Around the UK in 80 Venues: Belfast Limelight

Posted on Oct 24th 2009 7:00AM by Spinner Staff
Comments

Location: 17 Ormeau Avenue, Belfast, BT2 8HD

Website: http://www.cdcleisure.net/limelight.php

Capacity: This week we're featuring three separate venues due to their proximity to each other. They all have individual capacities but also open up to create two-room and an even larger three-room space. The individual capacities are 500 (Limelight), 600 (the Spring & Airbrake) and 200 (Auntie Annie's).

Come to see: An incredibly varied selection of bands and club nights across all three venues. You can expect to catch some big names of the future, those on their way up and also some legendary cult names from the worlds of rock, indie, folk, reggae, and even a bit of grime. The club nights range from indie and dance to two-step and disco. The most popular of all is the legendary Helter Skelter club which takes place across two rooms and claims to be Northern Ireland's longest-running alternative club. The night celebrated its 16th birthday this year.

The atmosphere: We asked Dino Cafolla from CDC Leisure, the company who own the venues, for his opinion: "I'd have to say all three venues are vibrant, loud, sweaty and intimate. They're also a bit dirty and grungy but in a way that only the best live music venues can be."

You saw them here first: The Limelight celebrates its 21st birthday next year and big celebrations and special shows are being planned at the moment. Since opening the venue has been visited by many big pre-fame names playing the circuit including Oasis, Primal Scream, and Biffy Clyro.

Auntie Annie's is now 10 and used to have David Gray as their resident singer before Duke Special took up the post. The smallest of the three venues, Annie's, has managed to cram the Scissor Sisters onto its stage and the New York Dolls too. The Spring and Airbrake is the newest of the three adjoining venues and opened its doors in 2004.

Claim to fame: Dino told us that in 1994 the Limelight was the venue where Oasis crammed into the venue office, which then doubled as a dressing room, to be told that their debut album 'Definitely Maybe' had hit the top spot. Noel Gallagher remembered the incident at a press conference earlier this year when the band announced their Slane Castle shows in Ireland. "We were playing in a bar in Belfast, I think it was called the Limelight," he said. "I was in the dressing room afterwards when someone came up and told us the album was going to be number one. So yeah Belfast will always be special for that reason."

You should also know: The Limelight was once a cabaret club that featured dancing girls, while the aptly named Spring and Airbrake started life as a garage. Auntie Annie's was the public bar that sat in between. Cafolla told Spinner that plans are now afoot to expand the three venue complex with yet another space. "We've recently acquired the building situated at the back of the other three", he said. "We're hoping to open it as our newest venue sometime next year."

Booking now: At the Limelight: Elliot Minor, Gun, In Case of Fire, Jamie T, Tinchy Stryder, Wild Beasts. At the Spring & Airbrake: the Wailers, Fightstar, Pixie Lott, Taio Cruz, Ash, Tom McRae. At Auntie Annie's: Kate Walsh, A Place To Bury Strangers, Cymbals Eat Guitars, Johnny Foreigner.