It’s true what they say; good things do come to those who wait, and yesterday the wait for Independent Venue Week 2025 was finally over. Day one of #IVW25 saw an electrifying array of artists take to the stage in our beloved independent venues across the country.
Freddie Lewis Photography, Big Special at Brudenell (Leeds)
The IVW team began their evening at The Brudenell Social Club in Leeds, as BBC6 Music broadcasted live from the venue ahead of Big Special’s sold-out headline show later that evening. Prior to their unforgettable headline performance, the rock giants played a set live on-air for Steve Lamacq and the BBC6 team in front of an intimate crowd in the Brudenell’s Main Room. Despite the band’s new-and-upcoming status, their ability to command the room was more impressive than some artists with years of stage experience. On support for Big Special’s later show, Hang Linton and Gia Ford delivered two exceptionally crafted sets, warming the Brudenell’s lively crowd up for an evening of boisterous, loud, and brilliant music. The Birmingham boys’ later performance in the evening did not disappoint, as they held a transfixed audience captive and had them chanting the duo’s bold lyrics back into their faces. It goes without saying that the IVW team witnessed an extremely unforgettable performance last night, and where better than Leeds’ music hub itself to kick off another anticipated Independent Venue Week.
Big Special wasn’t the only band to give the performance of a lifetime last night, as elsewhere around the country an incredible selection of venues hosted their first shows of #IVW25. At the opposite end of the country to Leeds, rising neo-soul star Ego Ella May enchanted a packed-out Elgar Room in central London with her seamless jazz-infused melodies and honest lyricism. The highlight of the evening was her cover of The Doors’ ‘Light My Fire’, which you can watch back on our socials. An artist desperate to highlight the impact that independent venues have had on her career, Ego Ella May spoke to Clash Magazine ahead of her sold-out show about her involvement in Independent Venue Week 2025 (link below).
Sam Huddleston photography, Ego Ella May at Elgar Room (Royal Albert Hall, London)
Travelling back up to the North of the country, we managed to catch Scottish five-piece Brògeal headline The Polar Bear Music Club in Hull. An exciting addition to the best breakout bands of 2024, the IVW team were ecstatic to hear their fresh folk sound reverberate around the venue’s grade 2 listed dome. Ahead of the evening’s events, we heard from promoter Daniel Mawer as he gave us his take on Independent Venue Week and its importance in the Humberside community: “We’re over the moon to have the Polar Bear Music Club as a part of IVW25, it’s a great week and brings community to our venue, brings amazing gigs, brings emerging artists, and that’s what the venue’s all about […] it gives us a sense of belonging as a venue.”
Eli Wing photography, Brògeal at Polar Bear Music Club (Hull)
After an unbelievably brilliant first day of what is set to be an extremely memorable Independent Venue Week, we are hopeful that this year will be the best yet.
If you’re hungry for more #IVW25 news, check out some of the other coverage we received yesterday in the links below, and don’t forget to follow us on social media.