Moles (nightclub)

Moles is a live music venue and nightclub in Bath, Somerset with a capacity of 220 people. It was opened by Phillip Andrews on New Year's Eve 1977. It is known as a grassroots venue and has hosted many music acts before they became household names, such as Oasis, Ed Sheeran, The Killers, Radiohead, The Cure, King Crimson, Eurythmics, and Supergrass. Moles closed and filed for insolvency in October 2023.

History

Moles was founded by Phillip Andrews, who was also the director of the venue. He was the club's director from 1977 to 2009. Andrews was disappointed at the 'Euro disco crap', and he and a friend thought that Bath needed a good club. He wanted to have a club with " real ale, veggie food and live music". 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. In October of 1977 Andrews spent £2,000 to renovate the venue, which was derelict. The venue had not been in use for approximately five years.

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 closed the cafe business in 1981.

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 began booking other types of music: this included a disco night known as 'Derek's Mutant Disco', on a Wednesday night.

He also booked Canadian new wave band, Spoons (despite Andrews' concern of the band being 'a bit wild'). Prior to hosting the Spoons, Moles wasn't attracting large audiences. After the Spooms performance Andrews realized that rock music could attract large crowds. The PA system was upgraded and Andrews' said Moles, "really started taking off".

After visiting the cafe, Robert Fripp, future guitarist of King Crimson, decided he wanted his band The League of Gentlemen to perform at the venue. After the performance London booking agents began calling Moles to book bands, including The Cure and The Smiths. When The Cure played at the venue, the club did not have a stage, and the toilets were located behind the band. Andrews' often stood near to the keyboard player to ensure that he wasn't bumped into when people tried to get to the toilet. A small crowd of almost 30 people watched The Smiths perform at the venue at the start of their career. The band, Oasis performed at the venue, however, Andrews almost turned them down, because their manager had previously provided poor recommendations for Moles to hire other artists.

A recording studio was created upstairs at the venue, and artists such as James, Portishead, Spiritualised and Biffy Clyro recording there. The studio allowed for live albums to be created from the live performances below. The venue also hosted club nights, including the long-running 'Big Chees' event on a Tuesday night.

In 2009, Andrews sold Moles to focus on The Porter pub that he owned next door to the venue. The pub provided music and comedy, as well as vegetarian food. In 2012, Moles declared bankruptcy, however, Andrews returned to the venue, with a new business partner, Tom Maddicott, who became the managing director. Maddicott had been involved with Moles since he was 18 years old in 1992,and he once served as an assistant manager, a DJ and a 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 performances

*In 1990, Van Morrison performed and recorded ''Cuchulainn'', a collection of poems from ancient Ireland as a fundraiser for Moles.
*In 1991, Strangelove played their first gig in Moles.
* Ed Sheeran performed at Moles in June 2011, shortly before the release of his debut album, +.
*Manic Street Preachers were signed to a record label after performing at Moles.
*Tears For Fears were a regular band at the venue.
*Annie Mac regularly performed at the venue and used to be a resident DJ.
*Radiohead had a memorable gig at the venue, leading to their manager telling them they'd have to change, due to a bad performance.
*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.
*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.
*The last band to perform at Moles was October Drift, on December 2 2023.

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.

Recording studio

Moles has been used as a recording studio, with Dummy, Lazer Guided Melodies, Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space, and Primary Colours being recorded here.

Electrical fire and refurbishment

Moles closed for 21 months following a fire caused by an electrical fault in March 2014. At approximately 08:50 GMT, 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.

The club was restored, which was challenging as a result of the building being listed for sale. The restoration work took 21 months; including the installation of a new digital mixing desk. The club opened again in November 2015, with Don Broco headlining, followed by a club night from Eats Everything and Erol Alkan on 27 November.

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, and in December 2023 it closed after filing for insolvency. In 2023, more than 120 grassroots venues similar to Moles closed, with 84 described as 'in crisis'. Member of Parliament for Bath, Wera Hobhouse called for a parliamentary debate on the closure of grassroots music venues, and a petition calling for the local authority to preserve the venue was also launched.

References

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Music venues completed in 1977
Music in Bath, Somerset
Nightclubs in England
Recording studios in England