Proving that you don’t need a big budget to make a big impact, The Grove is built by gig-goers, run by musicians, and powered by the scene. It may be small in size, but Talia Robinson discovers that it’s massive in heart, helping local artists record, perform, and find their place in Nottingham’s ever-growing music family...
You don’t expect sunlight in a music venue. Walk into The Grove, tucked away within a nondescript unit in Sneinton Market, and that’s exactly what you get – natural sunlight pouring through a skylight and a room that feels more like a minimalist art studio than the birthplace of mosh pits and DIY records. It’s small – proper small – but every inch is intentional.
Run by long time friends and fellow musicians Dan Cunningham and Cam Worne, The Grove isn’t just another black box venue (in fact, its walls are white – scandalous). It’s intimate, it’s scrappy, and it’s lovingly cobbled together by people who actually care. In just twelve months, what started as a dream, built on shoestrings and favours, has grown into one of the city’s most exciting grassroots spaces. As they gear up for their first birthday bash – not an anniversary, they insist “it’s a party, there will be hats and cake” – we sat down to talk about what it means to hold space for a scene that is very much alive.
“People tell us The Grove reminds them of places that have shut down, which is flattering, but it’s got its own identity, and hopefully legacy, too,” Cam says, explaining how neither of them expected it to take off the way it has. The closure of other spaces in the city has created a gap, one that The Grove is cautiously, yet confidently, filling. “There’s just this massive demand for small venues.
“Not just from local bands, either; we get messages from artists in Australia, the States, asking if they can play here. Bands who maybe can’t pull more than sixty people but want a room that still feels like a show.”
The space itself used to be an empty unit just off the main stretch of Sneinton Market. Dan first spotted the potential while walking past every day on his way to work: “I just thought, this would make a really good venue.” He took a punt, sent a proposal to the council – one of ninety applicants – and got the keys. “It was too fun of an opportunity not to jump in on,” he says, still sounding slightly surprised it actually worked out.
In a time where small venues are closing left and right, The Grove opened with a simple goal: put on as many good gigs as possible. “We didn’t take a penny from here for the first six months,” Dan continues, shouting out tech know-how Logan Thomson, friend and partner of the venue, who has built a lot of the equipment that makes the place pop. “We have all kept our day jobs and reinvested everything into the space – gear, backline, keeping the bar stocked. We wanted to do it properly.”
That focus on quality has paid off. Both founders are musicians themselves, so that sense of care runs deep; from the carefully tuned acoustics to the shared backline gear they’ve built up over fifteen years in bands, everything is designed to make the artist sound good and feel good. “A lot of bands walk in and are surprised by how small the room is,” Cam says. “Once we’ve sound checked, the worry disappears. You can see the shift in them. Suddenly it clicks and it is a vibe.” From intimate live sessions to fully booked EP launches, the space is fast gaining a reputation for sounding really, really good: “We’ve had bands say it's the best sound they’ve ever had, which means a lot when we literally built this room ourselves!”
Perhaps most symbolic of this DIY ethos is ‘The Wall’, fast becoming tradition at The Grove. Once you’ve played here, you sign the stairs. Cam shares: “It started on the bottom step, and now we’re running out of space already. Bands come in and ask for the sharpie before they even soundcheck – but you have to earn your signature. No play, no pen.”
Sometimes people come to us saying they’ve never put on a gig before, and we’ll make it happen. That’s the point of grassroots space. Lowering the barrier, letting people try something new
That sense of pride, playfulness, and respect for the space radiates through everything they do. “There’s no filler nights,” Dan is adamant. “We’re not open seven days a week. We only open when there’s something special on. And the people who come back, our regulars, trust that. They might not know the band, but they know it’ll be a good night.”
“I think that’s the biggest compliment. We’ve got regulars now who come to shows regardless of who’s playing, just because they know it’ll be a good night,” Cam goes on to explain how he overheard a conversation between customers the other day: “They were saying, ‘If I’ve got nothing on, I just check what The Grove is doing’, and it made me grin. That kind of word-of-mouth is everything.”
From the beginning, it’s been a tight operation. Unlike venues where you’re met with a clipboard and a shrug, The Grove brings a personal touch with professional sound. Friends help behind the bar. Freelancers run sound and doors on busy nights. “Because we’re such a small team, it means everything is hands on,” explains Cam. “If someone emails asking to play here, it’s us replying. We ask what they’re working on, they’ll send us a demo, and we’ll listen to the music. There’s no automated message, no £500 hire fee. We’re invested. Do you want to do an EP launch? Do you need help booking support? We want to make sure it’s a good night from start to finish.
"Because we’re out at gigs constantly, we're always writing lists of bands we want to put on. Sometimes we book a band the second they come off stage, other times we work with external promoters, which keeps things fresh.”
