Live music is back on Poole Hill in Bournemouth, courtesy of The Vault venue and Coach Party, one of my new favourite bands from the past few years, who headlined the first ‘gig’ put on here, in what is primarily a nightclub.
Some of you may remember this venue as being The Winchester around 10 years ago. Others will yell at me in the comments about the name it had before then. I never played it, but Tom and I did host a showcase for our label, Saint November Records there in summer 2012, headlined by Carys Lowry-Carter.
About 8 years earlier, our centre of live music on this street was the much loved and missed, Mister Smiths. This was the site of the first ‘local’ gig I went to in January 2004, headlined by the ska punk band, Jesse James.
By the end of the year I hosted a showcase for my earlier attempt at label, Neck Candy Records, aged 16. I also hold the unfortunate accolade of playing the last all ages show there the following year with the first band I joined. Mister Smiths closed for good within a couple of weeks.
As we walked to the venue last night I looked to the door that used to lead to the death defying steep stairs up to Smiths, remembering many a time lugging equipment in (or watching in moral support of others at least).
Venues used to come and go, or change hands so often in Bournemouth when we were trying to breakout as a band in the late 2000s. We’d tell a white lie about being Southampton based online to get shows in the more sturdy scene they had there. Hats off to The Anvil on Holdenhurst Road for staying the course in Bournemouth since our regular haunt ‘iBar’ closed in 2011.
And best of luck to The Vault with the diversification of their space. The sound needs a bit of tweaking but landing Coach Party, hot on their heels of their brilliant new album ‘Caramel’ being released, was a great start.
Liam Toms 