The Knowhere Guide

The Local Music Scene in Liverpool, Merseyside*

Liverpool, Merseyside Record Shops and Venues

Record Shops

• Probe on Wood Street
• There are no decent reecord shops in Liverpool anymore. Probe was once, but no longer and it's too expensive. Just buy online like all true music afficianados.
• Three beat records
• Probe Records Off bold street
• Probe records
• THE ALLKINDS SHOP 145 SMITHDOWN ROAD STILL SELLS RECORDS ALTHOUGH YOU MIGHT HAVE TO ASK BRIAN IF YOUR LOOKING FOR ANYTHING SPECIAL THEY ARE ONLY OPEN AFTEROONS THEY HAVE ALSO GOT HI FI BITS
• Cult Vinal, Quiggins (2nd floor)
• 3 beat on slater street, play dj on bold street
• Probe records on wood street (up the road from the kazy house)
• They're all over the show. Dunno whether 3Beat is still open up by Slater Street and Probe was OK too.
• Music Zone by the Liverpool FC shop isn't bad - except they've got a sale on and have jacked up the prices on certain CD's to compensate. Corporate gobshites.
• probe records - 33 years of RPMs in 2004. still the place to go for all cool releases
• HMV usual places and also Probe, many place in the sacred Quigs and others in the Palace they sell all styles of rock music that will suit your mood!
• Bold Street Records is the place to get all your banging Scouse House tunes nah what Im sayin!
• There's a good place on St. John's Road in Crosby. All second hand, but a huge selection, with nothing over a tenner!
• Chester HMV
• vinal fronteir in school lane has everything (almost)
• Jesus lets see, Hairy Records on Bold Street is alright, but the fella is a bit of a biff (can I say that or is that deemed illegal? and there are a few scattered around, but the most famous and by far and away the best Is Probe Records on Slater street opposite the Palace full of brilliant tunes and very sound staff
• Hairy Records at the top of Bold Street is great, it has a great selection of records........and lots of Morrissey stuff, which makes it worth a visit :)
• Hairy Records 2nd-Hand record shop at top of Bold Street is great for vinyl. Music Zone in Williamson Sq equally as good for cheap CD's.
• The Vinal Fronteer - in Quiggins
• music trade is my favourite cd& video sorta shop in liverpool, its cheaper than most places
• MUSIC BOX IS REALLY CHEAP
• http://www.glasswerk.co.uk sells the best unsigned music from Liverpool and the North West.
• The Musical Box in Tuebrook is the best record shop in the North West. Loads of back lists and stuff since they started sometime in the 50's.
• Allkinds in Smithdown road - sells everything!
• Probe Records Matthew Street
• the bestfor ya punk/goth rock is in hellraiser, in the basement of the palace
• hmv virgin an the dead cheap 1 opposite sayers an the 1 next to quiggins which is top 4 outsesticide
• Hairy Records: The best record shop I've ever been to. Including mine in The States! Superb selection of lp's and singles especially from the 60's. Super nice employees. It does not smell in Hairy records...that is the wonderful smell of vinyl!
• 3 beat is good
• The only proper independent record shop in Liverpool, and it's been there for over 20 years, is Probe. Theyr'e rude, they've got attitude but they've also got bloody good records - some of which are second hand. There's also a fair size second hand shop on Bold Street called Hairy and some smaller ones in Quiggans and The Palace.
• vinyal enterprose top of church street by the bluecoat chambers plenty of good ol stuff in there also a smallish record shop in quiggins center by lost art skateboards also church street although watch out for the livin dead outside ahhhhhhh
• Hairy Records, Bold Street - Smells a bit, but put a clothes peg on and delve deep for some bargains.
• Allkinds- secondhand cd, tape, record shop in Smithdown Road
• Probe records on Wood Street. Yeah!
• Probe on Slater Street is still the place for the non mainstream/alternative stuff. Very good selection of DJ toons, Trip Hop, Acid Jazz, D&B, & all things funky & worth buying... but it takes a bit of searching... ask at the counter and they'll play some stuff... if they like it!!
• Loads of others.
• Essence Records in Liverpool Palace on Slater Street. Second hand and new dance music plus new 70's Funk/Rare Groove shop.