Their calendar has been packed since day one. “The first month we opened, we were so focused on launch night that we forgot to book anything else,” Dan laughs. “Now we’re booking into next year. We’ve got stuff lined up through to next June already.” And the bills are always stacked. Vonavella,
Victory Lap, Catmilk, Davoli, Sex Toy Vending Machine... the list goes on and on. “We try to make the line ups make sense. Genre-wise, tone-wise. Nottingham has got such a ridiculous number of good bands that we’re struggling to fit them all in.”
Whilst they stop short of claiming they’re shaping the sound of Nottingham, it is hard to ignore the impact they’re having. Dan promises: “We do pick who plays, so there is a bit of us in there, but it’s more about curating good nights than putting our stamp on anything.”
That artist-first approach is what keeps people coming back. They’ve hosted live sessions; intimate semi-secret sets for just twenty friends; full recording days for bands laying down drums and tracking guitars in their tight yet finely tuned room. “We try to keep it all artist-led,” says Dan. “We’re not here to control the sound or tell people how to make their record. A lot of people are doing stuff at home now and just need a space for the parts they can’t do in a bedroom – drums, live takes, good mics. We’re here for that.”
“Sometimes people come to us saying they’ve never put on a gig before, and we’ll make it happen. That’s the point of grassroots space. Lowering the barrier, letting people try something new.” Cam laments that it’s not just about live shows. They’re keen to start offering workshops, especially for younger sound engineers, photographers, and techs trying to break into the industry. “There are a lot of music tech grads in Nottingham, but jumping straight into the big leagues is tough. You need hands-on experience. We’ve had people shadow us at gigs, even take over the desk for a night. That kind of thing makes a difference.”
That commitment to the next wave is something they’ve always felt themselves, as Cam adds: “We’ve played in bands for years. A lot of the gear in the room is our own personal stuff from past projects. We’re trying to slowly replace it with house kit, but right now we’re still using what we’ve got – thanks to Logan – and it works.”
Despite everything they’ve achieved, the biggest misconception is that they’re doing it full-time. “We are, time-wise,” laughs Dan. “But not money-wise. We’ve still got other jobs. People think we’re raking it in because it’s going well, but most of the time we’re just trying to cover overheads and make sure the bands get paid.”
“It’s not glamorous,” says Cam. “But we’re not here for glamour.”
They’ve hosted higher-profile artists too – Peter Doherty, for example, did an acoustic set just a few hours before he joined The Libertines on stage at Rock City last year – and are quietly dreaming of snagging more secret shows. “If someone’s playing Rock City or the arena,” says Dan. “Why not a matinee acoustic set here? No harm in asking. We’re eager to have those conversations.”
Their birthday bash this August is shaping up to be a real party. The line-up features artists who’ve played The Grove before, alongside a few first-timers. Local talent Daudi Matsiko and Stack Duncan are on the bill, plus the founders’ personal favourite Me Rex. “He’s based in Brighton but played here a few months ago and we couldn’t believe how good he was. He’s on our playlist all the time – we had to take him off it the day he played so it wasn’t too obvious.”
While at most of their events, around 80% of ticket revenue goes back to the artists, for the birthday celebrations they are hoping to amp this up to 100%. They’re similarly proud of their charity gigs that they’ve hosted and helped to raise thousands for; Young Musicians For Palestine and Girlband! sold out fairly quick, and the lads say it’s nice to give back to those that directly benefit. “We’re banking on the bar doing well enough to cover our side, but that’s fine. This one’s about celebrating. About saying thanks.”
It’ll be a great band, the room buzzing, people in the moment. And we’re like – this is it. This is why we’re here
Looking back, both Cam and Dan have had moments where it all clicked. “Sometimes we just give each other a look across the room,” Dan smiles. “It’ll be a great band, the room buzzing, people in the moment. And we’re like – this is it. This is why we’re here.”
Cam remembers Swallowtail’s EP launch as a highlight: “It was sold out. Drury Hill and PICT were on the bill. We’d just set up the projector, the lights were perfect, everyone was buying drinks, the bands were on form. I was just stood there thinking, ‘This is the best night’. This is exactly what we hoped it could be.”
The Grove is part of a bigger shift happening in Sneinton Market – a creative pulse running through venues, bars and bakeries alike. “It’s not just us,” says Dan. “There’s Working Men’s Kitchen, Neon Raptor - all these brilliant independents bringing people into the area. We’re proud to be part of that.”
In fact, The Grove just won Best Independent Bar in Nottingham at the Ducky Awards, beating hundreds of other businesses. Not bad for a team of two and a couple of mates. “There were only three music venues shortlisted across any category: Bodega, Peggy’s Skylight, and us,” Cam beams. “Somehow, we won. Totally didn’t expect that!”
Still, the bar – just two fridges wide – punches well above its weight. Expectations aside, they’ve had plenty of moments where it all works out; where the effort, the stress, the ten-email chains and sixteen hour days pay off. Brick by brick, beat by beat, Nottingham’s better for it.
Find The Grove on socials to keep up with their upcoming events, and to snap up tickets for their birthday celebrations on Sunday 24 August, head to their website. We recommend buying tickets early to avoid disappointment!
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