Moles
Moles upper floor
Address14 George Street, Bath, Somerset, BA1 2EN
Bath, Somerset
United Kingdom
Coordinates51°23′05″N 2°21′47″W / 51.3847813°N 2.3631025°W / 51.3847813; -2.3631025
OperatorPhil Andrews (1977 - 2009) (2012 - 2023) Tom Maddicott (2012 - 2023)
TypeNightclub
Capacity220
Opened31 December 1977
Closed5 December 2023
Website
https://www.moles.co.uk

Moles is a live music venue and nightclub in Bath, Somerset. With a capacity of 220 people,[1] it is known as a grassroots venue and hosted notable acts such as Oasis, Ed Sheeran, The Killers, Manic Street Preachers, Radiohead, The Cure, The Smiths, Whiteout, Blur, Pulp, Fatboy Slim, Bastille, King Crimson, Gabrielle, Eurythmics, Tears for Fears, George Ezra and Supergrass.[2] The venue also has a recording studio, with Dummy, Lazer Guided Melodies, Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space, and Primary Colours being recorded here.[3]

History

Moles was founded by Phillip Andrews, who also was director of the venue from opening until 2009. Disappointed at the 'Euro disco crap', Andrews and a friend thought that Bath needed a good club, 'somewhere with real ale, veggie food and live music'. After initially dropping the idea, the landlord of the venue (which had previously been Six of Clubs), heard about Andrews' idea and gave him 10 days to decide whether he wanted to take on turning the venue into a club. With just £2,000, from October 1977, Andrews renovated the venue, which at that stage was derelict, having not been used as a venue for around five years.[4]

Moles opened on New Year's Eve 1977. In the evenings it was a nightclub, and during the day it was a vegetarian cafe. The cafe was originally more popular than the club, however, facing competition from other cafes, Andrews shut the cafe part in 1981.[4]

The initial bookings of live music came from Andrews' own music taste, which was 'very folky jazzy'. Approximately nine months to a year after opening, Andrews booked other types of music. This included a disco night known as 'Derek's Mutant Disco', on a Wednesday night.[4]

Further bookings continued, including Canadian new wave band, Spoons (despite Andrews' concern of the band being 'a bit wild'). Prior to this, Moles wasn't getting large audiences, however, Spoons' gig showed that rock music was bringing crowds in. The PA system was upgraded after this, with Andrews' describing how it 'really started taking off'.[4]

After visiting the cafe, Robert Fripp, future guitarist of King Crimson, decided he wanted his band The League of Gentlemen to do a gig at the venue. It was after this that London agents started calling to book other bands, including The Cure and The Smiths. When The Cure played at the venue, a stage hadn't been built, with the toilets being situated behind the band. This meant Andrews' stood near to the keyboard player to ensure he wasn't bumped into when people tried to get to the toilet. A small crowd of 'barely 30' watched The Smiths perform when they gigged at the venue at the start of their career.[4][5]

Later, Oasis played the venue, however, Andrews almost turned them down, as their manager had previously provided poor recommendations of other artists.

A recording studio was created upstairs at the venue, with artists such as James, Portishead, Spiritualised and Biffy Clyro recording there. It allowed for live albums to be created from the gigs below.

As well as live gigs, club nights developed at the venue, including the long-running 'Big Chees' event on a Tuesday night.[4]

In 2009, Andrews left Moles to focus on The Porter pub that he owned next door to the venue. The pub provided music and comedy, as well as veggie food.

In 2012, Moles went bust, however, Andrews returned to the venue, alongside his new business partner, Tom Maddicott, who became the managing director. Maddicott had been involved with Moles since 1992, aged 18, where he later became an assistant manager, as well as other roles including DJ and record producer. Prior to bankruptcy, the pair set up a limited company, meaning they were ready when Moles went bankrupt, a move that Andrews described as 'totally seamless'.

Notable gigs

In 1990, Van Morrison performed and recorded Cuchulainn, a collection of poems from ancient Ireland as a fundraiser for Moles.[6]

In 1991, Strangelove played their first gig in Moles.[7][8]

Ed Sheeran performed at Moles in June 2011, shortly before the release of his debut album, +.[9]

Manic Street Preachers were signed to a record label after performing at Moles.[4]

Tears For Fears were a regular band at the venue.[4]

Annie Mac regularly performed at the venue and used to be a resident DJ.[4]

Radiohead had a memorable gig at the venue, leading to their manager telling them they'd have to change, due to a bad performance.[4]

Supergrass performed at the venue approximately six or seven times, with the crowds growing at each gig. The last few gigs they performed there led to tickets selling out months in advance. The band released an album for their debut album's 20th anniversary, including a free bonus CD entitled 'Live at Moles'. The back of the album cover of their debut album, I Should Coco, was taken in the old dressing room at the venue.[4]

King Crimson recorded Discipline: Live At Moles Club, Bath 1981, releasing the album in 2000.