Clubs (Dance Music) and Music Bars

• Heebie Jeebies, punkers!
• Barfly, Krazyhouse, Roadkill, Bumper, Pleasure rooms, unit 1, Fudge, Reflex
• krazyhouse Roadkill
• zanzibaaaaa
• 051 best club on merseyside
• Lago's on a tuesday and a wednesday night is spot on if you like your music funky raw and rare
• 0fiveone, sunrise (abouve 051) pleasure rooms lots of good bars n clubs around concert square near bold street
• Krazy house of course! 3 floors and 2 for 1 on all bottles! excellent! K1 - Metal n rock K2 - Indie, emo, hadcore, bit o punk K3 - cheese, pop, ska, punk, bit of everything really
• Woodys on Wood Street do a Salsa night every Tuesday, £3.50 for an hour and it's great fun!! Open to all, doesn't matter if you're a beginner or a pro, go along and meet some cool foreign people. Also for fans of 80s music (yes you LOVE it, don't deny it!!) head to the Reflex, one of my favourite places in Liverpool. Drinks are slightly more expensive than anywhere else (try living in Dublin though!) but it's great craic and free in every weeknight, £2 on Saturdays. You can't lose! Finally, the one and only RAZ (aka Blue Angel) on Seel Street has to have a special mention - this legendary student haunt is unbelievably dodgy, smells funny and is extrememly cheap (quid a drink on cheap night Tuesday!) but is an experience NOT to be missed. Oh, and if you head to the woman on the door around 1 a.m. she'll give you a free membership card that entitles you to a whole 50p off entry. Enjoy.
• The Raz - been my second home for the past three years! I love this little sweat box!!!
• The Magnum bar on Hardman Street is the place to go if u want chilled out people, great music and trendy settings.
• Superstar Boudoir (OK it's gay but loads of really fit bi-girlies there), BaaBar with the rooftop terrace, BabyCream at the Albert Docks for the posers.
• I have seen it mentionned a few times but have to join in, the Raz is just the cheapest and yet the best all-round cheesy music night you can get in Liverpool. Although I would recommend that you arrive drunk so as not to pay too much attention to the decor!! Don't go if you like all those chic bars in Liverpool, because I can tell you, you won't enjoy. Its always packed on a weekend, so all those people can't be wrong.
• Le Bateau on a Saturday night is great if your into your 60's music - motown heaven!
• THE RAZ need i say more
• Blue Angel AKA "The Raz" where the whole of ireland are 2 b found of a tuesday nite then they all roll back 2 hope wen theyre full on the £1 a drink offers of blue wkd and cheap vodka. blue angel has the nicest staff and even nicer carpets and interioirs....it has 2 b said it is one of the most classy establishments in the pool. watch out tho for gavin brannigan who tends to piss on the floor but apart from that its a great nites craic. the beatles once played there and cilla loves it p.s watch out for the shower of sweat which drips from them silver vents on the roof down the stairs..... dont forget to get your trademark souvenir "sweat" shirt with the gorgeous blue wrting from that aul boot at the fon desk " a quid in luv!" check out her perm!! c u tuesday nite!!
• toxic city at le bateau on fridays, a fresh (2 years) addition to the citys alternative club scene. please note voodoo is now monthly at carling academy, not at the masque
• CRAZYHOUSE
• GARLANDS!! (I am a straight female !!)
• The Arena in Concert Square hosts the best RnB night in the Northwest. its cool in there. they mix loadsa old stuff like stevie wonder back to back with Beyonce and J-Kwon. No attitude just nice vibes all around. The Fridays is turning very cool old school Vocal house anthems of yesteryear. Expect to hear "I see you Baby, Shaking that arse", "Lady" and "Rock the House" played. Quality over 21s not a Kiddie bash like every where else
• The pleasure rooms - opens after but no alcohol but it's not required if you know what I mean, the best scouse house and mc's you'll love it.
• Alien Resonance second sat of the month @ zanzibar. amazing psychedelic trance. one for the hippies!!! great club, amazing atmosphere, UV hangings, etc. no posers, just smiley party people.
• every second saturday of the month at the zanzibar there is an amazing night of psychedelic trance called "alien resonance". Haven't been for about two years cos i've been away from the pool. you must go. this club is the bees knees for hippies aged 14-60 years of age. gotta be seen to be believed!
• ToxicCity at LaBateau on Duke Street on a Friday... mostly rock music, but also some chart stuff, dance, hiphop... whatever you ask for they'll play it! Plus it stays open til 3am.
• Late Lounge
• Lets see, Krazy House 3 floors of Nu Metal, Punk, Indie, Some Dance and a selection of TV Themes such as Grange Hill. Le Beatau Friday Night- Nu Metal Punk etc, Saturday Indie down stairs and cool 60s ground floor. The Blue Angel I love but can be tricky to get in there late on or if the bouncers want to be arsey, full of very "friendly" student nurses I have found, plus plays very cool if eclectic tunes any thing from Abba to GnR. Also hundreds of bars that are open till 2am and are free to get into try the Jacaranda. There are more but I can’t be arsed listing them.
