Tag: Liverpool Kazimier Stockroom

Gab’s Guest Blog

This week I have the pleasure to introduce my second ever guest blog from my good pal and committed muso Gab (offer remains open to other readers). For the record this kid has a terrific singing voice herself and I will endeavour to see her live whenever she has the time to return to the stage.

So here we go with Gab’s blog…..

When met with the rare and frankly glorious offer of a child-free night, and as a former gig-enthusiast prior to becoming a mother of two under two (thoughts, prayers, and strong coffee welcomed), I jumped at the chance to revisit an old Liverpool stomping ground of mine: the Kazimier Gardens. There is something brilliantly nostalgic about heading back to a venue you once knew so well, especially when it comes with the promise of live music, a proper atmosphere, and the ability to remember, even briefly, that you were once able to leave the house after 7pm.

Being predominantly outdoor is always something I appreciate about this venue. It manages that perfect balance between feeling like a nighttime haunt while still being relaxed, airy, and oddly welcoming. There is a real charm to the place, and it certainly helps, as an ardent smoker, that you can still feel part of the fold whilst succumbing to those dark urges. But the delights did not stop there. Tucked away in the corner of the venue is the Liverpool Kazimier Stockroom, which on this particular night was host to some fantastic local talent.

Turvey. Image Credit happeningnext.com

The headliners of the evening were a relatively new band on the scene, first formed in late 2025, named Turvey. Their catchy sound was reminiscent of the 1980s glam rock era, complete with melodic riffs, echoing staccato lyricism and thumping drums. I almost started to do a boxing montage as I listened. They brought a fun, confident energy to the room and gave a really great performance to experience. I would definitely be keen to hear more from these lads.

The highlight of the night though, for me, was Gunmen of the Apocalypse (G.O.A). Comprised of powerful drums, smooth bass, energetic and impactful guitar, and masterful rich vocals delivered with an authentic Scouse twang, they had the kind of presence that makes you properly take notice. They performed an all-killer, no-filler line-up of their anthemic rock backlog, which had the crowd on their feet and moving from the minute they hit the stage. A real classic rock delight for the ears, G.O.A were definitely not a one trick pony, showing a strong variety of song styles within a short timeslot.

G.O.A. Image Credit goaofficial.bandcamp.com

Their songs “Home” and “She Said” were the most catchy and commercial for me, the type of songs you could easily imagine on an ad, a trailer, or the intro to a prime-time show. I think most of the crowd will have walked away singing them for a while afterwards. But my favourite was “Web of Lies”, which demonstrated their range with a fusion of funk and classic rock, almost like a beautiful song-child of the Arctic Monkeys and Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Though they did perform a ballad, they did not lose momentum or engagement with the crowd, who were left wanting more. I would be keen to watch this space with Gunmen Of the Apocalypse, and I may well see you at their next gig.

Honourable mention must also go to the support acts: Strike and The Rad Lads, both of whom brought something different and memorable to the night. Firstly, I’ll talk about Strike, whose epic solos really were metal personified. If you’re a metal fan, these are absolutely the guys for you, bringing plenty of grit, energy, and head-banging potential to the line-up.

The Rad Lads. Image Credit facebook.com

Last but by no means least, The Rad Lads. This four-piece ensemble can be seen gigging around Liverpool music joints like the Jacaranda and Shipping Forecast, and they never fail to create a lively, enjoyable atmosphere. Their unique mesh of genres, including folk, country and punk rock, creates a wonderfully weird smorgasbord of sound which sets them apart from your generic local bands. Think Buzzcocks meets Mumford & Sons, and they invite Blues into the party.

Luckily for me, all of the bands performing that night are available to listen to on Spotify — what an age we live in. It feels almost rude to have access to such musical righteousness for free, but if you do have a listen and want to show your support, check out their upcoming gigs. Most of them are local to the Northwest and can be found through their Instagram band accounts. If this night proved anything, it is that Liverpool’s live music scene is still bursting with character, talent, and the kind of unpolished magic that makes a gig feel genuinely worth leaving the house for.

