The Knowhere Guide

The Local Music Scene in Southend, Essex*

Southend, Essex Record Shops and Venues

Record Shops

• bassment records, vinyl rhythym, metro records
• Virgin, HMV, Golden Disk
• golden disk near whsmiths.
• well i used to go to virgin but then the sad grungers started hanging outside.
• Vinyl Rhythms - best record shop going, reminds me of the one from
• HMV, Virgin is now a megastore! Golden disc for really cheap R Kelly CD's - a few record shops if you like that dance shite Carmel Records
• DAVE THE COKE ADDICT HAD NUFFF TUNES BUT FACKED UP BY SEEING SOME WHIT CHICK. DRED SORT YOUR GAME OUT AND UNDERSTAND THAT TRUE LOVE IS NOT MONEYPENNIES ON A SATURDAY. BAD RECORDS DAVE BUT LAY OFF THE COKE BRO
• fives on the leigh~on~sea broadway
• Golden Disc is okay for rifling through second hand CDs.
• virgin in a brilliant shop shame you have to step over goths and grungers dossing on the floor outside
• Virgin, Gumbee's, Golden Disk, HMV, MVC, anywhere that you can get good music, for cheap!
• hmv, if it aint in the shop jst ask for it at the desk, if they aint got it theyll try to get it or tell you where to get it from.
• fives on leigh broadway is good for punk , rock n metal
• Apart form the commercially clad "HMV" for the masses, the only record shop worth its wait is Vinyl Rhythmn. There was Metro Records in Alexander Street, but alias it's gone. So who's up for setting a new shop up then?
• kazaa lite?And wot the fuck is wrong with HMV?
• my boyfriend shops in Vinyl Rhythm,they've been there ages stocking everything in the dance music scene,always friendly and having a laugh when ive been in there,dont make u feel uncomfortable unlike others shops ive been in...totaly recomended!!!
• hmv, mvc, virgin
• Bonafide records-for hip hop etc
• hey if u want something thats a little older to be in virgin, look in golden disc, its second hand, i even picked up an incubus album for a pound in there. real good if your short on cash. its down the same road as hmv.
• The best record shop in the South-East has to be Fives in Leigh. It's got a fantastic selection of CD's and its pretty good value. Phil Jupitus can be seen in there most weekends and he always likes a chat with music fans!
• Fives in Leigh, have a word with Pete or Tab. Both fantastic people
• Golden disk, HMV , Virgin
• Fives on The broadway, Leigh. Best record shop in Christendom.
• FIVES in leigh and rayleigh is a brilliant, indie record store.
• Vinyl Rhythem just off the HMV road, look out 4 fit rudes who dont wear black and sit, they have FUN. Oh and bonafide records, Princess street.
• hhmm Southend has a few record shops that people go to, one is vinyl something or other, its opposite HMV, not hard to find really.
• Gumbys !!
• Golden disks is a great place to get chart albums cheap also they do a gr8 selection of proper r&b not this crappy commercial stuff. xx Loobie
• Gumbi's, down that road next to the bus depot, opposide fish and chip shop called kingfisher. grunger music.....rap etc as well.
• The place i go for my music? HMV in Southend or Golden Disk.... otherwise www.cd-wow.com is wicked on the wallet!
• Basement Records was the place. The hours me any my mates spent in there... Sadly, now closed. Sid did us proud and really helped push forward the Drum 'n' Bass movement in Southend.
• unique- underneath metro records, rocking for classic reggae, hip hop, rare groove, northern soul- ak for blood (rasta) haggel with him tho or you might be paying silly money.
• Gumbi's
• Gumbies despite the silly name stocks a wider selection than Virgin or HMV, who tend to have nothing that i want. My sister was able to pick up a limited edition record here worth £20 for a mere snip at £3! This was in the 80s though, maybe the assistants aren't as dumb, their certainly not keen on haggling though. Fives in Leigh Broadway is also good for cheap CDs. Golden disc a good place to flog your Disney Classics for tuppence.
• Dont know the nmes of theese shops but theres one down a side road opposite Warror Square, he can get just about any record you want and specialises in old rock and roll, theres another one off the high strret, it the turning inbetween boots and the post office at the top end of the town, there is another one upa side street but cant be bothered to type directions!
• Vinyl Rythem oppersite HMV is a good port of call to any local DJ or dance music fanatic. Granted, it's a fairly small shop, but friendly and attitude free. Always have the latest stuff in for all genres, and I've managed to pick up quite a few classic tunes for my set. Prices are reasonable as well. If only more of Southend was like this...
• gumbies, if you like being totally fackin ripped off! i sold 25 original vinals on the hope of getting enuff cash to purchase 5 pills. was i wrong, oh yes! he (mr gumby)gave me 28 pence
• Well i must say the best for heavy metal seems to be hmv at the moment gumbies cant tell the diff between crap and punk and metal!
• Golden disk is ok, gumbies is Ok.. HMV is borign but ok and virgin is OK
• Better off heading up to London or charityshop got pretty cool records.
• my brother always goes to vinyl rythm to get his records it's near farringdon carpark.
