Rock City (venue)

Rock City
Address 8 Talbot Street
Location Nottingham, England
Coordinates 52°57′22″N 1°09′16″W / 52.9561°N 1.1544°W / 52.9561; -1.1544Coordinates: 52°57′22″N 1°09′16″W / 52.9561°N 1.1544°W / 52.9561; -1.1544
Owner DHP Family Ltd
Type Music venue and Nightclub
Genre(s) Alternative
Seating type Primarily standing, some seating
Capacity 2450
Opened 1980
Website
rock-city.co.uk

Rock City is an independent music venue and nightclub located in Nottingham, England.

It opened in December 1980, first hosting The Undertones, and has gone on to host some of the biggest names in alternative music, as well as maintaining a number of weekly club nights. It has been described by NME as "sweaty, but truly indie",[1] and has received numerous awards, including Kerrang! magazine's Venue of the Year for ten consecutive years.[2]

Overview

Rock City is based in Nottingham City Centre, with a capacity of 2450,[3] and is known for its intimate atmosphere. The club features four bars spread across two rooms; the Main hall and the Basement, both of which are all-standing during gigs, with an additional room previously known as The Rig operating separately since September 2011 as the Black Cherry Lounge.[4] Rock City plays host to various sized gigs, from smaller upcoming bands of the underground and local scene, to bands that are getting chart success.

History

Pre-Rock City and foundation

Prior to Rock City, the building was called The Heart of the Midlands, which hosted variety acts including the inaugural World Professional Darts Championship in 1978.[2] The building was taken over by Sammy Jackson, who already ran a club called the Retford Porterhouse where he had booked bands such as AC/DC and The Clash, with George Akins Snr., a local bookmaker, bankrolling.[5] The club was managed by Paul Mason, who would go on to manage Manchester's Haçienda nightclub,[1] and had Iron Maiden booked to be the band to open the venue, although unfinished electrics resulted in the gig being cancelled,[5] with the band not returning until 1996. As a result, The Undertones became the first band to play at Rock City on 11 December 1980,[6] ending the gig with Teenage Kicks, favourite song of DJ John Peel.[5]

The 1980s and 1990s

Rock City underwent a major refit in 1982, including a purpose-built sound system, lighting rig and two giant video screens.[7] Although the club remained faithful to the spirit of rock, with riots at sold-out gigs by The Pogues and Ozzy Osbourne,[1] it was never restricted by genre, as by 1982 the club already has a well-established Futurist night every Saturday, and were considering starting a student night on Thursdays, approaching DJ Jonathan Woodliffe, who played the first Thursday night to a crowd of about 400 people.[7] Following the success of Thursday nights, the club looked at introducing a dance night, initially playing a mixture of European electronica and American releases, although this was not as successful and was cancelled after a few months.[7] It was replaced by a jazz, funk and soul night which was advertised by word of mouth and was well received. To add to the diversity in music, Rock City also hosted all-age hip-hop jams on Saturday afternoons, establishing breakdancers the Rock City Crew, and the club would also host the first performance of Bring the Noise in the UK by Public Enemy.[1]

As alternative music changed, Rock City changed with it, as grunge and punk became more popular in the first part of the decade, bands such as Nirvana and Rage Against the Machine began to play sets, with the intimate environment allowing for stars such as Eddie Vedder and Kurt Cobain to sit at the bar with fans after their gigs.[1] Equally as Britpop began to be established, Rock City found itself hosting bands like Oasis and Blur.[5] The Nineties also saw the club change management, as George Akins Jnr. took over at his father's request in 1994, aged just 19 and having previously worked on the bar and cloakroom.[8]

The 2000s

In keeping with music trends, the new millennium saw Rock City focus more on dance music, introducing Detonate, a club night and indoor festival for genres such as Drum and Bass in 2003,[9] and annexing the 1970s and 1980s-friendly Rig in 2011, although it maintained a commitment to mainstream alternative music through its clubnights. Despite the evolution, Rock City remained one of the biggest names on the live circuit for alternative bands, and celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2011.[5] Rock City has long been a favorite venue for legendary Bradford alternative rock band, New Model Army . Making appearances there from 1980s, a venue in the bands 30th anniversary tour in 2010, and now a regular spot for the band in December as part of their end of the year Christmas dates. On 28 November 2015 Ferocious Dog became the first unsigned band to sell out the venue.

Issue with crime

In January 2013, Nottinghamshire police stated that between September 2011 and August 2012, 10% of all mobile phones stolen in the Nottinghamshire area were stolen at Rock City. Bart Easter, the club's general manager, claimed that organised crime gangs who followed bands on tour were partly to blame.[10]

Club Nights

The venue currently hosts four club nights:[11]

Band recordings

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

The following is a list of recordings made at Rock City:

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Rock City". Gecko Mobile Venue/Events Guide. Gecko Mobile. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
  2. 1 2 "Rock City". DHP Group. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
  3. ↑ "Nottingham Rock City". TPI Magazine. September 2009. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
  4. ↑ "Black Cherry Lounge". Rock City. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Wilson, Jared. "Brief History of Rock City". Rock City 30th Anniversary Magazine. Left Lion. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
  6. ↑ "Definitive Gig Listing 1980–1984". Rock City 30th Anniversary Magazine. Left Lion. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
  7. 1 2 3 Wilson, Jared. "DJ Jonathan on Rock City". Left Lion. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
  8. ↑ Wilson, Jared. "The Man Behind the Music". Rock City 30th Anniversary Magazine. Left Lion. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
  9. ↑ Needham, Al. "James Busby on Rock City". Rock City 30th Anniversary Magazine. Left Lion. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
  10. ↑ "Nottingham's Rock City 'targeted' by criminal gangs". BBC News. 15 January 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  11. ↑ "Rock City – Club Nights". Retrieved 16 December 2011.
  12. ↑ "Louder Than War". Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  13. ↑ "Discogs". Retrieved 16 December 2011.
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