KRANKENHAUS
Remember BSP’s Club Sea Power nights? Of course you do, as you stare wistfully at the sky with a tear in your eye. Great times. If only we could somehow recapture those golden years. Well, now you can. British Sea Power are starting a new night, first Friday of the month, at The Haunt. Krankenhaus will feature live bands (including various versions of Sea Power sets) as well as DJs like Marc Riley and Shaun Keaveney off 6 Music, Rough Trade’s Geoff Travis and journo/club fella Simon Price – all kranking up top tunes.
PSYCHOSOCIAL
The beleaguered venue that was the Ocean Rooms and The Yard on Morley Street has changed hands yet again. Now called Psychosocial, it promises three rooms of music and three bars, all of which apparently offering an “attitude-free environment every night”. And those attitude-free nights are pretty long, too – they’re open until 6am at the weekends for people who just don’t know when it’s time to go home to bed. In the same month that saw Project on West Street close down, we hope it works out for them.
SLICE SUSSEX
Church Street in Hove has a new multi-function café that we really like the look of. Slice Sussex works as a independent coffee bar, which appeals to our sense of Starbucks-avoidance right from the off, but it’s also a classy deli and eatery as well as providing lounge-friendly art space and even boutique cinema functionality. You’ve gotta be smart to survive out on the high street, and this ticks all the boxes.
DA DOO RON RON
When you’re gearing up for your monthly fix of girl-fronted 60s pop clubbing this month, pay attention to this update – Da Doo Ron Ron has run-run to the Green Door Store, in a relocation-type move for the long-running night out. Saturday 17th December is the first night there with, we’d imagine, loads of that ace Phil Spector Christmas album to bob your beehive to. It’s the third Saturday of the month after that.
VOYEUR
The Blind Tiger Club is opening a Warhol-inspired night called Voyeur, kicking off on Friday 2nd December. It’s not just going to be a framed tin of soup picture on the wall and a crackly Velvet Underground LP playing in the background either, there’ll be proper Exploding Plastic Inevitable-style visuals, Warhol-esque furnishings and the best in old-style garage and alternative tunes. Live music for the launch comes from Tigercub, Us Baby Bear Bones and The New Union.
PHOTOCOPY CLUB
There aren’t many new concepts in exhibiting photos but zine king Matt Martin has come up with one while trying to get people to get their photography off their computers. Simply find an image in your collection that works in black and white and get down the copy shop for an A3 printout. It’s cheap, easy and he’s already got submissions from all around the world. The first of six monthly exhibitions is at Create (see page 64) on Wednesday 7th December. Get involved at thephotocopyclub.com.
BLACK WOOKIE STUDIOS
If you’ve been a customer of SoundLocker Studios over the last five years, you’ll be interested to note that they’ve had a refurbishment and a re-branding, which would explain the shiny new sign over the door and everything. Now called Black Wookie Studios, they’re offering some great deals on luxury rehearsal rooms and recording packages, so check out their new website at BlackWookieStudios.com and imagine your band in there, arguing the toss about levels and solos and timing and whose fucking van is it anyway.
PELIROCCO PRESENTS…
Brighton’s most rock’n’roll residence, Hotel Peliricco, has expanded its portfolio to include a weekly radio show, Pelirocco Platters (Reverb 97.2fm, Tuesdays 6pm) and now a monthly new music night at the Green Door Store, following a series of gigs in the hotel’s bar on Regency Square. The first outing is on Thursday 29th December, featuring Running Dogs, Tiny Dragons and Two Jackals. It kicks off at 8pm and it’s free to get in.
WORDS BY NICK COQUET, JAMES KENDALL