• Virgin Mega Kev HMV MVC Golden discs Our Price Some crap dance shops
• Vynle Rhythem is a good garage shop with lots of records, it also has some hip-hop and other stuff. There are other shops but they all sell garage and drum-n-bass. Golden Disk is really cheap - go there it is right next door to HMV.
• The record fairs at the Arlington Rooms are always worth a look. Best I've been to
• Five's in Leigh seem to sell everything that woolworths don't! There's also Golden Disc just off the high street by HMV which sell tons of 2nd hand vinyl and CD's. You can pick up many a bargain in the Latter
• HMV is probably the best for the up to minute stuff, but check out the little shop just by it. Golden Disc, u should pick up some right nice bargains in there.
• Leigh Record Exchange Small shop in Leigh-on-Sea located on the London Road and the corner of Canvey Road. Run by the bloke wot duz the Record Fairs at the Arlington Rooms. Mixture of Vinyl and CD's. Prices reasonable but beware vinyl quality. Not bad
• Record Museum -- 96d Southchurch Road, Southend-on-Sea. Tel: 01702.463645. Located just off Warrior Square and Southchurch Road (near Honky Tonk music). The best damned record shop in Essex (IMHO :-) - especially if you're into Rockabilly and Rock'n'Roll. Proprietor: Derek Glenister. Not only the best but the smallest! OK - why is it so good? Well what about these for starters.. -- What Derek doesn't know about Rockabilly (and most other types of music) is frankly not worth knowing. -- His prices are very reasonable indeed! -- He always under-rates record quality, you NEVER get a sub-standard item! Always Ex or better! -- Derek's a thoroughly decent chap - pop in for a chat! -- Small but Excellent Qaulity range of CD's. -- Specializes in vinyl - and can get almost any rare/unknown Rockabilly/Rock'n'Roll item you may crave. -- Derek's a totally good bloke (oh... done that one already.. so what, it's true) True story: I was determined to get original copies of the first 2 Pink Floyd LP's in Mono. OK - rare as hens teeth and 'dealers' in London and at various Fairs wanted stupid money for them (like 250 quid for one copy in crap condition - hence word 'dealer' in inverted commas, should read 'sheisters/theives etc'. Derek has 2 MEGA-MINT copies of each and was asking only 125 quid each!! OK - couldn't afford them and was well and truly gutted :-( (He quickly flogged them to a mate). I went away for 9 months and came back for my all too infrequent visits to base-camp. Derek had only got me EX copies of these 6 months previous and kept them for me and wouldn't sell them to anybody until I had said 'no'! He wanted only 75 quid each! Beautiful items, cheap and Derek's a total hero... Beware Derek shuts shop at least 2 days mid-week. Carmell Record, London Road (near Hamlet Court Road on the left hand side as you go into southend). Run by Paul Degsby(?) and well worth a visit - if you can find it as it's surely the narrowest record shop there is! Paul specializes in Northern Soul but has an extensive range of vinyl and CD's. A definite must along with Record Museum. Always good for 60's, jazz, psychadelic and those elusive Scott Walker LP's! Prices are VERY reasonable indeed and Paul's a great bloke too.
• Virgin Megastore is convenient but expensive HMV is good and cheaper Golden Disk is even cheaper and occasionally you do pick up a bargain there! (like "Happy Nation" by Ace of Base on CD for a mere £3) life doesn't get any better!
• Gumbies buys your CD's off you for about 50p per pucker album - rip off - but still have some good stuff and I will cont. going there!!
• golden disk where you can get cheap second hand but up to date records
• Metro records: great for club on vinyl. There's also golden disc, great for anything old (got all me phil collins albums there!)
• Fives is the only store in rayleigh worth mentioning and its still pretty crap.
• There is also a good record fair held on the first Sunday of every month at the Arlington Rooms near Chalkwell Park.
• Bee Bees on Canvey is probably one of the cheapest CD shops in the area.
• Golden Disc in Queens Road do a good selection of second hand CDs and those plastic things with a hole in the middle.

Clubs (Dance Music) and Music Bars

• there are alot of really good clubs in southend. due to being underage i aint been to most of them but have heard about them through other people. the best under 18s nightclub has gotta be ego. its got a label for being shit by the pathetic grungers who always hang outside virgin, but thats only because they have nothing better to do. they mite wanna go to talk, which is a load of shit.
• Seymours on a Friday, as cheap and cheesy as cheesy chips
• I always come back to southeond for the reggae nights at image lionheart if you like good tunes good base its the place to be theres one this weekend 3rd friday of every month the people cant moan about souhtend cause i did before i moved away and now i wish i hadnt miss all the clubs like mad and all the southerners hope to see more people there next month when i can get down there myself hope yous all buy me a drink to especially lee the dj ha ha know you southern boys have more manners down there from a true essex girl mish
• Hey for anyone who remebers the Minerva before Pitbull screwed up. Well its back. I'm back DJing again (Monkey) and well we've got two weeks to get the place back on its feet, so we need all metalheads to get their ass down there on thursday, its £2 to get in 18+ and no id no entry. We're under new management and we need you guys to come down and support us, otherwise the last proper metal club will be gone from the area, so get down there at least this week and next week so we can stay open. 8pm till 1am@the Minerva, (next to the Kursaal)
• RAGE still kicks arse, they've moved from Seymour's though, now they're at the Royal Hotel (bottom of the High Street) every other Monday (I think). HEAR NO EVIL DJ a night there sometimes too, worth checking out.