Fatboy Slim performed at Mole's 40th birthday on New Year's Eve in 2018.[4]

The last band to perform at Moles was October Drift, on December 2 2023.[10]

Wall of Fame

The venue had a 'Wall of Fame' adjacent to the upstairs bar, with the names of all the bands and artists that had performed there over the years.[4][11]

List of artists/bands who have appeared on the Wall of Fame at Moles (having performed at the venue)
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U V W Y (Numbers)
A Flock of Seagulls Babybird Cactus Rain Dada Eat Fad Gadget Gabrielle The Heart Throbs Ian McNabb J.J Kamanchi Sly The Larks Magma Pop Nan Vernon Oasis Pale Saints Radiohead S*M*A*S*H Tabitha Zu U.K. Subs Vic Chesnutt The Weather Prophets Younger Younger 28s The 5,6,7,8s
A House Baby Chaos The Candyskins Daisy Chainsaw Echobelly Family Gotown Gary Clail Heaven West Eleven Innes Sibun Blues Explosion James Kenikie King The La's Manic Street Preachers Natural Life Ocean Colour Scene Paris Angels The Railway Children Sam Brown Tansies Ultramarine The Voice of the Beehive The Wedding Present Yungun
Add N to (X) The Band of Holy Joy Candyland Damian Rice Ed Keeper The Fat Lady Sings Geno Washington The High Intastella James Rays Gangway Keziah Jones Laura Veirs and the Tortured Souls Mansun Nautical William Oil Experts Patricia Morrison The Real People Santa Cruz Tasmin Archer Ultrasound Whiteout
Alabama 3 Banderas Carl Cox The Damned Eddi Reader The Fatima Mansions The Go-Betweens Higher Intelligence Agency Into Paradise James Taylor Quartet King Crimson Lemon Grass Marcella Detroit Neds Atomic Dustbin One Dove Paul Johnson Red Lorry Yellow Lorry Scorpio Rising Tears For Fears Underground Lovers Wolf Alice
Alex Paterson Bang Bang Machine Cast David Devant & His Spirit Wife Editors Felt The God Machine The Hollow Men It Bites Jane Siberia Kingmaker Les Négresses Vertes Marillion No Man Oui 3 Pele Reef The Seers Terry Hall Urban Species Whycliffe
Amazulu The Bardots Catatonia David Gray Elastica Fields of the Nephilim Goldblade Holly Golightly Jason Rebello Kinky Machine The Liac Time Massive Attack The Open Pere Ubu Rummy Ongala Senation (Ex Soul Family Senatio) Thirteen Senses Wild Willy Barrett
Amoeba Assassins Barenaked Ladies Cath Coffey Deacon Blue EMF Five Thirty Goya Dress Honky The Jazz Butcher Kitchens of Distinction Linoleum MC Tunes Peter Green Revolutionary Dub Warriors Senseless Things Thompson Twins The Woodentops
Andrew Weatherill Bark Psychosis Catherine Wheel Dead Can Dance Engine Alley Flowered Up Grand Rose Band Horse JC001 Klashnekoff Londonbeat Mega City Four Peter Hammill Revolver Sensitize Thousand Yard Stare World Party
Andy Sheppard Bassomatic Chapterhouse Del Amitri The Europeans FMB Green on Red Hothouse Flowers Jeh Kula Shaker Lost Soul Merz Phranc Richard and Linda Thompson Shakespears Sister Thrum
Andy Smith (Portishead) Bedazzled Chikinki Des'ree Eurtythmics Foreign Beggars Groove Detective The House of Love Jehst The Killers Lovecraft Microdisney PJ Harvey River City People The Shamen Timbuk 3
Asian Dub Foundation Beverley Craven Children of Dub Dick Heksall-Smith Everything but the Girl The Four Brothers The Good Gods! The Housemartins Jellyfish Lupine Howl Microgroove Pooka Roachford Shed Seven Tiny Monroe
The Auteurs Beverly Knight China Crisis Diesel Park West Frank Chickens Howard Jones Jennifers Lush Midway Still Popinjays Rob da Bank Shriekback Tom Robinson
The Bible Claytown Troupe The Dirtbombs Frazier Chorus Howlin Wilf and the Vee-Jays Jesus Jones The Mighty Lemon Drops Post War Years Robert Fripp Six by Seven Tori Amos
Birdland Clint Boon DJ Dopey (World DJ Champion 2002) Freak Power Hugh Cornwell Jimmy Katumba & The Ebonies Mike Peters & The Poets The Power of Dreams The Rockingbirds Skinnyman Torah Wilcox
Bivouac Coati Mundi Doctor and the Medics Frente! JJ72 Million Dan Primal Scream Rodney P Skunk Anansie T'Pau
Bjorn Again Colorblind James Experience Dodgy Fretblanket JoBoxers Milltown Brothers The Primitives Rootjoose Slaves The Tragically Hip
Blab Happy Comanchee Park Dr Robert Fun-Da-Mental John Cooper Clarke Mint 400 The Proclaimers Roy Harper Sleeper Trashcan Sinatras
Black Roots Cooper Temple Dedge Furniture John Etheridge Miranda Sex Garden Propellorheads Ruff Ruff & Ready Slow Bongo Floyd Travis
Black Star Liner The Clause Dust Junkies John Otway Miss World Pulp Ruthless Rap Assassins The Smiths The Triffids
The Black Velvet Band Courtney Pine The Dylans Jonathan Richmond The Mock Turtles The Snapdragons Ty
Band Crazyhead The Dears Justin Robertson Molly Half Head Sneaker Pimps
Blancmange Crop-dusters Delays Moloko Snow Patrol
Bleach Cud Mumford & Sons Soda
Blessed Ethel The Cure My Vitriol The Soup Dragons
The Blessing Curiosity Killed the Cat Mystro Spiritualised
Blink Cutmaster Swift (World DJ Champion 1989) The Mutts Spitfire
Bloomsday Cutting Crew Squarepusher
The Blow Monkeys The Coral The Star Club
The Blue Aeroplanes Starjuice
Blur Stereolab
Brian Kennedy Strangelove
The Brilliant Corners Straw
Bronte Brothers Strawberry Switchblade
Suede
The Sultans of Ping
The Sundays
Sunshot
Supergrass
Surreal Madrid
Suzanne Rhatigan
Sway
Sweetmouth
Swervedriver
Symposium

