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2023. What a year.
The venue has seen huge changes and some incredible acts, with sold out shows from some of the artists sky-rocketing as we speak. From Coach Party to Jesus Piece, Fat Dog to Panic Shack or the Last Dinner Party and Pigs X7, there’s been some massive names stepping onto our stage.
Things were as noisy as ever at our place with a fantastic new sound system upgrade that’s kept our concerts and clubs sounding crystal clear. Things sound even better after a few beers and we can’t let you forget that we dropped Bodega Lager back down to £2.50 on Happy Hour, don’t say we don’t look after ya! Alongside this we were lucky enough to be able to sponsor our friends at Notts County Women FC.
Our Cobden bar got a beautiful renovation too!
3 bars. Great sound. Fantastic acts. Thanks for being there!
2022 saw us back in the full swing of things with an amazing array of artists performing, from up and coming bands to some huge names. With sold out shows from Yard Act, Ayrtn and Beka to name a few, this was certainly one to remember.
We had some brilliant Notts bands hit the stage proving once again that the city never fails to produce class talent. Divorce’s headline went down a treat and they’ve only sky rocketed from there. Blood Wizard and Midnight Rodeo also set the standard for fresh new sounds.
Alongside this we were lucky enough to host both Beat The Streets and Dot2Dot, championing some amazing acts whilst also bringing the community together and raising money for charity.
Although we started off 2021 the same way that we ended 2020 (trapped in our houses at home mid-lockdown), we managed to finally return to gigs and to clubs in ’21!
16 months after our last gig, restrictions allowed us to host our first gig in July with Bears In Trees. Many more great shows followed with sell-outs from Sea Girls, The Hara, Greentea Peng, Wargasm, Porridge Radio, Cucamaras, Billy Nomates, The Royston Club, FEET and OAP-rapper Pete & Bas.
We also returned to full-capacity clubnights in July, with the launch of our new Saturday night Shameless too.
The less said about 2020 the better ey…?
We kickstarted the year with some big sell-out shows! We hosted the likes of Mercury-winning Arlo Parks, Beans On Toast, Franc Moody, … And You Will Know Us.
You know the rest of the story however. By mid-March, we shut our doors in the midst of the global pandemic. By July though, we managed to open our socially distanced Secret Garden in Cobden Chambers and kept the Bodega Lagers flowing!
Another milestone year for The Bodega in 2019 as we turned 20 this year! We hosted a series of fantastic gigs to celebrate in November and December, headlined by The Orielles, Stealing Sheep and Kagoule (alongside lots of our Nottingham faves).
Sell-outs and highlights of the year in 2019 came in the form of Palace, Yonaka, Sports Team, Amyl & The Sniffers, Stella Donnelly, Sunflower Bean, The Murder Capital, Swim Deep and John Newman.
Notts boys Do Nothing also put on a stellar sold-out show here in March, shortly after the release of their single ‘Handshakes’. Tipped for big things coming up, keep your eyes on this post-punk quartet.
2018 highlights include sold-out gigs from Sam Fender (has since had a #1 debut album and sold-out arena tour) and Slowthai (Mercury Prize nominated a mere 12 months after his Bodega show).
Jade Bird’s infectious country-folk charm impressed Pelham Street, as did Yellow Days’ indie-R&B blend. Ferocious Dog returned for an intimate acoustic show whilst guitar bands Spector, Boy Azooga, Sea Girls and The Blinders, well, all put on blinders.
Noise rock duo Lightning Bolt also produced a first for us in this year, being the first to play the gig on the floor upstairs instead of the stage.
Also, we have to give a special mention to Brooklyn band Bodega. Yes. Bodega did play The Bodega in July 2018.
A very busy year at The Bodega with sell-out gigs coming in the form of Tom Grennan, Julia Jacklin, The Lemon Twigs, Lewis Watson, Palace, Pale Waves and Gabrielle Aplin, who stopped by for a one-off intimate Glastonbury warm-up show.
In May, our downstairs bar hosted a set as part of Dot to Dot Festival from an unknown Scottish singer named Lewis Capaldi. Since then, he’s had a #1 single in the UK and US and a mammoth debut album too, alongside a sold out arena tour and fast-track to become one of the UK’s biggest heartthrobs.
