The Knowhere Guide

Going Out in Reading, Berkshire*

Reading, Berkshire Clubs, Music Venues, Cinemas

Clubs (Dance Music) and Music Bars

• Church of Madness at The Rising Sun pub on a Weds night. Goth, Rock, EBM, Electro, Indie... etc.
• The legendary afterdark!!
• ALL THIS INFO YOU HAVE READ IS OLD!!!!!! THE HOT PLACES TO BE IF YOU ARE INTO ALTERNATIVE/EMO/HXC/PUNK/SCENE IS PURPLE TURTLE, BEST ALTERNATIVE BAR AROUND, FACE CLUB EVERY FRIDAY FOR LOCAL GIGS WHICH ARE AWESOME EVERY WEEK (BEWARE IF YOU DONT WEAR DRAIN PIPES OR CAMOS OR A LARGE AMOUNT OF BLACK YOU ARE UNLIKELY TO FIT IN) FEZ CLUB IS THE BEST CLUB IN TOWN, PLAYING MOSTLY ALTERBATIVE MUSIC ON THREE FLOORS, CAN GET VERY CROWDED, MOST PEOPLE HEAD THERE AFTER THEY HAVE BEEN TOO PURPLE TURTLE. IRISH CLUB PLAYS HOST TO ALL THE ALTERNATIVE 'BABY FACED' SCENE/EMO/HXC/PUNK KIDS, GREAT VIBE GREAT PRICES INTERESTING PEOPLE GREAT SCENE OUTIFTS HAHA. ANYONE ALTERNATIVE HEADS TO THE FIRDAY NIGHT LOCAL GIG AT FACE RUN BY 'BUK AND SKIT' MOST FIRDAY NIGHTS.
• Right. Two main choices in Reading. The Oracle.. Few bars.. Slug&Lettuce, Bar 38, Bar Med (always good for a bite to eat in the day), if you want to impress a girl, take her to Loch Fyne Restaurant, by the river next to the new flats opposite House of Fraser. Second choice is Friar Street, loads of pubs, they don't like underage people (some are 21yrs+) or groups of lads. The Monks Retreat, near the town hall is good, cheap but no music, Bar 4 (opposite Monks) is ok. Yates is picking up again after it flopped a couple years back. For Clubs you could try Revolution but Risa is where the old Reading faces hang out these days. theres two big rooms and varied music. Girls seem to love the 70's -90's music upstairs at the weekend, downstairs is dance, R'n B, the usaul club stuff. A lot of people stay away from Reading because of fears over violence. I go out every week in Reading and can't remember the last time I saw a fight or any real violence. The bouncers are all linked to each other and the Police so any incidents are dealt with before they get out of hand. If you can find it, definetly try the Afrobar. it's down the ally between Garrard Street carpark and Friar Street. My advice, get out there, watch your drinks and have fun. If you wanna start a fight, chances are you will not go home smiling! For those of you who weren't allowed out 7 years ago... The best club of all time was Level One, Chatham Street. It's gone now and we'll all miss it!!!
• BOXING CLUB was the f'ng best, but it lost its license its still on but no longer till 6am
• The Turtle keeps messing about, it sacked all the decent bouncers and got some automata with black coats and black hearts. Checkpoint's moved to the Fez full-time now, so it remains to be seen how that will affect it. Bouncers can affect how good somewhere is so much... knowharahmean?
• After Dark v good, Purple Turtle
• CLUBS!!! in reading?? The good old boxing club, back in the day of oops sound system and float etc, now has ok jungle d'n'b bunch of young kids waving thier lighters about, NO JOKE!! the fez is ok, but really hook up with some mates and get going to a free party
• The After Dark, London Street - don't wear white unless you want everyone to see your knickers....
• Risa, After Dark, I prefer pubs!!
• Bar Four when Tanya ran it, was the best place to go. AND the only bar in Reading with a pole in the middle of the dance floor! The best time was xmas and new year when the staff were more drunk than the customers! ah the memories!
• utopia dont exsist in calcot no more. but the martix is still going, no matter how dangerous it gets
• The Fez Club (where Alleycats once stood - the best House, RnB, Rock, DnB and Hip hop nights.
• Face Bar, Chatham street. The Boxing Club, also chatham street The Fez
• Best place to go if you're out to dance (not score) is the plug 'n' play. Some truly talented DJs/VJs pass that way so the music is refreshing and sometimes surprising but always damn good. Never had a problem with the crowd. (mainly friends of the cafe Iguana without a festival to go to) Don't be put off when a fourty year old dances you under the table; they were out raving when we were eating crayons and making mud pies for the babysitter.
• Revolution, there is a strip club near to Smelly alley but I can't remember its name
• I thout clubbin was a bit pikyish?? However the Walkabout aint 2 bad.
• purple tutrle baby! bar oz is good too 21 south street and the roebuck in tilehurst (always good on a saturday night)
• Live DJs playing . Under 18's Club Night, 14th February 2004, Pangbourne Village Hall. Tickets available through www.thesteocomapny.freeservers.com
• matrix and all the stimulation events
• In 1991 Reading saw the birth of the original bar culture; Cartoons and Bukowskis were the venues to be seen in having the correct management ingredient for starts then diving straight in the main course of deejay’s: Rob Lecroix, djmilky, The Fat man & not forgetting the Legendary DJ DUFFER
• Matrix .utopia,hexagon rivermead bar risa bar four brannigans poo na na and bare more but i juss cant remember.
• update: RG1s has been closed down. stay away from brannigans, it's full of dirty middle aged men and if you're female you will be groped in there!
• The Granby is one of the best Gay clubs in southern England. It has fab music and a great atmosphere and everyone gets along and is friendly. Not dodgy atmosphere like the pubs in the town. It is just of cemetary junction and is open till 2am Thurs-Sat and karaoke on sun
• ok purple turtle is the place. Was once full of alternative art boys now full of pretty much every young person they can fit, still packed with style and still the best club to be seen in for meeting INTERESTING ppl. to get lashed and dance try brannigans!
• A few Seals now and then.
