The Knowhere Guide

The Local Music Scene in York, North Yorkshire*

York, North Yorkshire Record Shops and Venues

Record Shops

• Track Records, Goodramgate - good selection and good prices
• track records is the best...hands down
• Track Records.
• The BEST record shop is Track Records on high-oosegate.Its real cheap and got a big selection
• Track is good cause the guys and cool and they order stuff. HMV + Virgin good cause they have deals.
• hmv virgin
• Hellraiser has a very wide range of alternative music
• HellRaiser on Colliergate - has all the new Metal/Goth/NU etc releases, cool T-Shirts and some clothes.
• TRACK RECORDS, don't be fooled by the outside, it's a brilliant local record shop, the have huge sales on all the time and sell local and a widerer choice of music as well as chart CDs.
• Track. Every time.
• wildcat records on micklegate all types of music, good prices
• track recoreds in york is a good place to go if u want cheap vinels
• track records
• Track records on high ousegate and hellraiser above pandemonium on colliergate.
• Ark records is very good, second hand decent c.d's and track records as it has dirt cheap c.d's that would cost you a tenner in hmv
• asda
• Aah, that can only mean one place. 'Track Records'. You can get anything and they are much cheaper than HMV, Virgin etc.
• HMV, Virgin!
• Track Records! Track care about the music they sell, and the folks they sell it to...
• There are over 100 people whitch cum here and get pissed take drugs or sell drugs at the kiddie park!
• Trax (track records) is where I get all mine- they're cheap and have got a really good range, got lots of cheap punk samplers too as well as merch. like hoodies, etc.
• theres a gud one on mickle gate ( i live here yet cant remember the name!) but trax (track records) is my fav.cheap w. a gud range of underground punk
• Borders, Track and Wildcat all stock more obscure material, as well as CDs by local bands.
• track records are very cheap and have a good breadth or records-especially good for those strange requests from your older bro
• ARC records down gillygate the only place in york that sells Uprising not that i like it my self
• HMV has a spot at the back for rock and metal fans
• Track Records down the opposite street to the fountain
• greenside garage
• go to wild cat records on the way to the oden
• Track records. Nuff said. The end. p.s - maybe borders for the range.
• Ark records on gillygate, Track records near burger king and wildcat records on micklegate but that's miles away
• Track records is an independant shop but don't be fooled in to thinking it's cheap. Virgin is OK but not set out particularly well. HMV on coney st. is the best bet, usually got cheap CD's.
• Track records next to burger king is the best in town.
• The BlakeHead record shop (across the road from the BlakeHead book shop and vegetarian cafe) down Micklegate is the beat place in the world if you are into something a little bit different. Loads of jazz.
• Come back Red Rhino - all is forgiven.
• - Track records on Ousegate(?) good selection from chart cd's to more obscure vinyl (upstairs)and often better priced than the commercial big boys - also Depth Charge on Gillygate, gd alternative/dance cds and vinyl
• Black cat records have a large selection of second hand vinyl and cd's at cheap prices, also check ARK records and TRACK records (both very cool music shops)
• No indie stores really... I usually go to Leeds but Track Records is sometimes worth a look. It's off Parliament Street can't remember the actual road
• Track Records is good. Smells funny though.
• TRY DEPTH CHARGE
• Track Records and Depth Charge excellent. Also new Virgin Megastore on Coney Street.
• The coolest record shop is Depth Charge. Very good selection of Indie CDs and rare vinyl.