• In southend there are only two decent places to go to. They are TALK and CHAMELEON. all of the others are rubbish. TALK and CHAMELEON are the two places to go if you want to find normal people. all the other clubs are full of wanna be 'gangsters' or dirty, filthy grunge bags who like cutting themselves for fun. the clubs are not dangerous and rough unless you are a little chav who thinks they are well hard. these two clubs play the best music and have the best people go to it.
• Minerva on a Thursday night is normaly Asylum night, and on the last Friday of every month they hold DarkDayz, goths and cyber, punk and metalers from all over the uk, come over to listen to the dj's. last time there was a few from brighton, some guys even came down from hull!!
• everyone either goes ego or chamelian both suck arse
• tots is an excellent night out, full of decent music u can dance too, people r friendly, and the atmospheres alot better than other places about. altho watch ya drinks in clubs near it, been sed theres alot of spiking taking place. not a fun night out.
• Only place to go if your into the underground scene and especially the hard dance scene. Firstly Munch (playing hard trance) at The Lounge(wicked venue that's the only place worth checking out in Lucy Road, the door staff are well friendly. The club also caters for the live band scene as well) and Polymorphic (playing Techno). Megabyte also, but has sold out to the commercial end of hard dance scene.
• R A G E ! at Seymour's on Warrior Square. Bunny, Jon, Lorri, and Puffy still playing all the cool stuff. It'll be going for 10 years soon...that's just mad! but shows you how good the night really is. Keep it up guys...can't believe that Storm got rid of them...stupid twats
• Storm is a good all rounder if ur as ugly as sin like me you might just pull a cracker........
• the glitzy clubs are full of cheeserz...but a laugh when your out on the laggggg (tots,storm,adlib),there is an underground scene and porobaly the largest cross section in essex, from garage-drum & bass-house-trance-hip hop-dancehall to indie rock live band dudes (royal hotel,zinc,saks,cliffs pavilion,dreams),leigh-on-sea has a cool trendy poncey bar scene if you wanna have ur clothes looked up and down(bellinis,vie,mariners),old leigh is more chill(cockle sheds,crooked billet,peters boat,smac(not heads)
• Rage at Storm Nightclub (off the High Street) on Tuesday nights is pretty rockin' for all you punks, metallers, rockers and goths. I like The Alex on Friday and Saturday nights too.
• RAGE night finally back at Storm (formerly Club Art) is the best rock club around...better atmosphere than the Pink Toothbrush and unlike the 'brush, the guys don't just punt out the same setlist week in, week out. They play anything from Alice Cooper and Iron Maiden to SOAD and Rancid, but the same Prodigy set every week can get a bit tiresome. Cheap beer and the odd DVD player giveaway make it the best club night around...NO question
• ok well theres chameleon. dance on thursdays and decend trendy stuff on saturdays. theres talk, tho ive not heard anything good from there. theres storm, which is alright, a decent size, tuesday nights alternative tho theres a couple of trendys that go there. theres zinc, small but i like it there. nice. theres a club bit in the kursal which aint that great anymore.
• RAGE returns to ClubArt(Storm) at last! albeit it hasn't quite that certain "it" that it used to. Nirvana or Limp Bizkit would kick it off originally...now it's err...Joy Division at 10pm. A bit dull really...but still worth a look in
• JUNK electroclash style.Is on every few weeks, usually at Royal Hotel but has been at a hotel in Westcliff too. If u like gettin pissed (or other stuff...) then go wild in dance in your own little world dis is da place to go.love it.haha.
• TOTS is not called TOTS anymore, they now call it 'TALK'....did anyone know that TOTS used to stand for The 'Talk Of The South'! I Prefer The Alex (pub not club) too many head bangers up there...cheap booze....no idiots.....but lots of body piercings.....
• alex, chinnerys
• The Alex best pub there is ladies galour!
• After guzzling alcohol ridiculously I have vague recollection of the nightclub formerly known as TOTS (Talk of the Shite, maybe? Who knows?) I'd definatly recomend it because everyone fancies you in there and suddenly you can dance really cool-like. It gives you Jedi-type powers and you even get a free ride home in a police car. Can't be bad can it?
• Just like to say that Seymores in Southend is up and coming recently, ok I know its isnt great for Talent, but since the new DJ hit there on Saturdays it is livening up and getting a different crownd coming in.. so get yourself down there and check it out... oh and look out for a couple of Guys from kent, your know who we are.... cheers..!!
• What can I say, the Southend club scene, or lack of it, is in a state and has been for many a month! We had hope with the Palace ballroom, but again that failed! I now have to put up with wierd shindigs at the Royal Hotel, which is admittedly good, but a club would be nice. Im sure one of the clubs could attempt a decent house/hard house/trance nite. Chameleon is useless, Tots is the same every nite, storm is pants etc...........Please someone buy up the palace and start some decent nites with good djs and tunes or build me a time machine to go back to the blinding days of Glow @ Adlib.ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh........
• For under 18 clubbing, talk and ego are the best in southend, over 18 there r loadsa clubs, storm, talk, chameleon, ego...