• Purple Turtle, a great rock bar
• Checkpoint Charlie and Plug and Play. For anything else go to London my friends, Reading isn't offering you anything like the clubs/ chicks of London.
• THE MATRIX...woo hoo. party on down with that drum and bass shit.
• Utopia has changed! tried it saturday and got 3 drinks for the price of one, and the fit-ist bird dj on the decks
• Checkpoint CHARLIE at the After Dark Club is absolutely rocking about ten years after it started. It's like a time-warp. Probably the best techno club in the country.
• Obviously no one has been to the MATRIX recently it is one of the best clubs in town!! playing house, trance, hard dance, d n b , rn b, its absolutely great!!
• the place to be in Reading is The fez on a monday nite, alternative music,closes at 2am n has d best crowd ever, every1 friendly n a great nite out.im der every monday:) also a the fez is great on a tues nite,student nite free 2 get in b4 a certain time, plays hip hop n rnb downstairs n ur pop stuff upstairs
• Hard to comment on this one, as I've only been to one in Reading so far - The Matrix. How we laughed as we were frisked by a huge man with eager hands and then made to walk through a metal detector... The interior was passable though, even if it did resemble my old youth club back in the day. As for the music, it had a beat, it wasn't too fast or too slow, so you can dance to it. The female DJ was also fit.
• after dark...
• Wanna get pissed for cheap and pull a minger? The After Dark Usually well good fun. Wanna fight? anywhere in the Oracle esp Brannigans RG1 is closed now so the teenage slappers have dispersed who knows where...prob Utopia..errrr! The TUC is pretty much the same as it every was...a load of miserable teenagers headbanging to 'Rock'...some ok music though...good 4 Jailbait! I have heard the Jazz Club is getting some good acts now and again but it's still a bit of a place for posh nobbers mostly. Fancy reminising? New Vallbonnes is now a Curry House so try and throw up in the same spot you did in the past...just with different colours. Fancy getting ripped off: The Matrix...too pricey and too many people thinking Garage is all gravy! Heard it changed management though so may be ok now!
• matrix has bassheads every other friday night.. i don't advise it though.
• hm...now valbonnes was amusing, now its an indian restaurant.
• RG1s has been shut down! Apparently its being knocked down! I for one am pleased cos i'll no longer be dragged there just cos 'everyone goes there'. It was too hot and rubbish anyway!
• Try Mango just opened near kwik save for something a bit different, do good food there too
• THEY ALL ARE PAP
• Matrix - Bassheads night! Gay-Rage night is well shit
• um if ur a goth then go to the tut n shive (rising) by 4bury most of the 4obs go in there
• The Matrix is good for Dance music and runs house, trance, hard house, garage (bleuch!!) and D & B nights. gets tiresome very quick though and gets quite messy some weekends. The Fez is a better all rounder for a boozey night with a 20-something studenty crowd. Avoid RG1's like the plauge.
• T.U.C- best place to be every friday night 9 till 2! Jim and Frank plat great music and do super jobs as D.JS. Moshers and Goths hang out hear.
• Matrix was voted club of the year by Ministry - do they know something we don`t? Ok if you gotta nova SR, loads gold and like saying SELECTOR and BOOM and other such twaddle innit?
• Utopia is so bad no its worse than that. Great place to go if your over the age of 18 and like to fufil your pedophile needs or a whitly bitch..... I personally like bar med
• To give a quick update as at Nov 2001: The Boxing Club IS still open (although, currently, only till 2am), and from Jan 2002 will be hosting nights by Fushion, ValleyMoods (Deep House), Inna?State (Psy-Trance), Kommotion (Techno & D&B), and others. Other underground style venues (as opposed to commercial give-us-your-dosh clubs) amount to: Central club for occasional nights by Liquid (D&B, Techno), Inna?State (Psy-Trance) and others, After Dark for Checkpoint Charlie (house & hard house) on the 1st Thursday of every month and Tropicana for occasional nights. You can also catch some alternative dance related music at the Rising Sun Institute (NOT the pub of the same name) on varying nights. Although Fushion are no longer doing their Sunday chill-outs, a new sunday chill session at the Rising Sun starts in December 2001.
• The Matrix (Good for DnB). The Boxing Club - Haven't been for a while...
• After Dark has been sorted, Fez club (altho if u want a similar night out to the Fez, go to Po Na Na - exactly the same just everyone goes the Fez cos it is closer), Don't bother with the Matrix... it is crap. Try a house party instead, they are cheaper, friendlier (pillers), and play alright music... Farewell Junktiun Ten!!!
• For a town with such a massive selection of crap pubs, Reading has a limited selection of crap clubs to match. The first is Utopia. Sadly left in a chrome and pink era of the 90s, nights at utopia are nights we all like to forget. Still charges over 20 quid a round (so i've been told). The after dark club literally has sweat dripping from the walls - and it's hairy smelly customers sweat. Cheap drinks though. And no queue.
• Avoid. The Matrix is packed full of people wanting to pull, with road-drilling dance music. Substitute 'The Matrix' as appropriate with the names of other venues. Luckily, it's only a few pounds to get to London.
• The after dark club is like a church hall inside and it serves beer in cans with plastic skiff an optional extra. It's not very sophisticated and it's been there for years but it's the only place approximating to a club in Reading that I ever go to. It must have something going for it, like an easy going clientel and no violence or pretention.
• The matrix - if you want to pay more than it would cost to get in to almost any club in London then have to endure absurdly overpriced alcohol, almost inaudiable music (due to noise level restrictions imposed after the council found the roof was made of tin) which will invariably be shite. Excellent fun though if you enjoy playing 'spliff hide and seek' with the bouncers
• Reading clubs have become a horrible mix of Eurotrash, and USA cheesiness. Plus you have to wait forever to get in. Once you do-drinks poor, expensive, bouncers with pretentious attitudes, full of haven't learned to hold my drink yet teeny boppers from all around-this town is a magnet to them. Or 'suit' crowd'-commuters.
