Independent Venue Week (IVW) release our fourth live album with recordings taken from shows across IVW21. Recorded during the pandemic, this record reflects the incredible efforts artists, venues and the creative community went to during lockdown, to ensure music and arts continued in exceptionally tough circumstances.

Limited to 400 units on 180g vinyl and only available in shops in the UK, the release includes tracks from some of the most exciting artists who played this year. The single gate-fold record features 11 artists across thirteen different venues and is part of the venture’s 8^th edition. The release features such artists as IVW 2021 Scottish Ambassador Amy Macdonald, IDLES, Frank Turner & Young Knives. A full track listing can be found below.

The record features a special track recoded by IDLES, each band member playing live, in a different Bristol venue, on their own to meet social distancing rules. The individual recordings were then brought together to create a live track.

Due out on Friday 3^rd December, the album will be released right before Independent Venue Week 2022.

Amy Macdonald (IVW Scottish Ambassador 2021)

“I was so honoured to be asked to represent independent venues in Scotland for IVW 2021, without small venues I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing now, I’m forever thankful for the opportunity they gave me! Oran Mor is such a beautiful venue in my hometown, so it was great to get the guys together and do a few songs there, even if we couldn’t get an audience in.”

Denholm Ellis (Hot Box Live Events, Chelmsford)

“Independent Venue Week this year gave us absolute focus for a week in the midst of a pandemic. We had the opportunity to put on 7 shows which reached our regular customers and a worldwide audience.”

“Around 80,000 people watched the shows. It allows us to raise the profile of our venue and share big musical artists to our regulars and an entirely new audience. Grassroots venues are incredibly important for emerging artists. IVW puts a spotlight on these venues by bringing more established artists in for shows. It builds excitement at venues and draws customers back to live music after the festive period.”

Independent Venue Week has released Independent Venue Week LIVE 2020, a single gatefold record featuring tracks from 9 artists, performed live across 5 different venues as part of the venture’s 7th edition as well as Rough Trade East and a special one-off show at The 100 Club.

Featured artists include IVW 2020 Ambassador Anna Calvi, Sleaford Mods, Self Esteem, Penelope Isles, and more. IVW LIVE 2020 is released on Friday 11 December 2020

The front cover has been designed by Big Jeff, a renowned gig-goer and musician from Bristol. As well as being well known for going to gigs every night for over 18 years, Big Jeff has recently received acclaim for his paintings which he does whilst in the audience at the live shows he attends. An exhibition of Big Jeff’s work is launching next year.

Anna Calvi, Independent Venue Week Ambassador 2020, comments:

“Playing at The Windmill for IVW earlier this year brought back incredibly fond memories, both the excitement and nerves, of being on stage for the first time. Those experiences in small venues were so formative for me. It’s been such a privilege to be Ambassador for IVW this year and has been a special reminder of why all artists, no matter how big or small, must be vocal about the vitality of independent venues to our culture and support in any way we can to ensure they live on.”
The limited-edition record opens with a poem written and performed exclusively for Independent Venue Week by Louisa from She Drew The Gun. A copy of the hand-written poem is included as an insert within the record.

Joe Bailey, The Smokehouse, Ipswich, comments:

“Working with and being supported by Independent Venue Week for 2020 was an incredible experience from start to finish. IVW is always the highlight of our year at The Smokehouse. It’s a chance to say a massive thankyou to our loyal staff, volunteers and gig goers by bringing touring bands into our venue, shining a spotlight, raising awareness and inspiring audiences old and new. As an 80-capacity grassroots venue IVW is vitally important for the venue, town, our workforce and our wonderful community.”

This release is the third live album from the Independent Venue Week team on their own label, I Like The Sound Of That. This record, like previous releases, are all limited edition vinyl only issues.

Independent Venue Week (IVW) release their second live album with recordings taken from shows across IVW19, the launch event, and at the newly opened Peckham Audio in London.

Limited to 250 units on 180g vinyl and only available in shops the UK, the release includes tracks from some of the most exciting artists who played this year. The single gate-fold record features 10 artists across five different venues and is part of the venture’s 6^th edition.

