Dublin Indie Clubs?

Texas Jack · 19-04-2016 1:22pm #1

Where are they all gone?

We used to be able to boast Eamon Dorans,, Isaac Butt/Radio City, Downstairs in Thomas Reeds/The Oak, Antics in Crawdaddy, Screamdelica in the button factory/temple bar music centre, Helter Shelter in The Shelter/Vicar St, Trashed in The Mezz- Whelans was always a good indie night out

I'm sure I'm leaving out loads but nowadays all I'm aware of is the Workmans unless im missing something?

Maybe I'm getting old

whiskeyman · 19-04-2016 1:49pm

thanks for the memories there!
The Village (now Opium?) used to have some good stuff.
Upstairs in Doyles used to be Indie heavy.

Whelans is still there and puts in a good indie set.

Pudsy33 · 19-04-2016 1:59pm

I like workmans, good mix of stuff

Texas Jack · 19-04-2016 3:31pm

Workmans full of 18 year old One Direction clones though!

Pudsy33 · 19-04-2016 3:35pm

Texas Jack wrote: »

Workmans full of 18 year old One Direction clones though!

Yeah it can be, I'm in my mid 20s though and still like it

Strumms · 25-04-2016 6:18pm

Workmans I like for gigs but never really interested in hanging around after or just going for drinks, I liked it at the start but the staff there are useless... young crowd too.. suppose that's me gettin old also :P

Whelan's has dipped a bit in my estimation over the last year. Music can be hit and miss.. Had a great night in there Sunday 2 weeks ago, great DJ... was there on a Thursday night no long ago and for a good 45 mins there were playing **** like Beyonce... Also for some reason it seems to have lost a lot of the nicer crowd who went there.. seems to be attracting a lot of meatheads smashing into people and rowing on the busier nights, a lot more security staff on there now... Also one or two of the bar staff.. one I can think of in particular could well be better finding more appropriate careers, ones that don't involve interacting with the public and maybe people full stop..

As for the OPs list... takes me back a bit alright... not many true real indie clubs per say now at all really if any.. think bar owners are going for a more kind of mix of music to maximise the middle of the road and appeal to more people... More middle of the road pop / rock stuff with the odd indie hit thrown in...

One place I've only been a couple of times and to be honest I usually find it too rammed is the Thomas House.... how do people find that music wise ?

Texas Jack · 26-04-2016 7:17am

Strumms wrote: »

Workmans I like for gigs but never really interested in hanging around after or just going for drinks, I liked it at the start but the staff there are useless... young crowd too.. suppose that's me gettin old also :P

Whelan's has dipped a bit in my estimation over the last year. Music can be hit and miss.. Had a great night in there Sunday 2 weeks ago, great DJ... was there on a Thursday night no long ago and for a good 45 mins there were playing **** like Beyonce... Also for some reason it seems to have lost a lot of the nicer crowd who went there.. seems to be attracting a lot of meatheads smashing into people and rowing on the busier nights, a lot more security staff on there now... Also one or two of the bar staff.. one I can think of in particular could well be better finding more appropriate careers, ones that don't involve interacting with the public and maybe people full stop..

As for the OPs list... takes me back a bit alright... not many true real indie clubs per say now at all really if any.. think bar owners are going for a more kind of mix of music to maximise the middle of the road and appeal to more people... More middle of the road pop / rock stuff with the odd indie hit thrown in...

One place I've only been a couple of times and to be honest I usually find it too rammed is the Thomas House.... how do people find that music wise ?

Never actually been to Thomas House

Love Whelans but ridiculously expensive - a tenner into their 'club' and never any drinks promos

donfers · 26-04-2016 12:30pm

Amazing that a city the size of Dublin doesn't have a few dedicated Indie clubs.

At least when I was in Galway I had the old reliable of the Rosin Dubh to head down to to hear some guaranteed indie tunes.

Maybe my Indie Scene is dead thread carries more weight than I gave it credit for.

Indeed I would posit that the digitalisation of the music industry has had a negative effect on the indie scene in general. It's now too easy to access, too easy to skip, too easy to move on to the next fad. Whereas indie scenes were traditionally founded on a real commitment, an almost cult-like following of a particular band or bands. Albums meant something - they don't anymore. Thus to conclude this treatise I would argue that the way we consume music currently is detrimental to developing a real passion for particular bands, and particularly indie music, as unlike electronic, drum and bass or other niche pursuits, it is about feeling part of something and connecting to something. Just like people no longer have that communal feeling that they attached to watching shows like Glenroe or Dallas so too are the days of schoolkids scrawling smashing pumpkins lyrics onto folders or adorning street-signs, alley-walls and toilet cubicles with the name of their favourite band, at an end.

