes Of A Traitor, Tek One and Deaf Havana sit well with you then this is a venue to keep an eye on! With its combination of a classy bar upstairs and a gig room downstairs, this tiny venue (with just enough room for 100 people on each floor!) gives live music fans the most intimate gig experience they could possibly hope for! The iBar, much like Champions, also hosts plenty of performances from recently established local bands. If you love seeing the hottest new bands in your area performing locally, then look no further than the Scuzz & Metal Hammer Redeemer night! This live event, hosted by the 400-capacity Bournemouth metal club Sound Circus, sees a selection of the south coasts best local bands playing every Friday night. Owner Keith Grant, from Southampton, said Its really the only venue in town that offers something completely different. Truly, checking out this fantastic display of local talent this is a must for anyone that enjoys live music! For those looking for something a little more formal, head down to The Studio in Westbourne! This venue claims to offer music fans the chance to drink, dine, dance and be entertained, with its unique combination of being a restaurant, bar and live music performance host. This 300-capacity venue has attracted familiar names such as acoustic-legend Finlay Quay and a whole range of tribute acts from Lionel Richie to Michael Jackson! Definitely worth giving a visit for anybody that wants a relaxed atmosphere whilst still enjoying live musical entertainment. When it comes to live music venues, however, nobody needs to know whats best better than the gig organisers. I caught up with Dom Patience, an established events organiser in Bournemouth who specialises in conjuring up some of Bournemouths biggest alternative shows. When asked about which venue was his favourite and why, he said Its a tough one... I guess more than anything it boils down to the kind of shows that youre looking for. I mean, seeing a band in the main room of the BIC or the O2 with full production can be spectacular. But I myself have always been a fan of up close and personal shows. The raw buzz of a big band in a small room! Plus i love doing small shows with local bands and watch their progression from the point of just mates watching to a packed out room. So simply for that fact

Champions Capacity: 230

BIC Capacity: 7,000

Sound Circus Capacity: 400

Sound Circus offers more than your average gig experience... I would pick the iBar. Plus, you need to support the independents! As a lifetime local to the Bournemouth area, I wanted to know what Doms favourite experiences of live music in Bournemouth have been and why, New Found Glory at the O2 Academy in May 2010. Firstly because NFG are a band from my teens and one of the first pop punks I ever went to see. And secondly because it was a show I was helping promote. And Id always said Id do a show in the main room at the Opera House (now the O2 Academy) and to finally do it was incredible. And not only did I get to the main room, it was with such an influential band on my youth. Cant really get much better! Well, there you have it! Whether its Kanye or Kansas that youre after, Bournemouth has it all! So what are you waiting for gig goers? Get online, get searching, get buying, and get soaked up in the atmosphere with your favourite artists!

Champions tiny capacity being utilised at its best for a great atmosphere!

Punk-legends Gallows playing a blinding set, up-close-and-personal, at Champions.

Pop-punkers New Found Glory at their headline O2 Academy show: Dom Patiences favourite Bournemouth gig ever! NERVE.CO.UK | 14

13 | NERVE.CO.UK