Since JT Soar stopped storing fruit and veg and started welcoming bands as a music venue almost fifteen years ago, it has maintained its DIY sentiment while growing in popularity and success. And going into the new year, the venue will be more accessible than ever, with widened entrances and doors and access ramps, among many other modifications. We chat to Phil Booth about the importance of making the space inclusive for all, how they manage to give all of the money they make from gigs straight to the bands performing, and their important place in Nottingham’s DIY music scene…
As I sit across from JT Soar’s head honcho Phil Booth, we sift through a huge pile of gig fliers from over the years. Many of them are in the signature style of the venue, with their cut-and-paste flair and hand-drawn graphic lettering. Word-of-mouth and gig posters have been their main source of advertisement over the years and as the venue has become more successful, this practice has become less of a necessity and more of a tradition, keeping in theme with the space’s DIY-focused sentiment.
Despite choosing to preserve the original name of the space, Phil has seen JT Soar undergo a great deal of transformation since its creation. “I got into JT when I had a home studio in Sneinton. I was recording a band, and it was inevitably getting quite late in the day when the neighbour started banging on the door - we were probably interrupting Coronation Street or something,” he says.
“The band I was recording with at the time were rehearsing at JT, and there was a small room in the corner, so they basically invited me to move my studio into there. When they weren’t rehearsing, I’d be recording bands, and we started to put on a couple of small shows. It was very cosy compared to what it is now. It was a bit of an organisational nightmare, but we had such a good time.”
Much like the DIY music scene, the building itself possesses a rich history of its own. “We’re situated right near the historic Sneinton Market. Back in the day there would just be hundreds of people going and getting their fruit and veg, all of the stuff that is now available in the supermarket. The fresh stuff would be stored here and carted over to the market,” he says.
“At one point mobility scooters were stored here, a roofer stored stuff too for a while. When we knocked the old rooms out we found what looked like a dark room setup, so maybe some photo lab. There's a sign out front that says taekwondo parking only so I guess some taekwondo. We decided to keep it up.”
If you have ever been to JT Soar, you will recognise the iconic green sign which has pride of place in the live music space. Though it is much loved now, Phil admits that he had attempted to remove it in the beginning - much to the sign’s annoyance, which stuck firmly to the wall in spite of his valiant efforts. “I’m so glad it did stay up. We had a list of names for the place, and it was so corny, like The Space. Very Alan Partridge-esque.”
For seasoned gig-goers, JT Soar is known for its live music events, bringing local, national, and international acts to a performance space just a few minutes away from Nottingham’s city centre. But for independent bands such as Sleaford Mods, The Cool Greenhouse, Holiday Ghosts, and Haress, it is a one stop shop for all their music needs, since it is conveniently home to rehearsal spaces and a recording studio.
All the money from the gigs goes to the bands, and providing food for them. There’s not many places that can do that
As a ground-floor venue and an all-ages space thanks to their bring-your-own-booze policy, JT Soar pride themselves on being accessible and inclusive. “We don’t have a bar here, so it's a very cheap night. Bring your own tea if you want! There’s always a kettle. You’re never too young to realise the excitement of music. Friends of mine would bring their kids along for their very first gigs here, it’s adorable.” The recording space has also seen the beginnings of legendary local bands, including Riot Grrrl punk-rockers Babe Punch, who were in their teens when they created their first record at JT Soar.
And thanks to some funding from the Arts Council, the venue has recently become even more accessible, with the introduction of a disabled access toilet, air-con, and widened entrances and doors. “I don’t see why there should be any barriers with this stuff. If I put myself back into being a fifteen or sixteen-year-old kid, if I knew music events were going on where I lived, I would be so excited. JT’s a great leveller, which is important in an industry with so many gatekeepers, whether that be age-wise, accessibility-wise, or monetary-wise. It can be so tough, but it really shouldn’t have to be.”
As a city, Nottingham is extremely fortunate to have a venue which so strongly embodies the core values of the DIY scene. “I just want it to be seen as an open space for folks to do what they want to do. We're in a very lucky position that our primary business is the recording studio, so the gigs we put on are not about making money. It’s all about bringing cool bands over from wherever in the world. In the past few months, we’ve had bands from Brazil, America, and Australia. It’s about introducing new music to people. All the money from the gigs goes to the bands, and providing food for them. There’s not many places that can do that.”
It is no secret that independent venues confront some of the toughest financial and logistical hardships. In the face of it all, it is the DIY community which provides a supportive foundation for small-scale promoters and bands. “I feel like there's a really good community around us. There's loads of bands with a similar ethos and we all sort of chip in. Whenever we had any building or painting to do, I'd just put a post up and folks would be like yep, coming over!”
The best part is: you don’t need to be a builder or painter to support venues like these. “Tell pals that we’re here and buy tickets in advance. There have been nights where we’ve only sold ten tickets, but then thirty people show up on the door and it’s amazing. Those few hours before are so stressful, it’s causing me to lose my hair. If you want hair on your promoters, then buy your tickets in advance. If you like the sound of a band, or you think ‘I want to do something tonight’, it’s always better to discover something new than sit at home and watch telly. Be a ‘yes’ person, there’s nothing to lose - other than the very small cost of a ticket.”
There is a prominent feeling of community spirit and nostalgia in the room as Phil muses upon the importance of the DIY music scene. “DIY for me is feeding as much as you get out of it, back into it. I've always been looked after when touring, especially mainland Europe, so I try to pass that on when bands visit JT. As much as landlords raise the rent, or taxes go up, people will always be eager to discover culture. I can’t imagine a world without the pure joy on someone’s face when they encounter something new.”
You can find JT Soar at 2 Aberdeen St, Nottingham, NG3 1JB
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