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Nottingham Post

Entertainment

Mia O'Hare

Nottingham's Rescue Rooms celebrates 20 years with a week full of events

Nottingham Frank Turner

A Nottingham music venue is holding a week long celebration to mark 20 years. Rescue Rooms on Goldsmith Street has been at the forefront of Nottingham's music scene for the past two decades.

It comes at a time where grassroots gig spaces in the UK are “going over a cliff” following the pandemic and shutting off the pipeline of future talent. Over the past 20 years, Rescue Rooms has seen musical heavyweights take to their stage, including The Libertines, The Killers, Amy Winehouse and Jake Bugg.

Anton Lockwood, Director of Live at DHP Family - the company behind Rescue Rooms - who was brought into the live music company to open the venue, is adamant about the importance of venues like Rescue Rooms.

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He said: “It’s fantastic to be celebrating the 20th birthday of the Rescue Rooms this week! When we conceived of the venue all those years ago we wanted to create somewhere with great atmosphere, interesting programming and a thoroughly enjoyable gig going experience – and the success and longevity of the venue suggests we’re achieving that.

"We’re also proud of our varied club night programme where the “rooms” in the venue’s name showcase many and varied genres of great music. Of course it’s wonderful to list the artists who played Rescue Rooms on their way to fill stadia - but it’s also important to note there are many, many more artists who aren’t mainstream but still bring pleasure to millions of people – and it’s vital to provide great stages for them, which is a huge part of what we do.

"This is particularly meaningful in a time when music venues are under more and more pressure – so I’m delighted to bring a positive story about grassroots live music!”

To celebrate, the venue will be welcoming Frank Turner as headliner of a special solo show on Saturday 25th February. The sold out show to celebrate the 20 year milestone comes after a week of special events at the Goldsmith Street venue featuring live music, dj sets, club events, drag shows and bingo.

Nottingham band Amber Run called Rescue Rooms ‘a venue that reeks of music and wears it like a crown’. Joe, from Amber Run, explained what the venue means to the band: “When we worked at Rescue Rooms, we used to go into the main room and dream that we would get to play it one day. Now we have, 10 times over and it still has that mystique.

“Never before have we needed shared experience more. And I can’t think of anything that’s impacted me more than a room full of people singing the same words to the same song at the same time. Venues like Rescue Rooms are the cauldron that create culture and bind people together.”

Brighton quartet Black Honey - who will be coming to play Rescue Rooms on 1 April - said: “It’s like a nucleus for people to go and let off steam find commonality with people when they don’t usually feel welcome in “normal” spaces.

"Every touring band ever has walked through those doors so it has that heritage air. You know everyone you adore has made their journey there before you and that’s something you can’t manufacture with creating new spaces. It’s like one of those venues where you can feel how good last night probably was.”

Birthday Week Celebrations

Monday 20th February

➔ Acoustic Rooms: Secret Special Guests [bar/free]

Tuesday 21st February

➔ Pressure: Do Nothing DJ Set [bar/free]

Wednesday 22nd February

➔ Old Dirty Brasstards: 00s Indie & Alternative Brass Band [live]

➔ Quiz + Karaoke [bar/free]

Thursday 23rd February

➔ Kitty Tray’s Catnip Cabaret [drag show]

➔ Indie Bingo: One Hit Wonders Bonus Round [bar/free]

➔ Party Like It’s 2003 [bar/free]