Our floor was tested a few times in 2017 as we had raucous sets from IDLES, Shame and The Amazons, all bringing the energy which has since seen them explode. Easy Life launched their debut single ‘Pockets’ with a one-off show in December too.
Lots of UK talent making a name for themselves in 2016, and boy did they deliver! Guitar bands The Big Moon and The Magic Gang took on our Bodega stage with massive hooks to suitably massive crowds, all before releasing their debut albums. Electro-pop duo Let’s Eat Grandma brought their spooky atmosphere for a Halloween show on 31st October whilst Fickle Friends delivered the sunshine in Summer.
Producer extraordinaire Mura Masa provided his refreshing slice of UK dance whilst international artists (Whitney, Cigarettes After Sex, Khruangbin, Sunflower Bean) kickstarted their UK takeovers with small shows in Notts. Closer to home though, Notts bands Kagoule and D.I.D both headlined to capacity crowds.
The year kickstarted with Anne-Marie on one of her very early tours, bringing her whip-smart pop which has since seen her Brit Award nominated and countless sell-out tours.
What better way to start a year than a 3-night sold-out residency with Peace?! The indie-rockers came, saw and conquered in the week of the release of their second album ‘Happy People’.
Notts boy Saint Raymond also celebrated an album release here as he marked his debut album ‘Young Blood’ with 2 shows on one day on a sweaty July day in 2015. Both shows sold out and hosted one of The Bodega’s only ever afternoon matinees.
Plus, there were Bodega debuts from Palace, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, Hinds, Alvvays, Gengahr, Oh Wonder, Sundara Karma and HONNE.
True musical legend Peter Doherty joined us in July of this year. Prolific Aussie pysch-rockers King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard made their Bodega debut in 2014, similar to Fat White Family who blessed us with a chaotic Monday evening in February.
Before the days of The Night Sweats, Nathaniel Rateliff’s bluesy tones shook Notts in January 2014 whilst UK singer/songwriters came through aplenty with the likes of Rae Morris, Jack Garratt, James Bay, Hozier, Marika Hackman and George Ezra (supported by a baby-faced Sam Fender no less) heading through our hallowed doors.
Brit Indie quartet Circa Waves, Kent punk duo Slaves and Yorkshire rockers Marmozets got the upstairs floor bouncing this year also.
On one day in 2013, you could’ve seen Wolf Alice, London Grammar and Beans On Toast all on the same stage as Dot To Dot Festival hit us in May. (Fun fact, The Bodega was the first place that London Grammar played a full-originals set at one of our Sounddhism nights).
Chart toppers The 1975 took to 220 people on our stage in February, months before the release of their self-titled debut album whilst Catfish & The Bottlemen and Clean Bandit brought their irresistible hooks to us too.
Rockers Drenge brought the noise in 2013 whilst electronic outfit Public Service Broadcasting stopped off with us on their “Inform, Educate, Entertain” tour.
Celebrating the release of their “Forever” EP, HAIM showed Pelham Street why they’re one of the greatest bands in the world. Notts boy Jake Bugg joined us in March, just a mere 12 months before he’d sold out Rescue Rooms, Rock City and arena-sized venues across the country!
Palma Violets rocked us with a co-headline show alongside Savages and Django Django brought their glitchy electro-pop.
In the midst of recording her debut album, indie-folk songstress Lucy Rose joined us in October, just before The Staves mesmerised us with their delicate harmonies a month later.
Gabrielle Aplin also joined us at the start of her career, as did The Mystery Jets, Charli XCX and Matt Corby.
Ben Howard released his stunning debut album ‘Every Kingdom’ via Island Records this year and to mark the release, he set out on tour in 2011 which featured a stop at our Bodega stage in October. Miles Kane also released his debut ‘Colour of the Trap’ this year too and graced our hallowed stage in February.
Other highlights this year came from Anna Calvi, Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Dutch Uncles, Little Comets and Dry the River.
Bringing her whip-smart electro-pop, Marina & The Diamonds put on a corker of a gig in 2010, two days after her first album was unleashed. Darwin Deez provided some lively indie-pop too, whilst local lads Dog Is Dead celebrated the release of their first single with a headline show.
Swedish folk duo First Aid Kit headlined Pelham Street in Feb, as did Pulled Apart By Horses who brought their unique brand of noise and The Rifles joined us for an acoustic show too.
