If we’re talking venues we can’t live without, Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth is a must for this list. Not only is it just a short train for us Southampton students, it’s also not far from London and Brighton. This means most concert-goers in Southern England have probably been there at least once. Though the venue may be a little confusing to find, once there you’re set to have an unforgettable experience.
Prior to university, I’d been there to see Lucy Spraggan, becoming my first of many visits to Wedgewood Rooms. With a small capacity of only 400, you can expect an intimate gig in a fairly spacious venue. There are two bars, meaning you’re never waiting long for drinks either. One of these bars even features a few sofas – definitely my favourite thing about Wedgewood Rooms! Though there are strange, possibly purposeless beams coming out of the ceiling, being able to either mosh in a small crowd or chill on the sofas definitely helps you look past this strange feature.
Of my experiences at Wedgewood Rooms, seeing YONAKA in November 2019 is the greatest to date. Whilst support acts were on, I could utilise the sofas with a lovely pint, then managed to get barrier for YONAKA’s set. That’s one of the lovely things about intimate venues such as Wedgewood Rooms – you don’t have to queue for hours prior to get without touching distance of your idols. This is something that bigger venues cannot offer, unless you are a die-hard fan that will camp out the night/day before shows, and is a main reason why we must keep venues such as Wedgewood Rooms alive.
If you want to help protect venues such as The Wedgewood Rooms donate here at The Edge’s fundraising event for Music Venue Trust.