Electrical fire and refurbishment

Moles closed for 21 months following a fire caused by an electrical fault in March 2014. At approximately 08:50GMT, a member of the public called Avon Fire and Rescue Service after hearing the fire alarm and seeing smoke from the venue. It was initially reported that members of a band had been asleep on an upper floor, however, a search revealed no-one was present.[12][13]

After a full refurbishment commenced, which was challenging due to the building being listed. Work took 21 months, including fitting a new digital mixing desk. The club opened again in November 2015, with Don Broco headlining a gig, followed by a club night from Eats Everything and Erol Alkan on 27 November.[14][15][4]

Closure

In October 2023 the nightclub's operations manager said that it was struggling due to the 2021–present United Kingdom cost-of-living crisis,[2] and in December 2023 it closed after filing for insolvency.[16][17] In 2023, more than 120 grassroots venues similar to Moles closed, with 84 described as 'in crisis'.[18] Member of Parliament for Bath, Wera Hobhouse called for a parliamentary debate on the closure of grassroots music venues,[19] and a petition calling for the local authority to preserve the venue was also launched.[20]

References

  1. ↑ "Moles". Gigseekr. Retrieved 2023-12-06.
  2. 1 2 Laura Kelly (27 October 2023). "Inside the grassroots music venue where Oasis, Pulp and Ed Sheeran cut their teeth". The Big Issue. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  3. ↑ Dan Biggane (15 August 2016). "7 fascinating facts you probably didn't know about Moles in Bath". Bath Chronicle. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Elise Britten (10 November 2019). "Nostalgia trip as we revisit 40 years at Bath's most famous nightclub". SomersetLive. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  5. ↑ "Moles: Bath nightclub where Oasis and Radiohead cut their teeth to shut". BBC News. 2023-12-05. Retrieved 2023-12-06.
  6. ↑ Peter Mills (2010). Hymns to the Silence: Inside the Words and Music of Van Morrison. Bloomsbury Academic. p. 78. ISBN 9780826429766.
  7. ↑ "Chrrrist, Whatever Happened To Strangelove?". Archived from the original on 12 August 2014.
  8. ↑ Colin Larkin, ed. (2000). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Nineties Music. Virgin. p. 378. ISBN 9780753504277.
  9. ↑ Elise Britten (6 November 2019). "When Ed Sheeran played in Bath just before he hit the big time". SomersetLive. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  10. ↑ "October Drift + Oscar and the Karma | Last 50 Tickets!". Moles. Retrieved 2023-12-08.
  11. ↑ "Moles Wall of Fame". Moles. Retrieved 2023-12-06.
  12. ↑ "Bath nightclub fire started by an electrical fault". BBC News. 9 March 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  13. ↑ "Investigation to begin in Bath nightclub after fire". BBC News. 2014-03-08. Retrieved 2023-12-05.
  14. ↑ "History". Moles. Retrieved 2023-12-05.
  15. ↑ "The return of Moles (Bath)". licklist.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-12-05.
  16. ↑ Mark Savage (5 December 2023). "Moles: Bath nightclub where Oasis and Radiohead cut their teeth to shut". BBC News. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  17. ↑ Roisin O'Connor (5 December 2023). "Historic music venue Moles, where Oasis, The Killers and Ed Sheeran performed, forced to close after 45 years". The Independent. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  18. ↑ Kelly, Laura (2023-12-05). "Iconic venue where Oasis and Pulp cut their teeth closes due to cost of living crisis". The Big Issue. Retrieved 2023-12-06.
  19. ↑ "Bath MP calls for debate on saving grassroots music venues following "devastating" closure of Moles". Midsomer Norton, Radstock & District Journal. 11 December 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  20. ↑ "Petition to reopen Moles venue attracts thousands of signatures". Bath Echo. 11 December 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
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