Clubs (Dance Music) and Music Bars

• Stone Roses bar - A bar open to 2am with small dance floor and 80s/90s indie music (...hence Stone Roses)
• slap mac's (macmilans) fridays best especilly if ur on the pull and beer goggles on!!!!!! oh and CHAVS youll love ZIGGYS free b 4 11 and your feet will stick to the floor....
• Toffs is a great place to seek out alternatives to the usual disco cheese. The Cafe bar does Kinki Indie on Tuesdays (NUS required) and Thursdays (Everyone) A rock and metal night on Wednesdays, And all sorts of other alternatives on the other week nights. Thursdays also has the best of York bands on in the live lounge upstairs. www.kinkiindie.com
• Again, the srone roses bar, king street
• After the closure of the Arts Centre some years back, people scattered. The best underground music night is Freakin' which used to go on at the Arts Centre. This is held at The Junction on Leeman Road, and has been successful enough to get other people on the case again, all promoting a plethora of underground music nights. Find out more at www.freakin.org
• dudes.....dont be totally dissing gallery formerly silks......it's got so much better in the last few years....When I lived in York, i used to go there all the time and then i went off to Uni in notts and travelled for a year after that in which time they refurbed the gallery. I came home to York and went to the gallery on sat the 18th of Feb 2006 and it was really good...well downstairs was anyway....you still get the chavs, kids and random peeps upstairs but downstairs was awesome......met some people who i have not seen for a long time so it was brill. The r&b room would be no where if it was'nt for Mark.. the resident dj who has been there since i was at college dude....and a fucking awesome one at it too.....Cant wait to go this weekend too....bigup to you Mark....you are one cool dude
• FIBBERS is now running club nights. Up The Racket indie night on Fridays and Blackout Rock Night on Saturdays. good crowd in there, chav types don't get in
• Kinki Indie at Toffs every Tuesday (Students only) and Thursday (Everyone)
• 2 Good Music Pubs CERT 18 and Fibbers. Fibbers Is The Best. Fibbers is near Exit.When you go to the zoo from exit you will go past it
• Why are there no good Dance music venues in York, why why why why why why why why why, go to Leeds instead. Mint's cool, and there's a few big ones 2.
• THE ARTS CENTRE is now THE PARISH a gr8 bar and restaurant! since the ARTS CENTRE closed over 3million as been spent on the venue! wow its gr8 with Dance and Rnb most nites come and have a look!
• Gallery monday night alternative downstairs. libertines, art brut, maximo park etc. wednesday is not bad either. tuesday/thursday toffs, alternative room, some good music
• mellidies
• Every Tuesday night since the dawn of time...!!! Blackout Alternative Rock Night Every Tuesday @ Ziggys, York 10pm – 2am £2 Pints: Budweiser/Kronenbourg/Fosters/John Smiths/Guinness £1.50 Bottles K2 ice/K2 orange/Carlsberg £1.70 Bottles Becks Adm: £2 before 11pm £3 otherwise top tuneage from the likes of: The Used, Placebo, Goldie Lookin Chain, Music, Taking Back Sunday, Lostprophets, SOAD, Metallica, Killers etc etc its been running sixteen years and is still full of the best alt totty in the town!! fancy a little goth girlie or a tattoed love godess this is the place to go!
• R3TOX lands in Selby.....Techno, house, breaks, prog, trance, disco, hip-hop the lot. Three rooms of mayhem brought to us be www.r3tox.co.uk & www.club7.co.uk
• For Metal you're struggling really - Fibbers on Stonebow focuses on metal but is more of a live music venue with a medium size dance floor. Cert. 18 claims to be a metal bar but isn't really anything of the sort - it has a widescreen that plays Kerrang TV non-stop but that's really as close as it gets.
• Yeah, sorry, but after nearly 25 years in this shithole, there are no 'good' clubs. There are not even any moderately bad ones, there all shite! With egotistical monkeys manning the doors! Your writer was right ... Go to Leeds! its chaep, its chaerful, its fun ... and there are far fewer wankers!
• City Screen Basement Bar - Friday eves. No late licence but v. friendly 20s, 30s, 40s crowd. Tickets must be purchased in advance as it only has a 100 capacity! City Screen is on Coney Street.
• IKON AND DIVA is like TOWNY CENTRAL in clifton u better watch out if u want to keep ur money and not get jumped
• York is a shit night out Ikons good on a thursday night but thats cos its all you can drink for £8 BARGAN but any other time you may aswell just go round leeds it would be cheaper anyway
• Ikon and Diva, Clifton Moor
• i did used t occaisionally go to SILKs downstairs, i've never been since they changed the name to the gallery - the clubs in york have always been utter crap, especially tiny "toffs" and brawl-tastic "ziggies".
• Nexus Its actually a bar but a late bar open till 1.20am on thursday, friday and saturday nights. Its fairly new to York, having once been Merlins, but you would'nt know that to look at it there are no similarities. Its better than the cafe style bars, it has more class, its the biggest bar in York, has great DJs playing a mixture of music including chart, party and pop, and there is always a drink offer. If you haven't tried it yet, my question is why not, my weekend wouldn't be a proper night out without a visit to Nexus.
• Flairs is a laugh
• hunting drivin range
• The Gallery isn't all that bad when you're hammered. Plus it's not even that hard to score with da fine cheeky cheeckies. the eye full of spunk and weener (icon and diva) Sux ass although again, the birds can be quite tasty, especially with fresh home made soup.
• monday night in ikon, wednesday in toffs, other than that i'd probably not bother.
• I love haxby workin mens clud!
• don't ever go to icon and diva- unless you like townies
