Around the UK in 80 Venues: Bath Moles

Posted on Oct 10th 2009 5:36AM by Spinner Staff
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Location: Moles Club, St. 14 George Street, Bath, BA1 2EH, England

Website: http://www.moles.co.uk

Capacity: About 200.

Come to see: An eclectic mix of up and coming, and unsigned live bands alongside regular and very varied club nights. These include an unsigned bands showcase on Mondays, Big Cheese's '60s, '70s and '80's guilty pleasures on Tuesday, 13th Floor's psychedelic excursions on Thursdays and rotating Friday nights featuring indie, dance and some mighty fine dubstep and drum 'n' bass specials. Saturdays is the big night at the Moles with the renowned Mish Mash previously playing host to the likes of the Killers, Editors (pictured) and the Delays.

The atmosphere: Intimate, friendly and a bit right-on. Original owner Philip Andrews opened the Moles on New Year's Eve 1978, after he had a brainwave on a cycling holiday. His desire to create a live outlet for local and alternative musicians led him to the site of an empty venue previously called the Six of Clubs. Having managed to secure a rent of £390 per month Philip set about realising his dream and pretty much single-handedly renovated the place in two months. To make ends meet in the early years, the Moles was a whole food/vegetarian café by day and had a jazz and folk music policy. This was relaxed when a local rock band called the Spoons promised to fill the venue if booked. They did and the rest is history.

You saw them here first: King Crimson main man Robert Fripp approached the club about playing some shows with his band the League of Gentlemen in 1981. Their three sold-out gigs raised the club's profile and a recording of one of them was released on Fripp's King Crimson Collectors Club in 2000. The Moles also played host to one of only three UK gigs by Residents guitarist Snakefinger. Other names to pass through on the way to major stardom include Oasis, Radiohead, David Gray and Damien Rice.

Claim to fame: An early incarnation of the Cure played a secret show in 1983 as a European tour warm up, performing two encores to the lucky few inside. Andrews says that he nearly fell off his chair when the promoter approached him with the offer of a show by the band, then having their first chart successes.

You should also know: The club is also home to a state of the art recording studio. This was built after Andrews was persuaded to invest in recording equipment in order to capture the performances at the club and also bring in extra revenue. Over the years they've built up quite an impressive client list including the Cocteau Twins, Portishead, Julian Cope, PJ Harvey, Reef and Spiritualized.

Booking now: Spartacus, Slow Club, I Dream in Colour, Flashguns, This Town Needs Guns, Stornaway, Trenton & Free Radical, The Hit-Ups, The Cheek, Young Fathers, Everything Everything, Good Shoes, Ugly Duckling, Ed Rush