• Oh the choice is so great most people get on the train and go up to London !
• Rewind at Zinc is good if u like ur men black and ur music dirty! Bakers Bar is good if u've got good eye sight (very dark and wonky floors) and if u dont get clostraphobic! xx Loobie
• THE PALACE IS THE NUTS... ESPECIALLY WHEN MEGABYTE IS ON!!!!
• Chameleon has been the bollox recently. sat & fri nites free entry with a flyer, drinks £1 b4 12:00 and £2 afterwards. Cheap nite, gud laugh. Boogie Nights on a wednesday is phat 2.
• Bakers bar is the best for grungers, the rest of the clubs do techno garage etc.
• well in southend theres one good club called RAGE its for the alternative society and its on a tuesday which cum on we might dress differently but we still work during the week like the rest there should be more alternitives nites on fridays n saturdays
• RAGE (stuent/alternative nyt)at Camelien, admitidley it was preety shit at Storm and Zinc but now it's at Camelien it is excelent, the music has got even better and they play all the old cheesy stuff at the end when every1 is wasted.last tues there was a Miss Rage competition...some bloke won it! they're also havin live bands there soon so it'l b the nuts! every tues (dont botha goin storm on a tues its the fake version of RAGE)
• Talk (Former TOTS) is good if you are drunk and with friends, but god help you if you go there on the pull!! (It is a meat market)
• Now I have to say ...I admit it....I AM A SNOB!!! I can not stand the thought of a night out in Southend surrounded by 16 somethings whinging about who's 'gonna get a s**g t'night'. No sorry that's just not my idea of fun. I would never had said this a few years ago (cos I won't have set foot there either ), but get out of Southend and go to the Festival Leisure park - Basildon for a good night out. Jumpin Jacks is excellent if you want a sing song and a bit of a geek off with your mates. Bonds is great for the snobs in us all. Icon & Diva are pretty good as well, but I'd stick with Diva if your old enough, as there's nothing better than joining the over 40 pervs dancing to Madonna 'Like a virgin'!!!!!!!!!!
• THE BRUSH in Rayleigh (Metal nites Friday, Alternative nites Saturday) top crowd in there and heavy ass music! THE ALEX in Southend (same as above)! Also student union bar, so get ur yellow cards in there! All the others play garage crap!
• Get a train ticket to London and do it properly. Unless you like any of the following: Dancing to tacky house or painful garage Picking glass out of your face On the plus side though, the clubs to reafirm your trust in human nature as even the elephant man could pull there, just don't set your standards all that high and you'll do fine.
• Saks can be good if "I love what I'm doing"'s on. Otherwise Not all that. The Blue Meenie is bloody dreadful.
• kursall.thursday. nu-metal [crap], heavy metal and death metal.
• the princesses of the brush have spoken n wana up date y'all. the 'brush' in rayleigh is the ONLY place to go on a fri/sat nite if u want ne sort of alternative music. fridays better 4 alternative stuff, u can have a good mosh but saturdays cool if u wana have a laff n mock the trendy scum who happen in lookin 4 cigs!! pulling is essential n easy, every 1 is there 4 the music n the 4 girls who run round gettin v.pissed n waving their fairy wands n ...assets at blokes! the goths have mostly found sum where else to look depressed at so the grungers r free to rule da roost! NO ONE WEARS BLACK LIP STICK NE MORE!!!!!!
• BRAND NEW INFO for all you outdated people that keep referring to 'Adlib' (sorry what's it called now?! ).. TOTS is now reopening as TALK on March 6th, and will hopefully be looking MUCH nicer. However there's always a guaranteed Southend way to f*ck everything up, and this time they've made it 25+ on friday and 21+ on saturday.
• EYECANDY
• TOTS
• Are you sick of going to supposed metal nights and hearing Linkin Park, Papa Roach and other pathetic so-called metal bands, or hearing hip-hop and dance just as your starting a good mosh. Fear no longer for the Pitbull hears your cries of despair. And so he brought you Club Degeneration, officialy the only club in Southend which plays Metal and Rock for almost 6 hours straight. We've got your nu-metal faves like Korn and Limp Bizkit, the darkest Death and Black from the likes of Cannibal Corpse, Nile, Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir, the gothiest Rock this side of Sisters and Christian Death, the big guns like Slayer and Pantera, plus old skool favourites Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, AC/DC and more..... And it gets better, be there before 8pm and you don't even have to pay to get in, and if you can't make that then a paltry £2. If your not up to moshing yer necks off and beating your mates to a pulp in a good old wreck pit then get wasted with one of the biggest drink promotions going. Loads of drinks fro just £1.50, we're talking Cheap beer and not nasty low grade crap but Jack Daniels, Fosters, John Smiths, Strongbow, Smirnoff vodka. And where is this hallowed home of all things metal and rock orientated, right in the centre of the Kursaal , Southend @ the Bourbon Bar. Come on down and tell them the Pitbull sent you!!
• PInk toothbrush is a beauty. i love itaaaaaaaaaaa n-e-r-f.
• TOTS 2000!!!!???????!