• of the great choice of clubs(three!!!unless you count ziggys)the gallery is the best in my opinion, but you have to go on a day when they are playing r+b in the downstairs room because all the other days are quite appalling(unless you are going on a cheese fest but then you would go to ikon or toffs wouldnt you).toffs always seems to be the last option to everybody unless they are very drunk so that could be taken as either a good thing or a bad thing
• Toffs and the gallery are shite, Ikon is good but too far out of town
• go to ziggy's on a tuesday night for alternative rock music its excellent!! every other night it is meant to be pretty crap. the stairs are very confusing though, especially after a few too many beverages and u may find yourself breaking your neck!
• Ikon is a) not closing down, b) not a pain to get to, with the free bus service they provide from town, or the uni and back. Oh, and students //are// a good thing.
• I can't believe how many people are even giving Ziggys a mention! so i'm not cos its shite! Ikon and Diva is full of kids - tuck shop is served at 10.30, the drinks are over priced and the staff are just down right rude. Can't really comment on Toffs as I haven't been for years, our regular spot is the Gallery formally Silks, the queue at 11pm should speak for itself so get in early! The music is varied and there is R&B played downstairs where people come from all over on a regular basis - the only problem with the gallery is that it is a bit too small for the amount of people who want to go but this increases the great atmosphere of the place. The door staff aren't morons just doing their jobs - would you wanna do it! I haven't seen any real violence like I have in Ikon and Diva and Toffs cos everyone is having a good time. And who ever made the comment about the Art Centre - oh my God what were you thinking.
• Toffs is a good night on a wednesday if you like cheap booze and general all round cheesiness!!!! A bit of a pit if u don't though!
• Respect - The Arts Centre ... anyone remember the time someone set off cs gas at that drum n bass night?? often boring but sometimes..just sometimes quite special ... (Normal anyone??)
• the famous IKON + DEVA is the worst club ever and is only made for townies.
• Ziggys, The Gallery, Toffs, Ikon and Diva. This is not an advert, that is all. p.s - neither are bad as all seem to interchange nights so you can visit all in one week if you fancy. I do!
• Clubs let York down. None are that good, the peoples choice is the Gallery but I personally think its shite. I recoment Inon and Beaver an a monday and Toffs on a wednesday ( ok, so Toffs is a bit of a shit hole but it is a good laugh on wednesday when everyones sparkoed after their sports socials)
• Gallery, Toffs and Ikon/Diva are all owned by Northern Leisure and hence are all crap. You can still have a good night is you get completely trolleyed first, they have student nights which are VERY cheap- 50p to get in 50p a drink all night. IKON/DIVA joint club is newest but furthest out of town - stick to the Gallery or Toffs. Ziggy's is a kind of big house but is a good alternative and free to get in many nights.
• Generally all bad. I would like to point out that the best dance venue in York, the York Arts Centre, has now been shut down.
• It's been a while but this is how it used to be : Silks - over-priced and ultra-tacky. Toffs - way way way over-priced and ultra-tacky, and by god you wouldn't believe how remarkably young some of the girls are. Get them before 10pm or they'll have spent their pocket money !! Another one at the bottom of Micklegate - rough as hell, but reasonably priced and students are too scared to go there (that's a good thing by the way).
• Hardon and Beaver(Ikon and Diva)- Good but the bouncers are morons.Ziggys- Go there at your own peril. If you follow a similar life style to Gary Glitter then this is the place for you to go. Toff- Crap. Gallery- OK, long wait.
• fibbers (ask locally)
• TRY ICON AND DIVA
• "Divas" or Ikon and Diva as its officially called is now closing down. Mind you it was cack anyhow. Silks aka The Gallery is by far the best club in York, but the management and dooor staff are morons! Toff's, a pit! need i say more? Ziggy's is OK if you cant get in anywhere else, can be quite cool if your plastered though.
• The clubs are generally pretty bad, however go to student nights at The Gallery or Toffs and get wasted as it's only 50p for any drink... soon you will forget how crap the clubs are.
• Don't bother they're all crap
• A new club has just opened in york called "Divas" and so I have heard, is going to be considerably better than any other of the clubs already there. It is situated on the clifton moor comercial estate to the north of the city.
• the nightclub previously called silks has now changed its name to The Gallery and is owned by the same people as Toffs
• York Arts Centre: Uplifting house, techno, ambient, trance. As well as occasional hip hop nights and alternative stuff. Can seem biased towards the LGB community, never overwhelmingly so and makes for a refreshing change to the nights offered by the towns other spots. Great 'bedroom DJs' that really shine in the trance, house and techno areas. Only downside is its a bit shite in terms of bar and venue, dingy inside an old converted church/church hall. Expensive compared to the commercial clubs like Toffs, Silks and Ziggies, but at least dancing is still encouraged here. Best you'll get without going to Leeds. JMG 1997
• Ziggys, Micklegate.
  Pokey Labyrinth of stairs, and bars. Confusing at first but a good club for students. Wide range of music and relatively low prices. Has an alternative night on a Tuesday which is superb.
• Silks, Clifford Street.
  Big and boasting two (yes TWO!) dance floors and several bars. Good mix of tunes, particularly on a Friday night. Get there as early as possible as the queue stretches round the block!
• Toffs, Toff green/Micklegate.
  Low end club catering for young people. Average age must be about 17/18 at most. Has a 'rock' night every Friday which can be good.

