MacD on Music: Venues, venues and more venues

If you've been paying attention these past couple of months, you would've noticed that I've been writing a lot about the many gigs that have taken place this summer.

It has been a great summer music-wise, and this week I'm going to be taking a look at something that (almost) no gig can go without, venues.

This town has plenty of great ones, as any music fan will know, and this week I'm going to be taking a look at some of the best.

Sandino's

First up is the legendary spot round the corner from Cool Discs. Sandino's is one of the go-to spots for music lovers in Derry, and on any given night, you're almost guaranteed to meet at least a few members of the Derry music scene, either in front of the bar or behind.

Over the years, it has played host to some incredible gigs by some of the best local and not-so-local acts. Acts like the Undertones, Night Demon and Alabama 3 have played there in recent years, each playing to sell-out crowds.

Some other classics include: TRAMP, Parker and General Fiasco in December 2021, a brilliant gig and my first time seeing two of Derry's best new groups.

Rock For Choice 2022: raising money for Derry For Choice, this gig featured Lunch Machine, Dose, Sister Ghost, TRAMP and CHERYM, as well as a DJ set from Soak.

The Foyle Hospice Fundraiser: This gig happened in February this year and featured Arn, Fake Friends, TRAMP and headliners Yünga. Another brilliant night for a brilliant cause.

Bennigan's

Next up is that other legendary gig spot, Bennigan's. Located on John Street, Bennigan's is the other place you're pretty much guaranteed to meet half the Derry music scene on a Saturday night.

With it's outside stage (brilliant on a warm summer night, still good on not-so-warm nights), Bennigan's has hosted it's fair share of classic gigs, with acts like Babyshakes and Soak gracing the stage over the years. On top of this, Bennigan's also has a brilliant open mic night on Mondays, which is usually a great chance to spot the future stars.

Some of the best I've been to include: CHERYM, with support from TRAMP, in early 2022. My first time seeing CHERYM live, and my introduction to one of the best live bands on the scene now.

Parker's album launch: this June saw Bennigan's play host to Parker's debut album launch. I've written about this gig not too long ago, so I'll keep this brief. Support was TomCat, TRAMP and Ferals and the album 'Never Let This Go' is in Cool Discs. Go buy it now.

Halloween 2022: the night Bennigan's had some of the world's biggest acts playing out the back. The lineup featured System of a Down, Paramore, (Zombie) Green Day and Foo Fighters (aka TRAMP, Clodagh May, CHERYM and Parker) and, like any gig featuring those names, was brilliant.

St. Columb's Hall

Now, time for some gigs that don't feature TRAMP, Parker or CHERYM. St. Columb's Hall has been around since the dawn of time and has hosted some legendary names over the years, including Jim Reeves, Glen Campbell, Fleetwood Mac (yes, seriously), Pearl Jam and (almost) the Beatles. The venue has a brilliant atmosphere and is still putting on great gigs to this day.

Some of my own personal best include: The Undertones (a few times). Any Undertones gig is going to be good. That's pretty much guaranteed. That said, some the best of their's that I've been to have been in St. Columb's Hall.

Glen Hansard, Record Store Day 2019: My second time seeing the Frames frontman and easily one of the best gigs I've been to in the Hall. Some of the highlights included an impromptu cover of Them's 'Gloria' and Glen (almost) falling slowly off the railing in front of the audience. Yet another classic.

Honourable mention: The Venue

Built in 2013 to mark Derry's year as City of Culture, the Venue was host to gigs by Chic (twice), Elvis Costello and more during it's one year of existence. Taking it down once the year was up must surely rank among the worst decisions made by Derry City Council.

The City of Culture should've been a landmark moment for the city, but instead it has been all but forgotten about in the decade since. Dooley's (at the bottom of Shipquay Street) has sat empty since August 2013 and the 'legacy' has been practicly non-existent.

Socials

Anyway, now that that's out of the way, let's get onto the socials: Sandino's can be found on Instagram @sandinosbarclub, Bennigan's @bennigans.bar and St. Columb's Hall @stcolumbshall.