• THE ONLY THING TO DO ON A SATURDAY NIGHT IS GO TO THE FIRKIN FOLLOWED BY RG1. EVERYWHERE ELSE IS JUST PANTS!!!!
• The Fez Club, I have found to be the best Friday night out in Reading, although normally a big queue outside, it only takes 10 minutes to get in. Funk on a Friday means a good crown,never any trouble. Drinks are a bit pricey!!!
• RG1's is dire
• Fez club on a monday has a rock night and club tropicana on a friday too. Highlights of the week, even though theyre not brill. Definately worth a trek into London
• Every Tuesday during University term time there's a rock and metal night at the university Union, including nu metal, grunge, goth, heavy metal, rock, cheese, 80s, and just about anything else! If they don't have it, bring it or copy it! Starts 8.30pm.
• Matrix,Utopia,Level 1..BBBass.. how long can u stand it!
• There's alot of pubs in reading but most are the same! Downstairs at the Fez is okay for Pre 92 House and some Breaks, Funk Phenomenon is a good Crack to. Upstairs at Iguana is Chilled and the Purple Turtle can be a laugh if abit young. Avoid Oscars, Washington Heights and the rest of the chains unless you wear Reebok Classics, Ralph Lauren shirt(lime green, Salmon pink and lemon yellow are proper up there innit), cheap jewellery like a right nice soverign ring, and speak with a Bumpkin accent i.e Tileworst. Also avoid Matrix on Jungle night because of the above or you'll have to deal with pilled up bumpkin monkeys asking you about Cars and Maxpower, tell u wot roiight, Moi system is 'rinsin' haaard roight!
• If you like good music you're buggered. No joke! Some times J10 have a free party but not often enough. Technosense is held once a month at the after dark and is the only place I'd go to for the music.
• Nov 2000: One year after my last post here methinks time for another update ... By the time you're reading this The Boxing Club will probably have sadly closed - having been stripped of its late license by our killjoy local council (boo!) If you like techno then Technosense is well worth checking out (http://www.junkchun-ten.8m.com/technosense) - used to be at The After Dark but now looks like moving to somewhere new. Fushion chillouts at The Rising Sun Arts Centre are worth a visit. The Alleycat Studios (was good for parties!) is now a yuppies private members club (boo!). Cumbers has been bought out by The Matrix (boo!). Despite The Matrix, the underground scene still rules - Junkchun Ten, Fushion, Korrupt and Enginearin' all going strong. Livin' Proof good for hip-hop. A good guide to clubs in Reading can be found at http://www.o-reading.co.uk - even if they do tend to produce glowing reviews of T*e M****x (spit!). VFR 107 is now sadly off air - but check out Seduction 107.95 FM (http://www.geocities.com/seductionfm). Checkpoint Charlie is still at The After Dark - a tad expensive at 7 quid door tax, and the music is a bit lightweight, but always gets a good up-for-it crowd.
• Matrix is laughable. Over priced, full of townies and my car has a better sound system.
• RGI'S!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT IS SO GOOD EVEN THOUGH THAT IT IS TACKY, THAT'S WHAT CLUBBING IS ALL ABOUT!!!! UNFORTUNATELY FOR THE GIRLS IT IS POPULATED BY EITHER SAD OLD MEN OR COMPLETE ARSEHOLES BUT WE STILL HAVE A GOOD TIME! UTOPIA IS AN UTTER SHIT HOLE AND ANYONE WHO TAKES THE PLACE SERIOUSLY NEEDS TO BE SHOT. THE DJS ARE REALLY UNTALENTED AND ONLY SEEM TO B ABLE TO PLAY ABOUT 5 SONGS AND TRY TO DISGUISE THEM AS DIFFERENT REMIXES- LOAD OF SHIT!!!!
• Well Checkpoint at the After Dark will always hold some of the fondest memories of my life. Amonst others, Carl Cox and Josh Wink used to pop down for a boogie when they didn' have any gigs on. How's that for a recommendation? Lost it a bit when it moved, but I hear it's back there now so probably well worth checking out again.
• Dance is dead - exploited to death.
• the Wide Awake Club - 1st friday of the month - without a doubt the best hard house & trance night outside london. Now at the Boxing Club on chatham street 9pm - 6am, very hot & crowded, but the most up-for-it crowd you'll come across - wall to wall grins !!!! Most of the DJ's are home grown talent but I defy anyone to knock the quality - check out http://www.wideawakeclub.co.uk Avoid the matrix, fez, RG1's, Utopia - full of Fuckwits ! The Matrix hasw the bare faced cheek to call itself a 'Dance Club' what a load of toss ! they employ Hitler Youth on the door and generally just want your MONEY ! Sound system sounds like a car stereo in a D reg Transit van.
• Utopia is a pit, Level 1 is extremely dodgy and the After Dark is small dank and very sweaty. The Fez club is ok though is impossible to get into of a Weekend.
• WELL THE NEWEST AND BEST CLUB AROUND IS THE MATRIX OF COURSE WITH A CAPACITY OF ABOUT 1700 YOU DONT GET MUCH MORE. FUCKING AMAZING CLUB ALTOUGH ITS A BIT MORE LIKE A DISCO THE WAY ITS SET OUT. ITS ABOUT £4 ENTRY AND THERES ABOUT THREE ROOMS WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF MUSIC, GOOD PLACE TO GO IF YOURE ON THE PULL AND WANNA GET LAID (BY A SLAPPER) BEST TO GO ON FRI AND SAT THOUGH.
• The FEZ on a monday night has a good rock night, and its where all the skaters hang in the school holidays. cheap beer. dont get bacardi breezer as it costs a bomb.lots of (very)youn people!!
• I used to go to the after dark, it was great for underage totty - but the beer was watered down and the old bloke on the door was a miserable bastard, I hope he's dead in fact.
