Wednesday 30 November 2011

Ride the tiger

It was with a heavy heart this week that we read of the closure of one of Liverpool's live venues, The Masque on Seel Street in the city centre.

A unique (at least in Liverpool) venue with a bar capable of holding gigs, a 600 capacity "theatre" with banked standing area and balcony and a loft which was also an amazing area to watch bands.

We've seen many awesome shows there over the years, standouts thy vine to mind being Orange Goblin in the loft, Galhammer and Sontaran Experiment in the theatre, back up to the loft for General Surgery, a triumphant return to Liverpool by Deicide in a packed whirlwind of a show in the theatre, which we had to watch teetering on the edge of a step in the balcony such was the madness down the front. Our very own Skum played there a few times in his old band, and it will be sorelyissed.

In recent times it had become home to Merseyside based promoters Whiplash, whose tireless work brought back the underground feel Liverpool had during the early nineties when all the underground greats came through the city playing venues like the Flying Picket, the Royal Court Basement Bar and Planet X.

It seems the venue was owned by the group in charge of (amongst other things) the Jacaranda club (where the Beatles first played) and that closed earlier this month, and the rest of the properties have collapsed "like a house of cards" as one report put it earlier this week.

I'm sure that there are people involved in the wider metal community who wish Sal and everyone else involved with Whiplash Promotions all the best fortune in finding a new home, and watch this space, we'll keep you updated.

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