Liverpool Venues 33 to 35

I shall return this week to my ongoing review of the 2025 Liverpool Sound City event, with our next port of call being Liverpool Kazimier Stockroom. As I have discovered when writing these scouse based blogs their background stories of the venues never seem to be simple. So, this particular tale commences with the much touted original arty Kazimier venue in Wolstenholme Square.

The venue opened in 2007 in an old mirror-lined club owned by local boxer John Conteh and came complete with an octagonal dancefloor, outdoor space and a top-deck bar and it was the size of the Titanic. It finally bowed out in some particular style on New Years Eve 2015 after a self-created sci-fi themed Escape to Planet Kronos party with one hundred and eighty performers. A mere four months later alongside Nation, the original home of Cream, the whole area was razed to the ground under the banner of gentrification plans.

Kazimier Stockroom. Image Credit liverpooltheatres.com

A regular performer there was the in-house carnival techno act The Krunk Band. They chose not to perform on stage, instead they mingled into the crowd whilst booting out their tunes and included a mishmash of trumpets, percussions, barrel organ and accordions in their sound. Other bands to play there include Sleaford Mods, Blossoms, Buzzcocks, Miles Kane, Michael Head and The Harlequin Dynamite Matching Band.  

Then in 2016 the newly formed Kazimier Collective opened up a new venue on Regent Street near to the Stanley Dock Tobacco Warehouse. The three storey building comprises of two events spaces, the basement one called Substation, and some artist studios. It was named The Invisible Wind Factory and has a 1500 capacity. Fat White Family, Ride and the Orielles have played there, and it has also been used for daytime rollerdisco events, thereby invoking unwelcome memories of Cliff Richard and Frank Spencer!  

The Collective then opened up the Kazimier Stockroom which is a multipurpose small site with a 100 capacity and alongside being an intimate showcase for fledgling local and national bands they also host film screenings and theatre shows. It has an open courtyard area, and its name derives from its location adjacent to Kazimier Gardens.  

Upon our arrival it took us a moment to find the venue which was located just off from the outside area behind an unmarked wooden door, it was a busy enclosed space and was absolutely sweltering. On stage was a young R&B singer called Immi Dash who was born in Scotland to British and Trinidadian parents, raised between California and Slough and now resides in Liverpool, sounds like an eventful journey!  

Arts Club. Image Credit tagvenue.com

We then moved onto the nearby Liverpool Arts Club on Seel Street, a venue that has existed since 1928 and was before that date The Liverpool Royal Institution. Its original remit under the new banner was as a social club before morphing into a live music venue. Prior to its current moniker it was known also as The Barfly, The Masque and East Village Arts Club.

In the early part of 2023, like many other similar establishments it faced closure, but was subsequently thankfully saved from that ignominious fate by the Manchester based Tokyo Industries. That particular company also own Gorilla, The Deaf Institute and Factory 251 and brought that previous expertise and a major regeneration to this venture. Early gigs by The Wombats and Two Door Cinema Club served to cement its reputation back on the live circuit.

The venue has three individual rooms, the first is the lobby which is utilised as a club space with a capacity of 200 punters. The second is Liverpool Arts Club Loft which has a live maximum of 550 people. When we attended there, we saw a Manchester act called Cooper T who are a duo comprising of two producers Kong and TMNMS. They sported brown shell suits and matching balaclavas and were verging on the grime genre, not dissimilar to Sleaford Mods, a band who has always left me cold, though the crowd around me appeared to be lapping it up!

The Florentenes. Image Credit youtube.com

Along a linking corridor brought you to Liverpool Arts Club Theatre, which was my preferred venue of the two and has a capacity of 550 and the space reminded me of the old Preston Polytechnic venue. First up we saw a local singer called Neil Noa and then later in the day Florentenes. The latter three piece were from Manchester and astoundingly young with the two guitarists aged eighteen and the drummer only fifteen. They reminded me in parts of The View, early Strokes and The Vines and they created a very pleasing racket!