Nottingham Contemporary is an art centre near the Lace Market tram stop which is situated between Market Square and Nottingham train station. The gallery opened in 2009 and the site is allegedly the oldest in the city having originally been a Saxon fort and the building maintains links to its geographical location by being embossed with a traditional Nottingham lace pattern. It is a large structure and with over 3000 square metres of floor space it is one of the largest art centres in the UK housing four galleries and two event spaces where music takes place.
My first visit to the Contemporary Café Bar was during a night out in April 2012 with my brother and few of his friends. So, following a visit to the Old Angel and to a nearby curry house we walked past the local Pitcher and Piano and then upon entering the building we went up two flights of stairs to the café venue.
It was a chilled-out space with the music meeting the same vibe with local loungecore act Magic Myrtle Turtles on stage. I recall us leaving the venue with synchronous timing to catch the last tram from the stop opposite. My other visit occurred the following year where we happened to catch another loungecore act called Umujh.
In June 2012 my brother, Uncle George and I attended a Gringo record label showcase event at the Contemporary Stage. Gringo records being a Nottingham based DIY ethics and experimental rock label founded in 1996. The event was over two nights and featured on the Friday night local legends Grey Hairs. They were supported by Hookworms from West Yorkshire, who have received a lot of radio airplay from Mark Reilly in subsequent years. Also, on the bill that night was That F#**##g Tank. It was all noisy abrasive fare!
The following night we returned for another dose of industrial sounds with Hiremaka Redux, S’oerza and Polaris providing the entertainment.
The Music Exchange record shop situated nearby at No 2 Stoney Street in the Hockley area is an independent venture with a commendable ethos as it exists under the auspices of the Framework Housing Association charity who staff the shop with volunteers to gain valuable retail experience.
They also very occasionally stage in house bands, thus at 2pm on the Sunday afternoon 01/09/13 they played host to a local melodic band called Crushing Blows. They had formed in 2009 and metamorphosed into Ghost Twins in 2013. It is not a large shop, so they played their 6-song set inside with the windows open and punters scattered on the pavement, thankfully the weather was set fair!
Three doors away at No 8 Stoney Street is The Corner venue. It is a small performance and rehearsal theatre and I do not think it had been open that long prior to my one visit in 2013. On stage were a local band called Money who were a keyboard-based band and were unfortunately a somewhat bland proposition. One overriding memory of the gig though was that the venue produced the cleanest sound I have ever encountered, it was absolutely crystal. What would I have given of a band of Mogwai’s stature to be on that sight with the sound system so perfect!