Live Music Venues

• the juncition, fibbers, cert 18, ziggies, the cresent etc
• Fibbers is a pay to play venue but if you get enough folk in it's a great venue with a fantastic PA. You will make your money back with 50 people in. The Junction is a great venue with a great PA and a nice big room. The Stone Roses bar do gigs but you have to provde your own PA, Hire one from Dan @ the White Rooms for £40. Same with the Roman Bath, town centre venue. You'll get paid at both these venues or you can charge on the door.
• The stone roses bar is getting a reputation for being a fantastic place to play. The acoustics are good and everyone always seems to be having a great time. another great place is the Junction on Leeman road. the function room has now got a purpose built stage and Pa System. When you book to play here, the cost includes and engineer for the night. the only drawback to this venue is if you don't advertise and promote your gig really well you could be disapointed with the turnout.
• The Junction, Leeman Road.
• City screen basement bar. only one good venue really, but if good bands play in the other venues (fibbers, cert 18) they are good for the night. just look out for good bands. ask people in the street if anything good is on tonight.
• Fibbers now has air-conditioning, so it's not as sweaty as it used to be. But it is still in the most horrid building in the universe.
• Fibbers is great - black night crash are really good.
• fibbers junktion
• I get dragged to The Junction about once a month to hear my mates band play (Evelyn) and its a good atmosphere if nothing else, you can't hear the person next to you speak, but if u like the music and the people that you're there with its a good nite!
• Fibbers is now part of the barfly group and is still attracting some ace bands to the town!
• The Junction, just passed the railway museum. Metal, punk/ska and most alternative. Sum thursdays, most fridays and some saturdays £3 entry, 14 age limit.
• Fibbers. Ignore the haters, it's a great venue.
• Fibbers, Roman Bath, anywhere on a Tuesday night for an aray of tatty guitar and singer combos
• You get really good bands on at Fibbers on the Stonebow such as Badly Drawn Boy, Coldplay have been there and loads of other great bands. The Junction has great bands on every week, 4 hours of entertainment for 4 pounds
• Fibbers (a small venue for live music) and the Barbican Centre (a larger venue)
• Black Swan Peasholme Green...good beer...Jazz Nights....Blues Nights......wonky stairs....log fires........
• Fibbers is on the wane. City Screen has some good nights in the basement bar.
• banks in town near free spirit its proper ard
• fibbers is the best place for live gigs, check out the basement at city screen
• The Grapes in york has a free rock/metal night every tuesday, can't remember where it isa, but if you ring them thy should tell you, plus they have an ad in free spirit, on the back wall.
• Fibbers
• when i was younger it was the bondage whorehouse, then fibbers. and the art centre. nowt much really, i never felt i was getting my moneysworth.
• Fibbers, of course. Fibbers hosts awesome metal bands, such as the local favourites- RSJ (http://www.rsj.info).
• Fibbers is amazing, not for your commercial pop stuff, but punk and indie and stuff, real music plays at fibbers!
• Dunno, thats the only thing i'm trying to find out.
• Ah, Fibbers :-) Alas, the "Fish Finger & Mushy Pea" sarnies have gone, but the beer and music are just as good as ever.
• There aint any!
• Unfortunately Fibbers closed on Monday 12th August so there'll be no more moshing in there for the foreseeable future. You'll have to get your cheesy chips elsewhere.
• fibbers very cute place
• fibbers! its cute there
• hmm well...there arent many really.its not as if york has a hopping music scene but i think if you look hard enough you can find something interesting.fibbers is quite good for a bit of a mosh..the barbican has more'mainstream'artists
• Manchester Academy
• will miss the smelly sofa/smoking room/listening room @ Depth Charge (quality stock of Undaground tunes too)RIP to the Ultramagnetic DC boyos