• Toxic City at Le Bateau is funny, its an alternative to the Krazy House on friday nights and has a reputation for not ID'ing people, although i'm sure everyone is of legal age, you do start to feel a bit old in there sometimes
• the 0fiveone i cant beat it the best club in liverpool ever
• the krazyhouse will close its doors for the final time on 24/9/03. sad i know.
• Friday nights @ SOCIETY unbeatable way to dance away a friday night and welcome in the weekend with open arms. Its the friendliest, trendiest, happiest place for get that Friday feeling running through your body. Dress to impress ;-)
• got to be The Masque on seel street - check out their website ; amazing pubs : sick lizard on roscoe street , the caledonian on catherine street & roscoe head on other side of roscoe street - if you are a bit of a cool chick/bloke and enjoy your music - all a bit underground, very street & cool - but refreshing down to earth.......lots of beautiful ( and interestingn - double whammy ) types,very friendly............
• CHIBUKU at the Lemon Lounge above LPool Brewery Pub on Berry St and also at the Masque on Seel St every fortnight alternately. Great dj's and friendly crowd who are into the music.
• Dont go to the Paradox unless you are 16 and love purple lycra
• Elysium @ Zanzibar, Seel Street, Liverpool. Excellent new house, breaks & techno club night which is on monthly at the Zani. Check it out for the best established as well as up-and-coming DJs. They also have lots of live electronic acts as well.
• Elysium @ Zanzibar - new house breaks & techno night starting on November 22nd (Friday). They've got the Trophy Twins (residents at Gatecrasher and SE1 in London), Magic Animals (doing a live deep/tech house set) and Patrick Gregson (lime) playing. Its only £4 to get in if your a student £5 otherwise - looks very promising. http://www.elysiumonearth.com
• DISTED TWISCO........great people...pie eyed and hippy vibed If you want to come you`ll find out were it is yourself.....
• Krazy House, K3 to be specific best atmosphere, best crowd, Thursday night cant be beat, best DJ (Big up Pete Eccles)
• I love the Vampire Suite (below the Living Room) - love the decor! But I think you have to be a member to get in?
• Has dance died in Liverpool? Garlands has burnt down, Cream has closed down - what the hell is left? Thankfully there is some really good nights being set up in Liverpool. One of them is a night called Elysium - its going to be a hard acid funk techno style night. The good thing is that now the big clubs have gone, the prices have fallen and Liverpool can once again regain its status as the number one underground club scene in the world - no more commercial crap.
• The Krazy House now has a thrid floor, imaginatively named K3, again playing what youd usually expect in this alternative nightspot. Oh yes, and bottled drinks are still 2 for 1.
• The best club in the north-cream
• its not a club but i prefere the music that they play in mood indigo then in a club! top tunes all nite long just gota keep kickin it!!
• Syndicate where one would go to seek out dark underground Techno! First Friday of every month at arguably one of the best dance venues in Liverpool (Le Bateau). With quality guest DJs and residents every month at a very reasonable price, prepare to dance all night long...
• i think the barcelona and cream the best, real dance energy kinda places in liverpool. but edwards, krazyhouse and walkabout r also good.
• Club 051
• Arena (concert square) rocks if you want mainstream chart dance music-excellent dj on sat an thurs with cheapish drinks...Modo good for a drink but usually big queues which arent worth the wait ditto Norwegian Blue. Baa Bar is brilliant if u get it on a good nite, but the rumour bout the shooters is un42n8ly true...Edward's-ok 4 a pre club drink. Bar ca va, howl at the moon, fudge: holes. Bar VR good on a thurs wen all drinks r £1, but usually lack of atmosphere. WALKABOUT (concert square) one of the BEST places in town at the mo-booms out cheesy 80s an 90s pop all nite long-the vid cameras on the dance floor always guarantee a laugh if ur on the ground floor. queues move fast an its worth the wait. good variety of ppl and age range......recommended!
• Society, the only dance club i have been to where every one else doesnt look like they're tying to chew off their own ear, drinkers will not feel out of place here
• Okay so the krazyhouse is being invaded by scallies on thursday and friday, but i know loadsa people who were scalls and hated it the first time, but i dragged them along the next time and i think theyll keep going when theyre 80 (and they dont dress like scallies). If you are scall, get down to the krazy.Rocks v. fashionable now u know!
• The Cabin Club in Wood Street is great fun. My mate and I go there all the time and there are many gorgeous chaps in there! No fighting, no unfriendliness, it's great.
• The Cabin is truly marvellious and my best mate and I love Rah Man who owns it - rah!
• The casbar on hope street is about to relaunch. it has undergone a huge refurb and its drinks price ensure that you will get pissed. For all students. All spirits + mixer are going to be £1 all bottles £1.50 and cheap draught. NUS + Members are free open Monday, Wednesday to Saturday 9pm till 2am