• Nov 1999. To update some of the out-of-date info here (1) The Alleycat Live has now shut down - reportedly its been bought by the people who operate Po Na Na. Most of the Allecat Live gigs have now moved to The Central Club on London Street. (2) Checkpoint is now held at The After Dark, as is Inna?State. (3) Applejacks closed ages ago and has now re-opened as a pub called The Litten Tree. (4) There is a new club on London street situated at the old bingo hall called The Matrix (http://www.t-h-e-m-a-t-r-i-x.com). Very upmarket and glitzy. Cheesy Music and Dress Code on Saturdays, but they have some decent music on Fridays, with Reading party crews like Junkchun-Ten, OooPs! and Float playing there. (5) The Boxing Club on Chatham Street is now allowed to open until 6am every Friday night with Ooops! (http://www.ooops.net) playing Drum N Bass on the second Friday of every month, and Float playing very hard trance and techno on the last Friday of every month. (6) Check out Reading's community radio station VFR 107.00 FM - licensed for Nov and Dec 1999 and possibly after that too. Comes on air after midnight with DJs from Reading party crews like Junkchun-Ten and Freestate.
• Nov. 99, Alleycat Live has closed (although rumoured to be opening again soon) New club on London St called The Matrix just opened, havent been yet but seems to have some name DJs, from the flyers looks to be commercial dance mainly Nue Valbonne has closed down/been shut down for the good of all After Dark still going strong, proof that you don't need to spend any money on a club to make it a success. Great indie and 80's theme nights. Applejacks has been converted into a pub
• Please, plesae, please dont waste your time by going to Utopia. Utter crap. Level 1's and RG1's, marginally better but only if you're off your face as it saves you trekking out of town. Alternatively save your money and go somewhere decent in London where you're allowed to wear your trainers and stay there to 6am.
• I'm sure I saw the After Dark club on the Cook Report once
• Techno/trance: Inna?State in the After Dark on London St, monthly night, usually on Thursdays, and Float in the boxing club on Chatham St, last Friday each month.
• A LOT OF THESE MESSAGES ABOUT READING NIGHTLIFE ARE OUT OF DATE AND SIMPLY WRONG! GOD DAMN IT. UTOPIA IS THE MOST POPULAR CLUB FOR TOWNYS, DUNNO WHAT ITS LIKE, NEVER BEEN, PROBABLY A MEAT FEST. I'M TOLD THE FOAM PARTIES ARE GOOD. AFTER DARK CLUB IS PROBABLY IN THE SCARIEST PART OF TOWN BUT IS ACTUALLY V UNSCARY. ITS AN UNUSUAL MIX AND THATS PROBABLY WHY IT LACKS A UNIFIED ATMOSPHERE(I SHOULD REALLY GET A LIFE AND NOT KEEP WRITING SUCH CRAP ON THE NET), MAINLY INDIE THOUGH, BUT GOOD SPECIAL OFFERS ON THE DRINKS. ALLEYCATS IS REALLY A ROCK VENUE AND NO MATTER HOW MUCH IT TRIES TO PULL IN THE DANCE CROWDS WITH ITS CLUB NIGHTS IT SHOULD STICK TO ATTRACTING SUCH GREAT BANDS AS ONE MINUTE SILENCE, KILL II THIS, TERRORVISION, THERAPY? ETC ETC NOW MY FRIENDS I MUST COME TO MY MAIN POINT... NUE VALBONNES IS NOT, DESPITE ALL THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN WRITTEN, CRAP. IN FACT AS FAR AS METAL/ALTERNATIVE/ROCK NIGHTS GO, ESPECIALLY IN THIS AREA, FRIDAYS AT NUE VALBONNES IS THE BEST AROUND AND FAR EXCEEDS AGINCOURT IN CAMBERLEY. BE WARNED THOUGH, THE DRINKS GO UP IN PRICE DRAMATICALLY AS THE NIGHT GOES ON. BUT ENTRANCE HOWEVER IS FREE IF YOU GET THERE EARLY. THIS IS DEFINITELY THE BEST CLUB I'VE BEEN TO IN READING AND HAS STUFF FROM PITCHSHIFTER TO GUNS N ROSES AND LIMP BIZKIT TO BON JOVI. ENJOY!
• Utopia is a great club. On entrance the bouncers are quite polite greeting you, up the stairs and only £1 B4 10:30 on student nights, great deal. Two floors, and a lot of bars. If you are a Reading Uni student you may have the membership pass so you can go to the membership area in the club. The toilets are very clean as well. Theres a nice standing area so you can watch people dance down below. The dance floor is huge and the DJ's are cool. Sometimes on Student nights they do an hour (after 12) of 80's music but before and after they play 90's dance and house music. The musis is cool. The burgers inside are a bit pricey but nice. There a small photo booth where you can get tiny photos of you and your friends for £2.50. On the top floor in the centre there is a hexagon cut-out so you can see below. The drinks are great the music is cool, over all its the best club I've ever been to. Well done UTOPIA.
• Alleycat Live, some great looking nights on paper but the quality can vary a lot. The After Dark. If you haven't been going to it since it was the only club in Reading you might not understand its charm. Great atmosphere. Dress down and try not to fall on the floor, you might stick. Level One. Extremely cheesy and expensive. Dress up and try and avoid the bouncers. Utopia. If you can get a friend to drive you then you are OK, almost impossible to get a taxi back late at night and no busses unless you are a student. Once you are there it's pleasant enough. Not enough to get me going that far out of town very often. Also it's pretty cheap.
• Sindlesham Mill in Lower Earley, especially on ladies Night's Utopia in Calcot, often has guest D.J's from the local 210FM crew
• Nothing in reading?!!! Get your ear to the ground and check out the pulse of readings underground. Sound systems inc oops who incidentally have been doing it for time (drum & bass), Float,Livid,Innerstate for the technophiles out there. What about the full on banging Lost the Plot, not to mention Readings own underground radio station on 107.2Fm fri &sat through to the early hours. Come on there's more to Reading than RG1s,Utopia and the Turtle - Thank God - A huge shout to all the Reading crews devoted to the underground. Keep it alive! ...slump has left Reading, Checkpoint Charlie left but has returned now at the Afterdark
• Hawaiian bar is now shut and been replaced by Po Na Na which is rather expensive (they have no draught beers) but also full of friendly happy (albeit rather pissed) people. Open 'till 2am(?) so queue is horrendous at pub kicking out time when the entry fee goes up to £4 (free b4 10pm)
• Tropicana (WAC - we are the Wide Awake Club and play Hard House and Trance) - see Web Site above. Po Na Na - Duke Street, very chilled and great; Level Ones - without the teenages and the chart music, it'd be kewl; RG1s/Nue Valbonnes/Utopia - give them a miss unless you are sad; AppleJacks - a little chessey at time, but can be pretty ok. Bouncer are very over the top! We could go on and on as Reading has become one large pub/club, but we have better things to do, like finishing this huge form.