This year produced many of the country’s finest bands, almost too many to comprehend…
Electronic trio The xx headlined here in October (after previously supporting Florence + The Machine a year earlier). Mumford & Sons joined us upstairs, just a matter of years before their infectious brand of folk-rock took them to #1 albums and headline Glastonbury slots.
Indie-pop icons Two Door Cinema Club provided some massive riffs in 2009 to become the arena conquering heavyweights that they are. Future Islands and Frightened Rabbit were both new bands to watch this year with headline slots with us.
A number of legendary bands joined us this year, including Noah & The Whale, MGMT, Metronomy and Fleet Foxes.
Future Glastonbury headliners Florence + The Machine stopped off in 2008 (supported by The xx no less) and Indie newbies Everything Is Everything made their Bodega debut this year (before renaming to Everything Everything). White Lies also celebrated their first album with a Notts gig whilst The View, Frank Turner and Duffy put on other stand-outs.
The official year that we became The Bodega! Celebrating with our Bodega Ball in September, we bid farewell to ‘The Social’ and what a year to celebrate.
UK talent had some bright new stars with Jamie T’s ‘Panic Prevention Disco’ Tour coming rolling into The Bodega in June and Amy McDonald swung by in her breakout year too.
Feist, Caribou and Deerhunter all headed from across the pond too for intimate Notts gigs before they exploded.
Just at the age of 19, Scottish songwriter Paolo Nutini brought his soulful bluesy vocals to our stage on 31st May. The Maccabees made a stop in Notts on their first ever UK tour on April 1st whilst indie-pop quartet The Kooks headed by in January, one week after their breakthrough album ‘Inside In, Inside Out’ was released.
Plus, our Friday clubnight The Pop Confessional started this year and has continued every week since. Who knows who many free shots our vodka dispensing confessional priest has given out… long live Pop Con!
2005 saw Arctic Monkeys play The Bodega. Yep, one of the UK’s biggest ever bands joined us on April 25th and it would’ve cost you just £4 to get in. A fresh-faced Alex Turner and co brought their signature swagger for an intimate show, 9 months before their debut album was released. That album became the fastest selling debut album in British music history, shifting over 360,000 copies in its first week, and remains the fastest selling debut album by a band.
Birmingham’s finest indie-rockers Editors also swung by in 2005. Ex-member Chris was a Notts lad and spent a lot of his time in the early days of The Social too. Years later and they’re still as strong as ever.
The Social turned 5 this year and to celebrate, Shack returned for an anniversary gig and Doves joined the line-up too in a week-long celebration.
March 25th saw Bloc Party take to our stage whilst Kaiser Chiefs and The Ordinary Boys played a co-headline show in June.
Our clubnight Electric Banana kicked off in 2004 too and run for a total of 9 years, finally coming to a close in 2013. Maybe it’ll be time for a comeback one day…?
Cue the big singalongs. The UK’s and US’ biggest anthems came from two bands in this year and we welcomed them both in 2003. New York’s Scissor Sisters brought their extravagant queer pop to The Social before sell-out tours and award shows soon followed.
Pop-rockers Franz Ferdinand brought their irresistible hooks on 9th October, just before Take Me Out hit the big time.
22nd May 2002 saw Pete Doherty, Carl Barât, John Hassall and Gary Powell tear apart The Bodega. Better known as the legendary Libertines, the band went onto release ‘Up the Bracket’ later that year and quickly sell-out arenas and huge outdoor gigs nationwide.
A couple of years later, The Libertines featured again at The Social as they brought a photography exhibition, in collaboration with Roger Sargent, titled The Boys in The Band.
The big names kept on coming and in 2001, we welcomed two of the biggest bands ever!
Jack and Meg, aka The White Stripes headed to our small room on 31st July 2001, for what must’ve been one of the greatest shows ever to grace our stage. If that wasn’t enough, how about The Strokes in the same year too?! On 11th June, the band brought their ‘Is This It’ Tour to Pelham Street. A signed poster from the gig still hangs in our office today.
Just one year in and we were already welcoming giant names. On March 14th, Coldplay joined us on their Parachutes Tour, just before the release of their debut album. Fast forward two years later and their first headline Glastonbury slot beckoned, not bad ey?!
Let’s start right at the beginning. 30th November 1999 was where it all began. The Social opened on this night with a gig from Shack, supported by Turin Brakes.
