I made my choice on the basis of where I'm most likely to see a band at their best; i.e. good sound, both out front and on stage and good sight-lines. The atmosphere is an obvious consideration, but I think that's more down to the band and to a lesser extent the promoter, than the venue. Having said that, some venues always seem to have a dead atmosphere, no matter who's playing. The Shacklewell Arms put on some great bands last year (The Excitements, Shannon & The Clams, Cheap Time, The Masonics etc), but I'm still not keen on the venue and would much rather see those bands elsewhere; indeed Shannon & The Clams played at The Windmill the next night and it was definitely a better gig, with a better atmosphere and better sound. The Lexington also scores points for me as, along with the Buffalo Bar, it is one of my most local venues, though that's not why I voted for it. The Windmill, my joint 2nd choice, along with The Grosvenor, loses some points for it's layout; unless you're in the area immediately in front of the stage, you can't see much and you lose a lot of the sound quality.
_________________ Curmudgeonly Rock 'n' Roll time traveller from ye olden days
2nd verse same as the 1st...
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