ARTS CLUB RE-OPENING
https://artsclubliverpool.com/
A couple of weeks ago we were kindly invited to the re-opening of Arts Club on Seel Street in Liverpool. Under various guises this has been one of the favoured venues in the city to play for touring and local bands alike, with two performance spacing allowing the venue to showcase bands of varying degrees of success. Since it was re-branded as East Village Arts Club (although it appears now to have dropped the East Village bit) the venue, formally The Barfly and The Masque, has been flying from a gig point of view, but the ground floor bar space has struggled for an identity of its own. It was a perfectly agreeable place to have a drink or a bite to eat before a gig, but it never quite managed to live up to previous incarnations, where nights like Mixed Bag would be night out destinations in themselves attracting people obvious to what shows might be going on next door. 
This is clearly the aim of the refurbishment, with the sizeable bar space the focus of the re-launch. The bar itself has been moved to the far end of the room, opening up the space much more and allowing a new DJ booth to become the focal point and the formation of a welcoming looking dance floor. The board at the far end of the bar reveals their plans for getting people in, with 50% off food on Mondays, 'Take over Tuesdays' promising comedy, gigs and art, 2 for 1 cocktails (from a reasonable £6) on Wednesdays, open mic night with local legend Ian McNabb on Thursdays, DJs on Fridays, Table Tennis on Saturday afternoons (I am so in for that) and Vinyl stalls and a music quiz on Sundays.
Then there is the food. You never know what you are going to get when you are promised 'menu samples'. They bring out loads. So much so that I am having to turn stuff away, which pains me to type as I sit here approaching lunch and hungry. The American style dining is heavy on heat, with spicy chicken wings, Jalopenos and Chilli Dogs all packing a sizeable punch. By the time the bacon cheese burgers are out I am struggling and I just have to throw my hand apologetically at the rest. Poor effort really, I feel I have let you all down badly. 
As is often the case with openings, not everything goes to plan. We are promised 'mixologists blending world class cocktails' but are met with shrugging bar men complaining they 'haven't got the list of what goes in'. The draft lager appears to be struggling too. But these things happen. I'm sure it's all sound now. My favourite thing about the night, apart from the fact they have phone charges built into the walls, that is going to save me so much, was how many Liverpool musicians and promoters were there (and seeing their joy when they realised it was a free bar). This shows the affection the venue has with people involved in music in the city, and how people will always want it to do well. If they manage to keep and harness that, they'll always be ok. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going up for another Chilli Dog. I need to charge my phone.
John Gibbons is co-host of exceptional music podcast The Rider.
Follow them on Twitter here, you know, for the bants.
For a run down of what's on offer every day at the bar+kitchen click here.
Buy Liverpool Arts Club Tickets