• The Sun Rooms...mainly because I fancy one of the DJs hysterically...but he plays some duff tunes, so it's not all perfection. Bit of a pokey place, but a very good selection of drinks. The Alex, underage central! A fair few crispy grungers and the beer is awful, I think they brew it with deda rats. Good for tsome jumping about upstairs...they do play shit like Madness though, so be careful. Most of the punks here are also fakers with out any real knowledge of punk lineage, knowing the words to a few Sex Pistol songs simply won't cut it!
• TOTS!!!! you all hate it but I love it!
• RAGE night..every tuesday night at ZINC down Lucy Road. Lots of alternative music. GREAT FUN. its for 18+ (its not so hard to get in tho). cheap booze and lots of moshin'
• Tots 2000, chameleon, storm, xero
• they try hard, god bless the baby goffs
• definatly rage! women go in just under where and generally it kewl!
• Rage club alex tots
• RAGE at ZINC good for the SUMMER!!! Balconey to be opened soon. Get down to find out more. With cheap beer and spirits. Good music. Check it.
• There r u few places. TOTS is a personnel favourite mainly due to the VAST amounts of Southend 'sl#ags' availible. Then u have Chameleon which is full of rude boys playing their Garage music. There is one place where no one should ever go ever!!!!! That is Brocketts! (only go there if u want to end up in hospital or prison) The bakers bar is pants, its like being in the Bat cave.
• Clubs.....Southend???? Well if you like the really cheasy sort of house that can be made in a matter of 1 minutes and takes ablolutely no talent to write you might want to go to Adlib. I would advise all people with 1 brain cell or more to stay clear of The whole seafront club scene though. Apart from the music being rather annoyingly bad you are likely to get raped, stabbed or just beaten up and mugged if you head down there. For a more enlightened music scene the best you are likely to get will be in bars such as the Sun Rooms. This has alsorts from jazz to funk to rock to folk to drum & bass to well, just about anything happens there music wise.
• The Kursaals all ways good for a night out, if your into the less dance and more socialising kind of night, ive heard about a new band night thats going on down there, supposed to be quite good.
• If you are looking to meet lots of little essex girls try Storm on a sunday night
• Coco Cuba's and Megabyte (both at the Palace Hotel) are the only things worth checking out. However those (like me) who are in search of the ultimate night out should check out FX@Tabor Farm in Rochford. It can only be described as a the vibe of 88/92 mixed with stomping hard house in a barn which has been converted into a rave hall. Apparently there will be a 24 hour rave in the summer- Look 4 me there.(I'll have probably passed out by then, though!)
• Southend has gone down the tubes. Hate to slag off somewhere where I live, but the attitude of people round here sucks. There aren't as many genuine friendly people in Pubs and Clubs as you get elsewhere and the town centre is only gradually recovering... Toothbrush is worth a look, TOTS is menial fare, Chameleon's OK. Bakers' Bar is a truly hideous s***hole. IKON & DIVA in Bas are good for a laugh. Storm is bearable. An established club like TOTS needs some serious competition to lose its complacency. Maybe one of the chains like Rank should open up a superclub like IKON & DIVA. Then again, maybe it's just a dead loss....
• Chameleon on a Saturday is the best thing to ever hit Southend, loadsa good people generally excellant sets of music, trance and house with a couple of short sets of garage. Great atmosphere and the nearest thing that you are going top get to a decent night out clubbing and 'avin it, and there is even a good share of lovely ladies a recomended night if you likie your music ladies and your drink.
• Rage at bar central p.s. go to london clubs like madball, full tilt, rock scene, beautiful people
• Lucy Road has loads, Tots, Chamelion, Ace Of Clubs, and others. There is also Storm in the middle of town.
• Has no-one been commenting on Southend lately? If anyone's had a look recently they'll see that the likes of ClubArt and Adlib are long gone, banished into the clubbing scrapyard. In their place come two new look and very sexy venues - Storm and Chameleon respectively. Storm, a small but stylishly decorated club, is for the classy punters who are not afraid to shell out a tenner for a vodka redbull. Chameleon on the other hand, is much larger and louder, with plenty more open space and light than (any who had been there will know) Adlib. Both have alternate nights aimed at the young and old with Storm keeping on the over-21 side of the border to discourage the scroats. Still, despite the pathetic slatings of the 16-year old grungers who are at a transitional phase of their life and who only use shabby clothing and body piercings to hide the fact that they look to young to actually get into clubs therfore think its hip to slate people who do, TOTS is still a winner for me. Wednesday - cheesy, funky 70s & 80s (what's shocking for those grungers is that we do actually like every sort of music, even their own in moderation - I'm a massive Peppers fan), Thursday - cheesy house (admittedly verging on kindergarten but hey I'm not complaining), Friday - cool house and garage and Saturday - House and cheesy chart for the older clientele. TOTS, keep doin' what you're doin'.
• there's only one of these as well, it has to be the Pink Toothbrush (only on Saturday)
• TOTS if you're after Ben sherman clad Essex Lads. Their 70's night on a wednesday is pretty funky though. If you wan't a bit of head banging and Marilyn Manson, Rage against the machine, or Prodigy (pretty much everything TOTS aren't inclined to play) then the Pink Toothbrush in Rayleigh is well worth going to. Although Black Lip-stick for blokes is kinda mandatory.