• Club Tropicana - used to be the TUC, still called that by anyone who goes there - Friday night is Alternative night. If your a grunger/goth/indie etc, it's one of the only clubs you can go to and fit in. The rest of Reading is raver dominated. Typical.
• RG1 and Utopia big, noisy, cattle-marketish and just damn good fun. Exactly what they should be.
• Well this is a tough one as I'm under 18 but I have 2 older b5others and from what they tell me Reading is not too bad on the clubscene, I know that Nue Valbonnes doesnt' help the rep much but we can't all be perfect. Nue Valbonnes is the sort of place that turns you down if you are over 12 so I wouldn't even bother with that one.
• The Rising Sun Arts Centre (Silver Street) has a new night of drum and bass, techno, hip-hop and er.. everything. S'called Freestyle and the next one's on Friday 19th June 1998! Check out the FS web site. www.angelfire.com/co/breaksandbeats
• Don't bother with Applejacks - pile of shite! Bukowskis (formerly JW's) is much better on a Friday night if you want to listen to good sounds and get to the bar without a fight. Alleycats is still going strong as a late night drinking and dancing den but it looks like it could do with a lick of paint and some plumbing maintenance to stop everyone elses piss flowing onto the floor by 2am.
• With more and more pubs and clubs opening in Reading all the time, it's getting pretty hard to keep up. We now have Level One, which is pretty much a warehouse with some bars in it. No neon tubes and chromed staircases in here, just a couple of BIG rooms a couple of bars (pricey drinks though). You'll find it under Chatam Street carpark, near the Ramada Hotel. So far I've only tried it on a a Thursday, and being as all the students had gone home for Easter it was still quite busy. Well worth a try. Shows great potential. Also Downstairs at JW's. Looks like a normal pub on the corner of Gun Street and St Mary's Butts. Downstairs there's a smallish room which looks like a swimming pool changing room. Heard a superb DJ on Friday playing hard trance. Very good atmosphere if a little small. Another point about Nue Val Bonne, despite being bloody horrible, if you pay £10 (Men) £5 (Ladies) on a Thursday to get in, you get free mainline beer and spirits all night. That makes up for the club itself and it's clientelle.
• Alleycats Live - beware the bouncers! A quiet night out at Checkpoint Charlies can end in a bloodbath if you aren't careful. Avoid making eye contact with them.
• Applejacks on Castle Street. Very pricey, run by "Mr French" who also runs the gym underneath it. Club is raided and closed by the police regularly. Over the last two years, it's been refurbished and renamed six times. In descreasing chronological order: Applejacks, Bonkers, CoCo's, French's, Club Paradiso, Flamingo. Expensive. Shit.
• Churchills. I've not been to this one but I hear it's quite violent and generally unenjoyable.
• Nue Valbonnes, Caversham. Another meat market. Non-descript music. Not very pleasant.
• Central Club. Usually has something on at the weekend. Mainly jungle and reggae.
• Hawaiian Bar. Horrible music, horrible people, horrible bouncers. Do yourself a favour and give it a miss.
• Slump. Sundays at Alley Kats. Downtempo chill-out for Sunday afternoons (1pm - 6pm). I've not been but people tell me it's pretty good.
• Checkpoint Charlie. Fortnightly Fridays at Alley Kats. One of the best nights in the country. Always quality DJs and a friendly atmosphere but can be hard to get in due to size of crowds. Get there early!
• The Holy Rumes. Name DJs. Runs until 4am. Doesn't seem too popular with students which may be down to price (£8 usually).
• Cumbers. Small underground club with a variety of nights (Jungle, House, Revival).
• After Dark, on London Street, open late and does bands. A great club if you are into indy, grungy stuff. Do not under any circumstances wear decent clothes. If you fall over on that floor you have to wash your clothes at least twice. It's a fun place - lots of moshing! Watch out for one guy behind the bar who tries the ol' "no you gave me a fiver, not a tenner" trick (regularly!).
• UTOPIA by the Sega park
  • One off the best clubs I've been to outside London, about eight bars, two levels, and a large dance floor. Also Wednesday night is student night (pound a pint). Highly recommended.
  • Student night at Utopia is on Tuesdays and the beer tastes watered down. If you go on any other day, especially during the week, watch out for the bouncers: they are very good at boxing. The club is good though, very big.
  • As for Utopia - yes well. The beer tastes watered down, and the place is more like a cattle market sale. If you are looking for lousy beer and atmosphere then it's the place, otherwise a four-pack and a good film on Sky is a better bet!
  • Regarding Utopia: It isn't that bad on student nights! O.K., it may be a cattle market, but isn't that what most people go clubbin' for! And as for the beer, at a pound a pint, what do you expect? It may taste watered down, but after a few you're still saving money!
  • One of the worst clubs in Reading (unless you're into meat markets). Crap music, crap beer, bouncers with attitood. OK, yes it is big. So? Go sit in a warehouse then.
• Washington Heights has gone (to no-one's regret), to be replaced by Club RG1, which looks almost as tacky as it's predecessor, so I haven't tried it.
  • As for RG1's, well, it's very busy on a Thursday, and at 50p a pint and 50p a shot of spirits, again, you're gonna get the same effect as a pub but for much cheaper. Both this and Utopia run a bus service, so they obviously want your custom, presuming you're a student! All in all, there's not much better in Reading, so give these clubs a look. You may well be pleasantly surprised!
  • RG1s. Very tacky but student nights on Thursday are good value (beer 50p a pint) and always busy. Weekends draw a slightly older crowd. Not as bad as some club snobs will tell you.
