This is a blog post about small venues. Despite having played at larger places in recent years, the vast majority of my time as a musician has been spent on the stages of small bars, clubs and pubs. They are the lifeblood of any scene and are vitally important to anyone who gives a damn about music, whether underground or mainstream.

Two venues that I know and love are, heart-breakingly, having a tough time, and I have two shows coming up which reflect this. First of all, the lovely club Abart in Zurich is, after a long battle, finally closing at the end of the year. That sucks, a lot, but the good folk there have asked me to come over and play one of the closing shows. So, December 27th, I’ll be playing there solo. Tickets are onsale now.

Secondly, the Joiners Arms in Southampton. This is a venue that is really special to me. I saw my first ever show there (Snug, 1995, featuring one Ed Harcourt on guitar). Million Dead played there many times, including our last ever show in 2005. I have played there solo four times to date. The venue is having a tough time of late financially – a common occurrence for small venues, as they operate on a thin margin. When I heard about it, I naturally wanted to help. So, December 28th (my birthday no less) I’ll be playing a solo show there as well. Tickets go on sale today at 3pm from the venue website.

So, come down to the shows; in Zurich, let’s see her out with a bang. In Southampton, let’s all gang together and make sure the Joiners survives and continues to provide a platform for the music we all love. See you there.