• Why is Saks not mentioned much-one of the only decent nights out in Southend. I have to say though that you can't beat the 'Sunny's' on a hot summers afternoon. However I have to disagree that once you move away you appreciate S.O.S more!!!
• Tots on a thursday, if your over 16 you should have no probably getting in. Best bet is Saturday at Tots, good music and if your in the mood you should pull. Adlibs getting better and Tuesdays are a good laugh, dont go there if you intend to pull as the women don't make much of an effort, unless you want to see some very interesting tatoos.
• Pink Toothbrush on a Friday - excellent goth/80s/alternative/dance night Pink Toothbrush on a Saturday - good but there's more chance of them playing the New Radicals on a Saturday so going on Friday's probably the best bet! Rage (now at Adlib) on a Tuesday - cheap booze/great music - I feel old there and I'm only 20 - enough said Tots - very very bad - only really worth doing if you go down with about 10-20 of your mates - then, and only then, it can be a good party night...
• Club Art, Cocoa Cuba is a laugh!!
• RAGE at adlib NOT club art like it used to be. a much better venue and still the best party atmosphear. everyone just has a laugh and dances to goofy 80's pop music
• Adlib, wednesday, boogey nights. Watch out for ester barter in her exceedingly short skirts! (she makes them herself). Get worried when the bloke who thinks he's freddy mercury comes onto the dancefloor.
• Club Art rocks!!!!!!!!!! Anyone from Southend who has never been doesn't know what a great town we actually live in. And with The 'Brush just up the road, moving away helps you realise that Southend's not as bad as we thought. RAGE!
• The aformentioned Pink Toothbrush, which personally i think is a bit of a dive although the musics ok...I go to Zero myself to check out the 'pipework' as someone put it, well you cant complain when youre 16.....
• Rage at Club Art has got better ater going through what seemed to be a two-year depression where all they played was miserable Oasis and manc-indie stuff. Now they're returning to their decent rock music roots. Bunny's still in charge and the pit is still a nice place to mosh. For some reason all the kids tend to dress up to go down there, apart from the die hard goths. Miller is still a pound a pint. For something diferent and better than TOTS try going down to the Icon/Divas club complex in Basildon. Better music, better atmosphere now that TOTS has become a "don't look at anybody else unless you want a kicking" kind of place, and its generally a much nicer and classier place. There's also a half decent 70s night at Ad Libs on Wednesdays if you're into that sort of thing. Nobody dresses up though
• Bakers Bar is shite! I can't believe everyone slates TOTS! If you are up for a laugh, quick shag, getting completely ratted or laughing at all the birds, it's not that bad. And the Bouncers are laugh.
• TOTS, ADLIB, CLUB ART - Call these clubs? as I was saying before i was so rudely interrupted. These places just about pass for pre school nurseries judging by the queue of 5"0 girls standing outside in the rain with nothing more than a cheese wire. And if you think that that's bad the blokes are even bigger tarts. Hmmm, is it the pink YSL shirt tonight or is it the yellow Rolf (Harris) Lauren. Sad people... when are they going to learn.
• funny skin (pallace ballroom)once a month, the best in hard house a proper ravers gaff if you go make sure you check out the parties after. biosystem (pallace ballroom)same as above. p.s why do the clubs in southend shit by shutting at 2pm know what i mean
• Shrimpers is sometimes alright but, we need a venue like bagleys.
• O kay everyone may slat TOTS but it is still good it caters for almost every age group there is tight security good music, , it may seem like a meat market but with nowhere in southend to go to without being stabbed it is a pretty good club.
• The Best Best Best Best Best Best club in Southend has to be the one and only FUNNY SKIN. This Hard House night has recently moved from the Shrimpers club under SUFC to the Palace Hotel ballroom, Pier Hill. The Music is ******* hard, the people are the friendliest in the world, only interested in one thing: HAVING IT!!! The night kicks off with DJ Floyd warming you up, Madam Friction (recently sacked because she sold out to play "dance 'round your handbag" music) in the middle, with ED Friendly killing you at the end. Nuff Said.
• adlib have hosted nights for clockwork orange , frisky , rennaisance etc...
• They should all be raised to the ground - a sort of mercy killing really.
• General opinion is that TOTS is shit. I AGREE. Even getting slaughtered doesn't help. Chinnery's (ex-Mr D's) down the front is doing a good job at getting going if you overcome the history of fights. Club Art for a laugh.
• Well what can I say about the clubs? To be honest they're all pretty shit, they're nothing like the clubs up town, so if your coming down don't expect it too be of the same quality. Tots 2000? All right if you're already slaughted before you go in and want a shag for the night. Adlibs all right: good house and garage. Churchills is a good evening out if you want a laugh, dance to some great classics, and sip some cocktails to get totally wrecked, but make sure you take loads of dosh. All I can say about the freaks that are praising The Tooth Brush, is that they're either still off it from the night before or they're off it now, because that's what it's like: unless you trip off your face, wear crap cheap cloths, got pink, blue or red hair of maybe all three, wear thick, black eye liner and smell like shit, then I'm sure your have a great time. You could also try Club Art on Tuesdays -- it's all the same sort of toilet, trust me (the sain), when you walk past these places when they're all coming out it looks like a freak show.
