Favourite Haunts: Panic Shack, M(h)aol and Common Holly on The Small Venues They Love
Tuesday, 13 May 2025
Written by Huw Baines
Clockwise from left: Panic Shack, Common Holly, M(h)aol
Where did you see your first show?
Where did you stage dive for the first time?
Where did you meet your hero?
Where did you buy that T-shirt you want to be buried in?
The answer is likely “at a small venue” — be it a club, a bar, a DIY space. All of them are proving grounds and an awful lot of them are community hubs, allowing the next big thing to figure it all out while simultaneously sustaining scenes and micro scenes that matter every bit as much to the cultural ecosystem of a town, city, even a country. Think of hardcore matinees at CBGB if you like, or a cabal of classically-trained weirdos turning the Windmill in Brixton into a star-making hive of activity.
These places are treasured, but they’re also regularly threatened: by gentrification, hiked rents, or the general precarity of making outsider art. In these straitened times, that’s more true than ever. In a new feature celebrating these venues in the face of grim odds, we ask artists who are about to play club shows in the UK to weigh in on the places and spaces that made them, or the ones that excite them whenever they see them on a tour routing. First up, Panic Shack, M(h)aol and Common Holly.
Panic Shack
Who? Cardiff-based punks with a winning line in chaos and biting humour. Their self-titled debut album is out on July 18 through Brace Yourself Records and it’s a killer doubling down on all the things that have made the band such a snotty, snarling live proposition in recent times — zero bullshit social commentary, grimy hooks, stompalong riffs and a few shots of eminently danceable post-punk.
Where? Once their current tour plans are through at the end of May (wrapping up with a night at The Garage in London) attention will turn to an autumn UK run that’ll sandwich a series of European dates. They’re poised to hit Margate’s Where Else?, Brighton’s Chalk, the Electric Bristol, Sheffield’s Foundry, Manchester’s Academy 2, the Garage in Glasgow and Nottingham’s Rescue Rooms between October 9 and 18, before swinging back through for eye-catching nights at the Electric Brixton and the Tramshed in Cardiff.
What’s their favourite small venue? “Clwb Ifor Bach in Cardiff is basically our second home, we love it there. But the Brudenell in Leeds is one of our faves — love the working men’s club vibes and they give you pies for tea before the gig. Say no more. It’s class. We’d play there every week if we could.”
M(h)aol
Who? Based between Dublin, Belfast and London, M(h)aol are totally, brilliantly uncompromising. Their second LP ‘Something Soft’ is part no-wave skronk, part tear-the-walls-down fury, with lyrics that dart between hulking bass fuzz and skittering percussion, dispensing teeth-bared takes on everything from intersectional feminism to capitalism’s insidious grip and the yawning empathy void that exists between a lot of people’s ears. It’s out on May 16 through Merge Records/TULLE.
Where? After playing a record release show at London’s George Tavern on the day ‘Something Soft’ hits shelves, M(h)aol will head out with Cola for gigs at the Black Box in Belfast, Sandinos in Derry, Róisín Dubh in Galway, Dolan’s in Limerick, Coughlans in Cork, Luca’s in Waterford and Whelan’s in Dublin. Then, beginning in September, there are stops at Nice N Sleazy in Glasgow, Sneaky Pete’s in Edinburgh, Future Yard in Birkenhead, Headrow House in Leeds, Heartbreakers in Southampton, The Louisiana in Bristol, Nottingham’s Rough Trade, The Hare & Hounds in Birmingham and Soup in Manchester.
What’s their favourite small venue? “We’re very excited to be playing quite a few cities and venues that we’ve never been to before on our upcoming UK tour, but we’re equally excited to be returning to Future Yard in Birkenhead. The Field of Dreams adage (“If you build it, they will come.”) only actually works if you make a space that’s inviting for fans and artists alike. In an underserved area just off the traditional touring circuit, Future Yard is a welcoming place for both. They’ve fostered a lovely community/co-operative atmosphere that has made it a highlight for us every time we’ve played.”
Common Holly
Who? Led by Montreal singer-songwriter Brigitte Naggar, Common Holly’s music is rich, introspective and beautiful. On her forthcoming debut album ‘Anything Glass’ there is a lovely balance between Naggar’s almost halting melodies, subtle washes of noise, well-placed percussive bass notes and the delicate precision of its fingerpicked acoustic guitars. It’s out on June 13 through Keeled Scales, a label perfectly attuned to her evocative indie-folk sound, having put out records by Katy Kirby, Good Looks and Renée Reed in recent years.
Where? If you’d like to get a jump on songs from ‘Anything Glass’ then you’ll want to make your way to the Sebright Arms in London on June 3, where Naggar will play a free show with support from Gigi Wilde.
What’s their favourite small venue? “It was difficult to decide on just one, but one of my favourite small venues is Schubas Tavern in Chicago. Somehow, it seems I have played there multiple times. It was the place where I had my first Malört with old friends — a gross and amazing drink for anyone curious. Schubas is a beautiful wooden little theatre, which manages to toe the line between high quality sound and light without losing its antique magic. I hope to play there again sometime.”
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