• Voodoo, now at the Masque every Friday on Seel Street, is STILL the best techno club you'll find. The friendliest, most up-for-it crowd, with an unbeatable line-up of world-reknowned djs. Think Jeff Mills rather than Judge Jules and you've got it.
• I loved Heebeejebees and will stick up for its allegedly crap sound system etc but it doesn't matter now as its closed for good it seems (boohoo). Camel club, above revolution plays some great funk. Just the sound we need more if in liverpool, great looking place but who the hell thought a dance floor that small would suffice??
• Cream is the obvious choice - Medication on wednesdays isnt bad either. The BAA BAR is a good pre-club venue, and afterwards where better than Hot 'n' Tender for a chicken fillet burger. £2.59 but worth every drunken penny!
• Cream for house, Voodoo at Le Bateau on Fridays for techno, Liquidation for indie and 60's, Chrome for d+b, No Fakin' at the Zanzibar for hip hop, Bugged Out for big beat etc. once a month at Cream's venue. There's also tons of dodgy scally house clubs. Mid week has some long standing drunken cheap drinks aimed at student affairs including Medication at Cream.
• Modo on Concert Square is kooelle! Its so chic.
• THE KRAZY HOUSE hell yeah it rules, except on thursdays cos they play bad music. Saturdays rule tho!!!!
• Krazy house thurs fri and saterday are exelent nights only club in liverpool refusig to play a monotimous beat (in other words metal rock punk indy)
• liquidation has a web page at http://liquidation.merseyworld.com monte carlo has now moved to the zanzibar every monday. drinks now start from an extortionate pound!
• The KRAZY HOUSE - a remarkably decent 'alternative' joint.
• The Blue Angel (also known as The Raz), just off Berry Street. On a Tuesday night £1 entry, £1 a drink, cheesy music, brilliant. Get there before 10.30pm as they stop letting people in. The Blue Bar, on The ALbert Docks. Guaranteed to see a celebrity there. Make sure you dress up abit though. Medication. The student night at Cream. Dance music, 70's music, and a mixture in another room. £1 a drink. £3.50 entry. Must have an NUS card.
• Monday - Monte Carlo @ Heebiejeebees: Excellent tunes, good vibe, 95p a drink. Tuesday - DON'T GO TO ShagTag@Aquarium - crap music, shit venue, and you'll end up pulling an absolute stinker. Wednesday - Soundbombing @ Heebiejeebees - top night, top tunes, top club. Thursday - ??? @ Krazyhouse - Get off your head and dance wildly to tunes you forgot existed. Friday - Voodoo @ Le Bateau - just go. trust me. Saturday - Shine @ L2 / Liquidation @ Le Bateau : Shine used to be really good, but now fluctuates between being a top night and being full of aggro knob heads. Sound System also shite. Liquidation's normally really good, if you break down the pretension factor emanating from the resident mods.
• Coolest and trendiest and all round top bar to be, has to be Blue Bar at the Albert Dock. Genuine Olde Style Dockland location, amazingly cool, Fair share of "celebs" and a good mixed clientele. Blue is the coolest bar in Britain.
• The Blue Angel, (known to many as "The Razz")Seel Street. This is the ultimate in cheeez. Come on a Friday night to see the biggest meat market in Liverpool.
• "The Blue Angel"-Near the Brewery Pub Great little Fleapit on Three Levels
• The Chelsea, New Ferry
• the garage club has shut down- thank goodness! The L2 has the best 70s night in Liverpool, on a Friday
• The G-Bar (opposite Garlands) is getting pretty cool and has an INCREDIBLY sexy bar upstairs (check it out before going to Garlands on a Sat night). It is really a club in it's own right now and has lots of groovy nights (gay only, straight, mixed, all-nighters, freak-show nights etc etc).
• The Pit now up & running again (at the time of writing 19/5/98), running a Goth/Darkwave night each Tues, free entry, late bar and cheap drinks. This is where most of the Liv. goths hang out since the night moved from The Swan. V.Friendly atmos! Also Metal/band nights on Fri/Sat
• The Pit, Duke Street, but you can't go there because it burnt down today, ha ha!
• Garlands - Eberele St. Totally up for it mixed crowd.
• Voodoo Club - Saturdays @ Clear, Mount Pleasant. Best techno for miles around.
• HeebieJeebies - for all stuff funky. Dance within the vaults in this cellar club. Showcase bands on a Wednesday, Friday is Cubop DJ'ing with Groovy tunes and Saturday is downright get pissed up and groove all night.
• The Krazy House - Wood Street. Thursday night - Student night (Indie mainly) Friday Night - Dance / Indie Saturday Night - Rage Hard With A Vengance. Rock/Thrash/Metal. Inside the Krazy house is a new club/room called the K2. Plays mostly indie on a Saturday night and dance at other times. Pleasant atmosphere, pleasant door staff. Beer is Buy One Get One Free at all times. Don't try to get in wearing a suit!
• Others - Cavern, Mathew Street - best if you go in a group. Conti, Wolstenholme Sq - Footballers, posh place Plummers, Hardman Street - Middle class office girls.
• Big mainstream clubs - Buzz, Skelhorne Street; Paradox, Aintree.
• Dance - Cream, Wolstenholme Square; Garage Club, Seel Street.