• People who think TOTS is bad forget that some people are looking for a sound place to go where they feel safe, can party the night away with their friends and go home having had a good dance and a laugh. I wouldn't cuss any club who've chased that market since the sixties without going bankrupt at some point like every other club in the town.
• Just thought I'd put in a mention for the nightlife in Southend. It's only really intended for those who fall under the lager-boy category to be honest. The Sun rooms (one of the best places in Southend) seems to get slated in this report and not one mention is made by anyone of the only interesting club-nights in the town, at Saks. All I can assume is that most people who have added to this page saying how great the place is have never visited a proper city like London and don't understand that getting mullered daan Tots two faasand and then smashin up a few motors on the way 'ome isn't the be-all and end-all of a night out.
• Club Art is extremely large on Saturday nights: Zero on the other hand is full of baby girls who shinned down the pipes to get out for the night, and lads called Darren who are trying to get a bit of pipe action with them (uh-huh).
• Most of the stuff on this page is sound - but anyone who says TOTS is good is either a) working for TOTS b) lying or c) mad.
• I'm pleased to see that people have finally got the idea about Tots - I'm fed up with this "best nightclub in Essex" bollocks. The best club by far is the Pink Toothbrush in Rayleigh, especially on a Saturday, and a nice country pub is the Rose in Wakering. Since I've moved to Coventry, I realise what a great place Southend is.
• Check Club Art on Saturday night for the BEST in house music. Tots gets a good press but is in fact complete shaft.
• Club Art isn't bad on a Tuesday night, cheap beer -- you just have to put up with the fact that it tastes bloody awful.
• The clubs are all complete cack!
• Best Club nights: RAGE at Club Art on Tuesday nights. Excellent alternative night that has music for everybody's taste, except for cack chart music (go to Tots for that.) Great pit hospitality. In the middle of the night they throw in an excellent dance set with at least three Prodigy tracks, and some seriously hard house. Then its back to some excellent moshing! Look out for Bunny, the guy who has made this night worth driving 100 miles to once in a while. This night is better than anything here at the University of East Anglia and Norwich. Indie Night at the Pink Toothbrush on Friday nights. Another cool night, more gothic though.

Live Music Venues

• I used to go to Chinnerys but it has got crap recently. There is the mill in Rayleigh which is alrite at times, they've had some really decent stuff, but it's just full of kids. I feel so old and I'm only 17! Are there any other decent places if you're 17?
• CLUB RIGA! =) The infamous TooREX play there every year and so do Split Decision and they get a packed room and great audience!
• Club Riga, for Blues Rock and no handed stage diving.
• in benfleet down the road there legacy xs skate park and bands play there regularry
• chinnerys (obveously) The Cliff...yeah its a gay pub but hey! gay ppl kno how 2 enjoy themselves!!
• The Minerva, The Chinnerys, The Alex, Saks (downstairs), The Sunrooms and Club Riga all have bands playing every so often. Best local bands include The BiG, The Rejects, Blood Drenched Fist, Operation Nailbomb, Cisco In The Aquarium, Fire Apple Red and The Filaments (most of which have websites)
• hmmmm, club Riga and chinnery's always have a few good bands playing, although I habvtn been to either forquite a while so its all news to me!
• Woodgrange up the road from the kurssal aint bad, not many places to sit though. Riga has a kool atmosphere but not my kinda music.
• chinneries great bands. it is a bit small but great times
• chinnerys is da best 4 rockin out
• The Lounge, nuff said
• cliffs pavilion,club riga
• Riga Music Bar in Westcliff. Used to be really good but now is a bit crap. Puts on lots of tribute bands. Grand Hotel in Leigh - private hire for bands Chinnerys on southend seafront. Never been. Upstairs at the Ship in Leigh - jazz, blues Reds in leigh - bistro/bar with music, usually 1/2 piece
• Chinnery's down the Sea Front has some good gigs.
• the best place is in chinneries. saw lost prophets there and bad manners have been there. and many many others. very good very small very cheap. the kursal on thursdays does local bands too, look out for local favs SIZE. oh and the sun rooms has bands, also well small, upstairs and down.
• Upstairs at the Grand in Leigh. They have great bands and the atmosphere is brilliant. Not recommended if you want to chat or dislike the smell of 200 sweaty people!
• Chineries
• Riga Music Bar , Westcliff www.rigamusicbar.co.uk
• Minerva, Chinnerys...both on the seafront, have kareoke in the former and live bands at the latter...you decide!
• The Alex, The chinneries
• Riga music bar on Milton Road. some original stuff but mainly a tribute band haunt. You get charged an extra £1 if you annoy the bar staff by not ordering everything at once.
• The Grand, Jah Shakka etc late 80's wicked!
• THE ALEX plays bands now n then on a Sunday, otherwise just go there for the Metal!
• Chinnerys go see SiZE there on april 20th!!!!
• Hah! We lost the Esplanade to the Family Pub crowd. Chinnery's, along the seafront is probably the only place in town you'll find 'alternative' music. Club Riga's alright if you're over 45 and enjoy Jimi Hendrix cover bands. Like The Receeders. Who are crap.
• BRUSH-RAYLEIGH!!!!
