Sleaford Mods to play The Bodega in Nottingham for venue's 25th anniversary

It's 25 years since Nottingham's small but perfectly formed live music venue The Bodega opened its doors to bands including Coldplay, the Scissor Sisters and Arctic Monkeys before they became the big names they are today.

To celebrate the landmark anniversary of the institution that was originally The Social, an epic week is planned, closing with post-punk duo Sleaford Mods. The DHP Family venue will be reuniting with old DJs, showcasing local talent and celebrating long-serving club nights across the anniversary week from Monday, November 25, to Saturday, November 30.

The Bodega has been the starting point for a huge number of local and touring artists at the beginning of their journeys. The first gig at the little venue in Pelham Street on November 30, 1999, was headlined by Shack and supported by Turin Brakes.

Its timeline is littered with huge names such as The White Stripes, The Strokes, Florence + The Machine, Mumford & Sons, Haim, Anne-Marie, Charli XCX, Jamie T, Wolf Alice, The 1975, Lewis Capaldi, Tom Grennan and Arlo Parks with the more recent years seeing Soft Play, Amyl And the Sniffers, IDLES, Shame, Yard Act, Fat Dog and The Last Dinner Party.

Anton Lockwood, DHP Director of Live, who was instrumental in bringing many of those acts to the venue, said: “In the past 25 years I’m certain I’ve watched more bands - and drunk more pints - at The Bodega than I have in any other place on the planet. It’s a venue that has been the site of many great nights, with many artist careers launched into the stratosphere and the odd crash too.

“I’m delighted to have played a part in its success, but even more happy at the way it’s continuing to thrive with a new generation of people at the helm. If you want to know why grassroots music venues matter, get down to The Bodega for a few nights and you’ll find out.”

As well as hosting intimate gigs for arena-sized artists, The Bodega is arguably the most important venue in Nottingham for fresh talent acting as a stepping stone for many local artists on the way up. This year, the venue has already seen 150 Nottingham artists play its stages across headline shows, support slots and festivals.

It’s held dear by local bands as shown when Do Nothing chose to play their SXSW-fundraiser show there while fast-rising local act Divorce played a four-night sold out residency instead of upgrading to a larger capacity venue.

The anniversary week celebrations kick off with 25 local artists playing one song each in a showcase of the city’s homegrown talent on Monday, November 25.

Been Stellar - the New York band who have opened US tours for Fontaines DC and labelmates The 1975 - play on Tuesday, November 26, followed by a Bodega-themed quiz to test out how well all the regulars know the venue and its 25-year history.

Villanelle - fronted by Liam Gallagher’s son Gene - play on Wednesday, November 27, on their debut UK headline tour, followed by the long-running Indie Wednesdays club night, with legendary DJ The Reverend Car Bootleg. Part of the furniture since day one, Martin Nesbitt aka The Rev has been DJing since the very beginning.

Renowned for their riotous live shows and cult-like fanbase, The Skinner Brothers play upstairs while Do Nothing DJ in the downstairs bar on Thursday, November 28. Do Nothing’s history with The Bodega is long-standing, having played numerous sold-out shows upstairs, most notably the launch show for their debut album.

Friday, November 29, is a full circle moment with a gig from Pip Blom, the artist who is signed to Heavenly Records, which opened the venue in 1999 when it was known as The Social. A DJ set from Lily Fontaine, from English Teacher who have just won the Mercury Prize, is followed by the Pop Confessional clubnight, a favourite since 2011 to complete the Friday.

Celebrating 25 years of The Bodega, and 10 years of the Sleaford Mods' album Divide and Exit, Saturday, November 30, marks the duo’s first Nottingham show in 18 months as they return to the intimate grassroots venues where it all began.

Vocalist Jason Williamson said: “I have a long history with The Bodega. I was there for opening night in 1999 and for a few years collected glasses. I saw many bands come through, everyone from Coldplay to White Stripes to The Strokes. All in their infancy, later to go on to big things. My first gig there as Sleaford Mods was supporting The Pop Group in 2014.

“The Bodega is an important part of Nottingham’s creative ecosystem. Nottingham has always had a rich musical culture, but so many of the grassroots venues I played coming up are now closed. The Bodega is the only one left at that level and it’s important that it remains open to keep Nottingham on the musical map.”

Sets from Dot To Dot DJs backed with Women In Music and Shameless club night bring the celebrations to a fitting finale.