• According to the local press, despite local opposition the old TU club in Chatham Street has now been licensed as a nightclub for 650 people... in a residential area. Called apparently, Club Tropicana, if the air con is as bad as when it was the TU club it will be.

Live Music Venues

• Face Bare
• Fez club and purple turtle are good for alternative music
• FACE CLUB - LOCAL GIG EVERY FRIDAY. PACKED MOST WEEKS. IMMENSE MUSIC SCENE IN READING (EMO/HXC/SCENE/POP PUNK) FEZ CLUB HAVE ADVERTISED SHOWS AROUND ONCE/TWICE A MONTH - NORMALLY PRETTY AWESOME - AGAIN ONLY IF YOU FIT INTO THE READING MUSIC SCENE SOUTH STREET - BIG LOCAL GIGS OFTEN SELLS OUT NEARBY CELLAR BAR IN BRACKNELL, EVERY SUNDAY OFTEN SELLS OUT DEPENDING ON HOW GOOD THE BANDS PLAYING ARE, ENTER SHIKARI, EXIT TEN, SYLOSIS HAVE ALL PLAYED THERE OFTEN I.E. ALEXISONFIRE COMING UP (IF YOU HAVENT HEARD OF THESE UNDERGROUND BANDS THEN ITS UNLIKELY YOULL FIT IN, MAINLY SCENE HXC EMO KIDS GO) OX FORD ZODIAC IS ONLY A 20 MINTUE TRAIN RIDE, MASSIVE SIGNED BANDS PLAY THERE, AWESOME VENUE, LONDON IS ONLY ROUGHLY 20 MINUTE TRAIN JOURNEY TO ASTORIA - ONE OF THE BIGGEST VENUES IN THE COUNTRY, HOST BANDS AS BIG AS A7X LAMB OF GOD CRAZYFISTS AS I LAY DYING ECT
• Look out for the Sand Creek Massacre, great local band. There are loads of venues, Colors by the station on a Thurs is good, The Rising sun on a Friday always has some top bands and cheap beer.
• Rising Sun Arts Centre, Silver Street. College bands and bigger. Very nice bar - good fruit juice!!
• The university?
• rivermead for the reading rock festival and other acts, scissor sisters were there in october. the hexagon, has bin visited by misteeq and jamelia this year.
• The Fez Club - live music on different nights of the week - from indie to rock to hip hop - The Killers to Blak Twang
• South Street does some good venues, in January they had a punk rock night which kicked ass
• Jazz club nr reading west station
• CELLAR BAR! South hill park in Bracknell, slightly out of Readin but definitely worth the trip! Or local bands do play at schools, if ur desperate 4 some decent sound!
• the roebuck is generally good on a saturday night and gotta love festy once a year!
• the alley cat (gun street) is closed (2004), a nightclub is there now. How can reading-with all its diversity not have one decent music venue that advertises in advance and has decent bands?!
• er.. reading seriously has NO musical venues. the union only once in a blue moon gets a band and they only ever play 1 or 2 songs. there's some good local talent at the 3Bs bohemian night or the purple turtle, but for any kind of show you will have to go to london (or up to nottingham as well)
• burfieald common area. seamus based around there. random - order. loads at the willink school. white stripes tribute band.
• erm, wow ok university prolly best will have 2 loom out for special events though. if not purple turtle have certain nights of live entertainment!
• reading rock is the best ive seen!
• Reading Rock Festival, of course, but "retreat" normaly has live bands
• The Three B's on a Wednesday night. Anybody can get up on stage and sing dance read poety or fart, whatever takes you fancy. There is usually a very high standard of audio arts going on there. Well worth it on a Wednesday night when nothing else is happening.
• roebuck,south street,student union,turtle,fez,bar oz occassionally... and festie.
• nowt good at the mo'
• reading festival in the summer is amazin... n bar oz sumtimes has live stuff its pretty cool
• south street is best for gigs. rising arts centre. bar oz. south hill park in bracknell is nice. fez. this is alternative music. there is also the hexagon. and reading festival. as if you didn't know.
• The sky
• free partys lots about, ask in purple turtle
• THE READING FESTIVAL. 'Nuff said.
• at the mo on sunday there r crappy bands playin in the band stand but ull hear our music ova there well we try???? and on sunday night if ur not at school then go to bar oz its great where gregs band plays ???
• RG1's on Thurday night is absolutely legendary.
• What in Reading?!!? wait for the festival. buy space cake. Get nicked.
• READING ROCK FESTIVAL. great!!!!!!!!!!!!
• Rivermead every summer - WOMAD fesival & READING ROCK!!!
• READING FESTIVAL !!!!!!!!!!
• Reading Festival, although sadly once a year
• Two word... free parties... every w/end without fail. Junktiun Ten :(
• The Alleycat had bands of an actual calibre (eg. Super Furry Animals, Shed 7, Bluetones), but since it was shut down, nowhere has replaced it. Occasionally, local bands play at the Rising Sun, but be forewarned: the biggest names have been Electralane, Saloon and Herman Dune. Some bands play Tuesdays at the Students Union. Evidently, some rockier bands play at the Corn Exchange, and there are bands on at South Street Arts Centre, but don't expect anyone good to play.
• The Turks Head used to have good bands on. I don't know if it still does in it's new incarnation - The Fez and Firkin. Touring artists usually play the Hexagon or Rivermead.
• The jazz club, V expensive though. Definatley one to take the ladies to.
• The Matrix-if you can get in! With most popular pop acts around there now-good luck!
• The Beethovens Hotel is reverting to its former name the Roebuck Hotel - bands are continuing but added entertainment will include Folk, Country, Classical, Discos and Comedians with a touch of magic. The new launch date is the 13th April, 2001 where Reading and Tilehurst are invited to join the newlook Roebuck in its Friday 13th Horror Evening.
• The 3B's on a weds night, get up and do what ever u need 2 do. It's called 'The Bohemian Night', your host is 6ft Rob, all hair & flares!!
• For live music try the jazz club, all other venues have close due to Readding being full of monkeys.