• OH YEAH
• chinnerys is good when u look so young that there is no where else to go. dawn is better but is now under attack by the ever growing population of the rude boys and girls no names mentioned( liz Grover and Sean Palmer and Danni cool Buckle-from the king john school)-only joking guys
• Chinnerys
• Chinneries, and why not. Host of Battle of the band heats a bit of fun really. Saw Dirty Harry, Symposium and King Adora...not really very good bands...but with an alternative scene as threadbare as ours beggars can't be choosers!
• u mean theres places that theres live music in southend thats any good?
• Riga Music Bar - IT IS THE BEST VENUE - plenty of top rock/soul and tribute bands (someone told me it was a blues club???? NOT TRUE). Thursdays great local bands Friday some of the best bands I've seen. Check their website www.rigamusicbar.co.uk
• chinneries. size, stoopi, raiden, gutworm. bunch of self masturbating arse
• Chinerys for deff see the likes of size my mates heavy band and signed bands like age of ruins and kaowin!
• chinnerys SUCKS nowhere decent here
• Nah there all pants. If any club riga.
• Chinnerys and the Kursaal are good places for music...depends what your looking for???
• I'm a member of a band playing at the Kursaal on the 9th May, come along and support us, its going to be a wicked night!!!!!!!!
• Chinnerys (Thursday night) and the Kursaal every other Wednesday, are the best places to go if you want to listen to 'real' music
• F.B PROMOTIONS PRESENTS: BREATHE, a new live music night at the Kursaal in Southend - evening starts at 8.00 pm, every other Wedensday starting 9th May, £ 5.00 on door (advance discount group bookings available, if you contact rob at his e-mail address: fatbobslim@hotmail.com), three local indie bands play on the night, disco after untill 1.00 am - including drinks promotions.
• Preview Musci Club - Live music every Friday night. Turn up , book in and play 8/30 - 11.00 pm Club has been running for 15 years. Spread Eagle Pub - Victoria Avenue, Southend on Sea. Local Guest Artists. Full P.A
• chinnarys sucks but thats the best place
• The Alex and Chinnery's has grunge stuff, the Kersaal has a R'n'B and hip-hop night.
• The Cliffs Pavilion for discerning clientele
• Well, I would have said the esplanade if it hadn't been turned into yet another family pub. So, again, it's got to be the brush
• The Grand Hotel in Leigh, Club Riga behind the cricketers pub or for the best music under the Railway bridge about 2am on a Friday or Saturday! :)
• The Railway in Clifftown Road has an excellent DJ on Friday nights.
• only one word, Chinnerys!
• Club Riga The Cricketers, London Road Live lusic held 2 to 3 times a week. Small, homely and gives new bands a chance to play. Sound system OK and run by dedicated music lovers. Worth supporting
• The Grand Hotel, Leigh Broadway (upstairs). Small but homely. One of the original venues for The Hamsters when they were starting out. Great place for trying out local bands. Gigs only Friday & saturday nights (not all the time).
• Chinnery's/The Esplanade/Minerva (where just about anyone can get a gig - think Ill apply there myself!)...
• Chinnerys on the sea front, The pub next to the kursal
• The Esplanade has been closed down and re-opened as a theme-pub of some description. Live bands no longer play there. Saw half of Squeeze a while ago, but it looks too clean now to entertain the likes of us who like our music live.
• the minerva's ok now that it's been refurbished check out any of the following bands there:- nuclear anarchy plc yanan chinese burn unite and loads of others that i cant remember
• Club Riga. Where I first saw the amazing canvey island based band "smile"
• They knocked down the Esplanade. The only decent venue is gone. Sob sob!
• The Esplanade (on the seafront!) has now been redeveloped as a "Harvester" family restaurant, So I doubt there'll be any music thers (MUZAC perhaps!)
• Riga Music Bar is the place for live music. especialy Thursday Nights 3 local bands for only £2. Fridays & Saturdays pretty cool as well and also open till midnight. Far better than both the Minerva & Chinnery's.
• Whilst the Esplanade is being revamped, bands can be seen at the Fish&Firkin, Yates's wine bar, the Sunrooms, the Chinnerys and (rarely) at Club Art
• The Sunrooms are the coolest, if all you want to do is sit and chat with a cold beer in your hand for a couple of hours, and maybe roll a couple then this is the place. Even if you're on your own , you can talk to the Barstaff. Peter is the best of the lot, but beware, they may not be there for much longer! The sales signs are out. Though I have been told that if they lose that site, they will be moving to another location, so all is not lost.
• The Esplanade on Southend seafront attracts some surpisingly good acts - Pearl Jam, Tyketto and Francis Dunnery to name but a few. However, the Hammy Odeon, (or whatever the hell it's called now), it ain't.
• The Function Suite (next to The Minerva) has a load of bands, like Hot Buddha & The Furious Schmoo (who are the NUTS!!!), and is a damned site better than Club Riga.
• Club Riga (the Cricketers pub) is the only music venue in the county to visit. Live music every night, and a "Tooled Up" night where you turn up with your guitar and play!!!!
• The local band scene is preeetty cool. Go out of Southend to Rayleigh for the Pink Toothbrush (four Miles away). It plays indie/hardcore/hip-hop - always busy, especially during the Uni holidays.

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: 2007-09-19