I may just write an academic paper on it if I have not yet convinced you.

Texas Jack · 26-04-2016 1:11pm

donfers wrote: »

Amazing that a city the size of Dublin doesn't have a few dedicated Indie clubs.

At least when I was in Galway I had the old reliable of the Rosin Dubh to head down to to hear some guaranteed indie tunes.

Maybe my Indie Scene is dead thread carries more weight than I gave it credit for.

Indeed I would posit that the digitalisation of the music industry has had a negative effect on the indie scene in general. It's now too easy to access, too easy to skip, too easy to move on to the next fad. Whereas indie scenes were traditionally founded on a real commitment, an almost cult-like following of a particular band or bands. Albums meant something - they don't anymore. Thus to conclude this treatise I would argue that the way we consume music currently is detrimental to developing a real passion for particular bands, and particularly indie music, as unlike electronic, drum and bass or other niche pursuits, it is about feeling part of something and connecting to something. Just like people no longer have that communal feeling that they attached to watching shows like Glenroe or Dallas so too are the days of schoolkids scrawling smashing pumpkins lyrics onto folders or adorning street-signs, alley-walls and toilet cubicles with the name of their favourite band, at an end.

I may just write an academic paper on it if I have not yet convinced you.

That was an exceptional read but oh so very true, sadly

The_Captain · 28-04-2016 1:22pm

Indie is still a major thing, but the music is now more electronic or hip-hop based than before. Young Fathers, The XX, Beach House, CHVRCHES and the like have replaced The Libertines and Pavement and stuff like that.

There's plenty of pubs and bars playing Stone Roses and classic indie stuff like that, but very few clubs since people listening to that kind of music are old and don't use dance floors anymore.

Texas Jack · 28-04-2016 1:24pm

The_Captain wrote: »

Indie is still a major thing, but the music is now more electronic or hip-hop based than before.

Indie, in my opinion, really isn't indie, without guitars

stateofflux · 07-05-2016 8:18pm

scenes change and i never remember it being amazing anyway

I do really like the workmans late on a saturday. they do play daycent 'indie' stuff in the main hall. apart from that downstairs in the globe aint too bad and whelans keeps rolling along (thanks in part to the steep €10 cover charge)

Passenger · 07-05-2016 8:24pm

Sin é is certainly Indie/Alternative.

phenomenalcat · 07-05-2016 8:36pm

There isn't even a pub which has a jukebox left on all night . Whelans did but now they switch it off around 9 to let some tosser dj play all the latest tripe . Plus Bruxelles who have shamelessly turned downstairs into a saloon.

Texas Jack · 08-05-2016 1:10pm

I've actually just moved around the corner from Sin E

What's it like?

Passenger · 08-05-2016 4:27pm

Texas Jack wrote: »

I've actually just moved around the corner from Sin E

What's it like?

Pretty much does what is says on the tin. Two floors. Indie/Rock/Alternative. Live bands and DJ Thurs, Fri, Sat nights. Few craft brews on tap. Would suggest you have a gander as it might be what you're looking for.

sweetie · 08-05-2016 8:30pm

Texas Jack wrote:

We used to be able to boast Eamon Dorans,, Isaac Butt/Radio City, Downstairs in Thomas Reeds/The Oak, Antics in Crawdaddy, Screamdelica in the button factory/temple bar music centre, Helter Shelter in The Shelter/Vicar St, Trashed in The Mezz- Whelans was always a good indie night out

I've djed at a lot of these places in the past and the demand isn't the same as it was (as someone alluded to.) I've been trying to get something off the ground but venues either want safer bets or are trying to cover too many bases. I've heard of Djs in the workman's losing slots for being too 'indie'! Porterhouse central has an indie night on Wednesdays and Bleeding horse on Saturdays.

Texas Jack · 09-05-2016 8:50am

^^

Yup Bleeding Horse Saturdays are always decent!

Definitely intrigued by Sin E so I'm gonna check it out next weekend! :-)

Strumms · 09-05-2016 2:46pm

Totally forgot about Sin E. I've only been in there a couple of times but it has been good in general and music wise both times. Definitely Indie and nicely eclectic also. Always kind of forget about the place as I usually drink and hang around bars on the other side of the river but i gotta revisit that myself too...

Texas Jack · 12-05-2016 8:51am

In my formative years I used to rate indie bars on a basis of how easy it was to pull

Whelans never failed me, always my go to! :-)

Dublin Indie Clubs?

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