• BRING BACK THE ALLEYCAT!! Or at least a decent venue for live music that tells you what's happening before it happens and bans most of the really shite local bands from appearing (eg Roscoe, Junction, Metro or whatever they're called now). The Rusing Sun Arts Centre tries its best but it's not enough. How can a town that can put on two festivals per year not have a live music venue...
• We're back where we were 5 years ago. Lots of small places for local bands, Rivermead and the Uni for larger acts. Alleycat started OK, then began to take the piss, recruited sopsychotic security and paid the price.
• 99% dance clubs (dead). Even "Alley Cat live" has become "The Fez" - alternative music, but sounding more like techno "dead" crap to me. Tudor Tavern is the only hot spot in a bleak musical landscape.
• reading is generally VERY poor for venues - a real shame for a town of it's size and cultural diversity
• With the demise of Alleycat, the mantle is left primarily to Bar Oz (Sloppy Joes, THe Orange Club and numerous other names in its dim and distant past) which is OK for local bands. The University used to be excellent for gigs but has gone down hill in recent years. THe Rivermead is big enough to attract the likes of Radiohead, Stereophonics. THe two Firkin Pubs (THe Flyer in Blagrave St and the Fez on London Road)are OK. Lots of pubs have an endless supply of dodgy R&B covers bands playing in them. And of course theres the festival which is still the best in the country and WOMAD for that mini Glastonbury vibe.
• Who saw Short People at The Jazz Club last night. Brilliant. If that's Jazz I'm a convert.
• Alleycat live was alright I suppose, though it was right next to that Purple Turtle shit hole that the NF used to drink in.
• The Jazz Club, fantastic new venue in reading and by far the most stylish with Live Music every night Jazz blues and funk. Also has the best food in town with a full a la carte menu, great for a special night or just if your feeling hedonistic. International artists and top local bands Funk Assembly on new years eve.
• Where are the live music venues these days? I moved here in April 1999 and havent seen a gig here yet. I am into rock/metal, and could bring a couple of brilliant bands up here, but dont know where to go!!! Nothing seems to happen at Alleycat Live these days.
• Club New Valbonne, Caversham on a Friday night is Total Metal night.
• The Granby Tavern has changed into a gay pub. So the previous description of the music nights is out of date. Pierre Victoire. Open late on Fridays and Saturday, Friday is jam night and if you don't like bad blues and terrible soul avoid it. Sometimes you do get some good players so it might be worth a try. Of course if you want to play you could make our life more pleasant but please tune that guitar.
• "Upstairs at Pierre's" ( above Pierre Victoire Restaurant is fast becoming the place for live local music, with jam sessions on Mondays and Fridays, with resident Lead French rock guitarist Jean-louis. This place has a great atmosphere, and slightly crazy bar staff, plus the cheapest cocktails in town. Gives the purple turtle a run for its money, though the owners are friends. Brilliant food in the restaurant downstairs. Als regular alternative poetry nights, salsa dances and booze promotions....superb
• Alleycat Live may have some good bands on, but it has about as much atmosphere as a multi-storey car park. The Rising Sun Arts centre on Silver Street puts on all the stuff that nowhere else in town does, from world music to avant-garde electronic acts.
• 21 South Street (between Uni and town) A great place for fun and crazy things - live music, theatre, salsa dancing classes and great comedy nights (every 2nd Friday night)
• Alleycats get in great local and smaller national bands. A real sweaty venue, superb for a really 'active' gig. Too many fill in nights of shite dance stuff, although I think they get big name DJs.
• Rising Sun - Silver Street, mellow, smokers place. Fingers are hurting so will just add the Iguana to that, oh, and Pavlov's Dog in the Butts (Broad Street Mall)
• The Granby. This is no longer a music venue, but is now a gay pub.
• University
• Trade Union Club: now gone bust - but the new owner of the site is trying to get a public entertainment licence. The locals aren't too keen.
• RBH Social Club, Craven Road (RBH=Royal Berks. Hospital), usually about £3,quite a large venue.
• The Granby Tavern, Cemetry Junction. Free to £3, mostly rock.
• Beethovens Music Bar, Oxford Rd, Tilehurst, Reading (01734) 427517 which is fast becoming one of the best live music venues in Reading. Certainly not "vile". Has music Thur/Fri/Sat every week. Free entry on Thursday, £1.00 some Fridays & Saturdays.
• Afterdark
• A new venue! Alleycats Live on Gun Street opened in October 95, seems to offer a good range of live music based on the booked acts. Prices about ?3-5. Good so far, and seem to be making a big effort.

Cinemas

• Vue
• VUE/WARNER VILLAGE CINEAM IN THE ORACLE, AWESOME, KIND OF JUDGEMENTAL TOWARDS YOU IF YOU ARE UNDER 18.
• Warner Village (Vue) @ the Oracle. Every bus goes there. Parking is £2 on a Sunday evening. Showcase is starting to show is age but is cheaper than Vue.
• good Vue in ORACLE
• Reading Film Theatre is wonderful! And there's the multiplexes with the idiot cattle stream outside...
• vue cinema in the oracle, very good
• Reading has two cinemas Vue in the Oracle and the Showcase at the end of Wokingham road. I've only been to the Vue (warner village) one, which is pretty good 10 screens, fairly modern building. People have to travel miles to see a film here as there are no proper cinemas in West Berkshire!
• vue on the riverside (used 2 b warner village)
• Vue cinema in the Oracle - not too bad
• Vue at the Oracle
• VUE(used 2 b Warner Village) is alright, no mater where u sit u can c over evry1, but evry1 goes der, go to Showcaseits usually empty.
• Pikeyville!
• i normally go to the arner brother, its the only one
• Warner bros. in oracle expensive but comfy seats bring ur own food cause it'll cost u there!
• warner brothers cinema in the oracle
• Warner Village cinema in The Oracle is by far the best cinema for miles.
• Warner village and showcase cinemas.
• warner brothers is expensive and never shows anything remotely out of the mainstream. the university has an excellent film theatre, check their website for details, it shows a lot of obscure/foreign films and is cheaper than the warner.