 Willgoose Esq from Public Service Broadcasting

“We loved playing Independent Venue Week in 2019 – we’re still very used to playing small rooms, especially on the continent, but it’s been a while since we played venues like the Adelphi and the Trades Club here in the UK and it made for a great atmosphere.”

“More importantly it was great to be put back in touch with the people who put in so much hard work at the grassroots level to enable a healthy music industry to function, giving bands the space and time to develop and grow in front of their audiences and providing a vital route from practice room to stage”.

 “It really was inspiring to be back in that environment and repay some very tiny part of our debt to some of the most vital parts of the independent music scene. We hope to be part of it again in the near future.”

Due out on Friday 24^th January 2020, the album will be released right before Independent Venue Week 20, (Monday 27^th January – Sunday 2^nd February). It is also straight after the nationwide premiere of IVW’s feature length documentary Long & Winding Road, fronted by Philip Selway (Radiohead) which takes place Tuesday 21^st January.

 The Blinders

“Independent venues are fundamental in providing bands like ourselves the stage to grow and craft our art. They’re the cornerstone of this industry and the cornerstone of many communities particularly working-class communities”.

“There’s something incredibly special about those who tirelessly run independent venues for little financial gain and those that tirelessly scout their walls in search of their favourite new act”.

“We believe strongly that such venues should be given the same cultural status and protection as Museums and Art Galleries in this country. IVW celebrates venues the way they deserved to be celebrated and long may that continue”.

Artists featuring include Public Service Broadcasting, Cancer Bats, This Is The Kit, Talk Show, Rozi Plain, Pip Blom and John Paul – a full track list is below.

Rozi Plain

“We had a brilliant time in January this year in York, Glasgow, Southampton, Ipswich, Brighton and Hull. Our new album wasn’t out then so it was great to try out the new songs in friendly places before its release”.

“I am so grateful to all the people who continue to put their energy and love into organising shows at these beloved venues in often trying and less than lucrative times. We are so lucky to have these opportunities to get together with our friends and neighbours and strangers to discover new music and ideas. Independent venues provide an absolutely necessary place in communities of welcoming and encouraging audience and artists”.

 In addition to the live band performances, the opening poem read by Boileroom owner Dom Frazer beautifully sums up the importance & spirit of independent venues culturally and personally across the UK.

For the first time in 2018, IVW produced a live record in time for Record Store Day. We captured live recordings from a number of artists and different venues all around the UK and had the double, vinyl only record mastered and pressed up in under 2 months to meet the RSD deadline.

Limited to 500 hand-numbered heavy-weight vinyl and only available in the UK, the release includes tracks from some of the most exciting artists who played this year. The double gate-fold record features 15 artists across seven different venues and is part of IVW’s 5^th birthday celebrations.

Artists featuring include Gaz Coombes, IVW Ambassador Nadine Shah, IDLES from their BBC Music outside broadcast for BBC 6 Music’s Steve Lamacq’s show, Slow Readers Club, LIFE who also played the launch event in London, Flamingods, Black Midi, Fizzy Blood and Horsey – a full track list is below.

Gaz Coombes, who’s unreleased track The Oaks is on the album, said “I was really happy to be part of Independent Venue Week and this track, from my new album, was played live for the very first time at the Leicester Cookie show”

Nadine Shah also shared her thoughts “I struggle when trying to explain to people the vibe and atmosphere at IVW shows – it’s something else. Luckily for me, the team recorded many live performances from a whole bunch of artists, including myself, who played this year. Listen to that loudly and it should prove plenty more useful than me telling you about it – enjoy!”

In addition to the live band performances, an interview with 100 Club owner, Jeff Horton, is the final track on record which was his speech as part of the inaugural IVW launch event last November at the venue.

Recordings were done live, in the venues, with kit from OpenLIVE from Australia (with the exception of Gaz Coombes who was recorded by Mick Brown).

“It was a pretty ambitious project to undertake with everything else we had going on during Independent Venue Week, not least because we had 7 days of shows at 173 venues all across the UK. The deadlines for Record Store Day are also really tight for us in terms of when IVW finishes. As well as that, we had to secure space at a pressing plant” said Sybil Bell, IVW Founder.