Club venues in Bristol are much more transient. Every year new clubs seem to be opening and old favourites closing perhaps linked to the rapidly changing trends in dance music and a transient student population. That said, there are a few club stalwarts - most notably
Lakota and the small, but excellent Timbuk2 (see
whats on at Timbuk2). New (2009/2010) venues in Bristol include Crash Mansion (formerly Bar Latino) and Basement45. Of all the semi-recent club additions
Motion is looking the most secure, with nights like Shit The Bed and Run promoting some of Bristol’s most big-budget line-ups for years.
When it comes to new djs looking for sets, things aren’t as easy with club venues as they are for gig venues. Generally, short of making fame as a producer, you’re looking at lots of 10pm, room 2 sets, hardcore networking or promoting your own events. For new promoters, small Bristol venues like Take Five and HushHush can be useful places to start. Summer can provide opportunities to promote clubnights in larger venues while many big promoters await the return of the students.