• York Arts Centre has closed. De Grey rooms not operating at present (08/01). A decent size venue is needed. But good pub rock can be found at Roman Baths most weekend evenings and Monday & Thursday and also at Old White Swan, Goodramgate on Sunday and Tuesday evening. You may be very lucky and see Mostly Autumn a simply brilliant prog. rock band, other great fun bands are Huge, Dufflegoats, Goosehorns.
• Fibbers is always a good place to hear nearly ever form of music but can some1 tell me where i can find some hip hop in the town
• fibbers rules for pissups and good music
• De Grey Rooms, dont know anywhere else. Oh yeah, fibbers as well.
• Fibbers!!!!!!!!!!!!!! we love fibbers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• Cells was good but is now gone. The Bonding warehouse sometimes has something on. The Barbican has some of the larger names. The best by far is which has lots of big names and is a cool hangout.
• You've gotta keep your eyes open for posters, millions of pubs have live music, but you have to be selective. Fibbers is lways a good bet,has the widest range of acts. The annual Battle of the Bands is always worth hanging around for. Go elsewhere (Leeds) for big name bands.
• Fibbers, man, where else ? And the Sainsbury's car park once upon a time.
• Rock 2000 - Every Saturday night at the Rock Church in Priory Street - This is Church friend but not as you know it!
• The fun never stops onboard YorkBoats Summer Noghts Afloat - themed cruises with entertainment. Every Thursday and Saturday Night enjoy a floodlit evening cruise with a choice of live entertainment or disco and a delicious barbecue buffet. Themes include Caribbean inc. Steel Band, Irish, inc Ceilidh Band, Greek inc Bouzouki player, 60's/70's Disco and Saturday Night Fever both inc professioal disco. Call YorkBoat on 01904 628324 for details. Pre booking essential!
• many of the pubs have live music - not all of it involves two middle-aged types singing Queen songs - York fosters a lot of 'original' talent
• If you want well-known bands playing live music I suggest going somewhere other than York. A good big venue is non-existant.
• YorkBoat Summer Nights Afloat Themed Floodlit Evening Cruises with food and entertainment Choose from; Caribbean Calypso, Irish - including live Ceilidh Band, Finnegans Wake, 60's and 70's Disco, Greek including live Greek Bouzouki music and Death on the Ouse Murder Mystery Cruise. Every Thursday, May - September 1999 (Other days are available for private parties) Call 01904 628324 for details
• The Cells, opposite the fountain must be one of the best unknown live music venues in York. They've got a good jazz night on a Sunday and if you're lucky enough to get in there before 11:00 on a Friday or Saturdy night it's the only place that serves after hours without having to go to one of the shitty clubs
• Fibbers is cheap and cheerful, but you may find that you are the only punter there. Try Leeds or Hull.

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!

In most cases, the information in each section has been submitted by more than one contributor (the credits at the bottom of the page list some, but not all, of the contributors) and some of it dates back to the 1970s.

We make no claims as to the accuracy of the information in the Guide - our only purpose is to provide a forum for users to share their knowledge and opinions. So please keep a large bag of salt handy and be prepared to read between the lines!

If you disagree with a comment, or information is out of date, please submit an update! The contributors come from all walks of life, and their opinions are bound to be subjective, so if your view isn't represented, please speak up and contribute to the balance of the Guide. See below in the 'Have Your Say' section for how to add your voice.

If we have helped you out or made you laugh you can buy us a pint.

Have Your Say...

You can tell us more about York. This is also the method to use if you want to correct some of the information already here. (But please remember you're not mailing the person who actually wrote whatever-it-is.)

You can use the add an event form to tell us about events happening in York.

Or, if you'd just like to leave a message for other users of this site, take a look at The Knowhere Board (handy if you're just trying to get in touch with someone).

Credits

Last updated: 2007-06-15