• Warner Village in the Oracle is great. Big seats to stretch out and you always get a view
• the warner bros cinema by the oracle is great at night and you can feel safe, then slip into club.
• the cinema is wikkid!! feautred tiered seating so u dont have the annoyance of the 7ft guy in front of you, all nice and big and clean and pwitty its the best conema around
• the warner bros cinema in the oracle had such comfy seats and the portions are huge !!!!!!
• The Showcase winnersh triangle is good but you need a car to get there. Otherwise Warner bros village cinema in the Oracle. I'm not sure if the ODEON is still running, that's near the job centre. Me and my chums went there when we were 12. I'm now 27.
• showcase for the eastside crew. warner village for the amazing push up arms so you can get jiggy.
• Well, the obvious one is the Warner Village, in the Oracle. *TIP* Buy your tickets from the machine - you can accidently purchase a student ticket without having to show an NUS card... :)
• reading film theatre at the university....
• warner bro in the oracle is pretty nice but u shud prob book in advance cuz like... sumtimes they r sold out
• showcase.. good if you live in woodley/earley cuz you don't have to bother missioning into town.. but generally not as good as warner village cuz it has those arm rests that you can push up. but is v.pricey. also random showing times.
• well...a cinema normally has 6 or 7 screens,uncomfortable seats,overpriced popcorn and drinks and sometimes rubbish films.
• The one in winnersh no infact the warners is better
• The Warner Village cinema at the back of the Orifice (sorry, should that be Oracle) centre, always seems to be virtually empty when I go, often a Sat afternoon. The one at Winnersh is ok - plenty of car parking, and I believe it does some sort of a discount on Tuesday eves. (Handy of you normally have to pay £6+)
• I woul travel miles to see a film at the Warner Brothers
• Showcase = crap, Warner Village = impressive
• Warners is about the only good thing about the oracle. good seats and view.
• Warner Village in the Oracle has some top-notch screens, although only one is THX-certified. Ask at the desk for the next showing of the movie you want to see in the THX auditorium. Queueing can be a problem in the small foyer, but a little-known secret is that next to the escalators are self-service machines that allow you to pay with a credit/debit card and jump the queues :)
• ABC has now closed down -there's only 1 main cinema in Reading centre, Warners at The Oracle. The others are Reading Uni film theatre (great for art house) or the Showcase (12 screen mulitplex which smells of popcorn and hotdogs) The Hexagon also shows films on an adhoc basis, particularly Bollywood films
• Warner bros rocks its so fab!
• Warner village of course..... Lovely arm rest that can be lifted to get closer to the ladies....
• Crappy Warner Village is over priced, don't bother unless u r old or hav some free passes.
• The best cinema is Warner brothers in town especially if your on that first date with your boyfriend coz the arms move so you can cuddle up to each other!
• Overpriced Warner Village and Showcase, showing nothing but latest blockbusters, and dedicated four screens to Pearl Harbour. The cinema at the University is hard to get to, but shows foreign and arthouse films, although this is not the ideal town for those who enjoy cinema.
• A Huge Warner Village Cinema and Showcase at Woodley has hastened the demise of everything else.
• Warner village cinema, standard prefab souless norm. Nice and clean though and has 'lovers seats', which actually amounts to arms that can be pushed back into the seat like on an airplane.
• Warner Bros. at the Oracle Centre. Comfy. Settle in and enjoy. Watch out for big parking fees though. Stay out of parking lot next to it-very expensive.
• Since Cheapside Cinema has now gone (ABC), & the Friar St one has gone, it's now the Warner at the Oracle, big screens and bucket stadium seating.
• The usually selection of multi screen venues devoid of charcter
• Abc was the best as it was cheap but it shut down bout a year ago. warner brothers is too expensive. try the Odeon opposite the broad street mall-not many films but better value for money.
• Want to see a film thats a bit out of the orinary, maybe something with (whisper it) subtitles ? - get on the train to London then, because you won't find it in Reading's multiplex hell (comfy seats and great popcorn yes, culture no !)
• Try the UCI at Loddon Bridge Reading, for the most comfortable/bounsy seats you could imagine!!!!!!!!
• New cinema opening in the huge "Oracle" centre - Warner Village multiplex thing
• Showcase Cinema in Winnersh Triangle, at least 10 screens. Comfy seats which partially recline.
• Showcase is huge. The seats are cool becasue they can swing back and forwards. Huge screens. However it is a drive away so if your a Reading Uni Student get a lift from a friend. The Odeon is much smaller but being in town it is very useful. Both cool cinemas.
• Showcase Cinema. Brand New 12 screen job. Just outside of town a Lodden Bridge roundabout (the end of Park&Ride bus route.)
• The Frier St cinema. Staff are great and have been there for at least fifteen years. Althogh they are all slightly potty that adds to the charm.
• Lots of them, and another currently being built in the Oracle Shopping Centre, which will inevitably close the nice old ones with the nice old people that work in them.
• Showcase. The BOMB! OK let me tell you now, there is no better cinema, I think it has 12 screens maybe more, the popcorn is to die for, may I recommend salt popcorn, with a hot butter topping. And make it a large one. Oh and they have these things called ice junkies that are just heaven. They have huge screens, chairs that are one springy things that you just lean back on and you can enjoy your film in comfort, makes a change. They have an art gallery with scenes from famous movies, an arcade area, escalators (joy) and a little machine thin where you can buy the soundtrack from the film you just saw, unfortunately they don't update it much last time I went, about a week ago they still had the shooting fish album which has been out on video for time. I now have just sold that cinema so much that I think I deserve commision oh and I am now leaving my house to go there. It is at the Winnersh Triangle, see press for details.
• ABC on Friar Street - Small affair which I'm informed will soon be closing down and turing into a club. Odeon - Again small but convenient if you're in the town centre. Showcase - Multiscreen - I like it. Comfy seets and a good choice of films. Nice icecream too. Bit out of town (It's actually in Winnersh which is a bit down the A329)

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Last updated: 2007-09-29