Live Music Venues

• Hannah's Bar - small but friendly
• Carling academy
• Jake Stigers and the Velvet Roots will be performing at The Cavern on the Beatles Stage, Tonight (Monday 15th May) Tickets are only £5 to witness history all over again, Jake and his band have all played along side some greats, from Pattie Rothberg, Bo Diddly, Tina Turner, Lenny Kravitz The Black Crowes plus many many more, This event is not one to be missed, Kepp an eye out for Jake and his band about the town during the day and don't miss the show tonight!!!!! gonna be a blinder
• academy
• Crosby Social Club, Crosby, Liverpool
• Barfly, Liverpool Uni Academy, Carling Academy
• The Lomax
• The Liverpool academy is great for up and coming bands but why do they chuck people out at 10.30, i'd just bought a pint!
• Quigs sometimes has bands playing all day just check they'll be advertised. The barfly, the picket, carling academy.
• Zanzibar, first Saturday of every month is 'The Bandwagon' night. Has about four great bands inc. The Coral and Noel Gallager have both player exclusive acoustic gigs there and it wasn't even on the ticket. you will enjoy
• The Zanzibar club hosts unsigned bands (although sometimes The Bandits play there). Carling Acedemy, Mountford Hall and Stanley Hall host the 'medium' bands, Royal Court and Philarmonic have even bigger ones, but if you wanna see Radiohead or Muse, you'll have to go to Manchester for that.
• Liverpool's most 'happening' (Monday) music night. Jazz n Jokes.
• Liverpool Academy, Liverpool Royal Court and hundres of other smaller places. Try Stamps in Crosby. Quite a few of the big bands do bypass liverpool and play that shit hole up the east lancs (Manchester)
• Zanzibar - lots of great local bands including Zombina and the Skeletones, The Bandits and LoBe have their own nights there and are worth checking out
• The Picket
• party at the pier
• the masque , on seel st, or try the monro pub
• crazy house
• The Masque, in seel street, some punk, hardcore and metal nights.
• L2 and Royal Court get most big acts. For the proper superstars you have to go to Manchester though - until Everton build that staduim on the docks. And theres the Crash Studios at the back of Stanley Street - not a venue as such, but Cast, The Farm etc can often be heard as you roam the winding hallways!
• The Lomax/L2 for big and medium size bands, the Picket on Hardman Street for local stuff.
• l2 occaisnly has a half decent band on although the only ral place is royal court the latest and greatst on there were probaly placebo the rest well thats just Elton JOhn
• Lomax, Cumberland Street - top PA, top venue, ludicrously overpriced drinks. Picket, Hardman Street - nice little venue, little too cleanly run - no smoking in a music venue?????? Zanzibar - nice sound, relaxed club...quality of acts a bit inconsistent... Heebiejeebees - in a cellar, terrible acoustics, hence awful sound. Crap bands too (exc. Groovy Tuesday w/Bez). Jacaranda - too small.
• The Lomax on Cumberland Street (off Dale Street) good for up & coming national bands & good local bands
• Check out The Cavern Club matinee sessions every Saturday (start around 2pm) Live bands, unsigned and playing only original material. One of the best to come out of the sessions was The Bitter Pills, plus many other bands recently signed. Free!
• K2 - Northbound Club Night on every second Wednesday offers showcases of local bands, interspersed with Trip Hop / Alternative Sounds.
• New L2 Venue with more showcases and newer bands.
• The Lomax on Cumberland Street, a regular line up of up and coming national bands, some about to break. (Some dross there as well).
• Alternative stuff: The Lomax, The Underground

The Knowhere Guide started out as a list of places to skateboard in the UK. It is a compilation of (unedited) information and views supplied by users like yourself. It is not a conventional tourist guide!

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Last updated: 2008-05-17