The Refectory

I’m gonna keep this review short and altogether not sweet.
DO NOT GO TO A GIG HERE. Unless, of course, it’s your favourite band and there’s no chance of you seeing them on another date in another venue another time. Really, there isn’t? Oh, go on then…
Enter into what is normally a dinner hall. Like it says on the tin, a refectory. Alright, so, even if the the legendary Live at Leeds album from The Who was record here… it’s still just a refectory.
Stood, miles away from the stage, you can just imagine rows and rows of students tucking into their school/​university dinners. You’ll be craving a pack up. And a beer, trust me.

Student refectory by day, music venue by night, The Refectory has had many a musical behemoth grace its doors from the 1960s until now. But while The Who’s legendary ‘Live at Leeds’ album was recorded there, for me it remains a fairly average venue. Not only is it too long and thin, there are large pillars all along the sides and if you get stuck behind one you’re done for. The acoustics aren’t great either and the drinks seem far too expensive for a student union! Go if there’s someone playing that you’re dying to see, otherwise perhaps give it a miss

The refectory acts as two things:
1) An eatery. Sells very very overprcied food of not the best quality. If you plan on eating there, i suggest you walk down the road to somewhere cheaper.
2) a Gig-​ery. Frequently is the venue for bands. It makes a good venue, although its a bit long and skinny, so you have to really power through to get to the front. But overall its ok and LOADS of good bands go there!
1star for the food, 5stars for the gigs, averages to 3star.

The Refectory is a great place to see bands. The atmosphere inside is fantastic, and the crowd really gets going. It can get rather hot when you’re jumping along at the front, but you can cool down rather a lot by going to the bar at the back of the venue. Drinks aren’t too expensive, and usually you don’t have to wait very long to get served.

Despite the good bands that the Refectory gets in, the venue itself isn’t too hot. Well, it is too hot once the gig gets going. The room is too long and thin too, which doesn’t give the greatest experience ever. All in all, a bad venue puts a dampener on a good band.

I know Leeds University’s on Qype already as an educational institute, and at some point I’ll prolly get round to reviewing it, cos I went there, like, but I don’t want to right now. I want to review the Refectory on its own as a music venue, because I’ve seen a number of gigs here, and think it needs doing.
It’s got around a 2,000 pax capacity, but if you get near those sorts of numbers you’re going to need your Right Guard, because the lack of air conditioning means you WILL boil. Having said that, it attracts some really big names — I saw Barenaked Ladies, the Hoosiers, Klaxons, and we came to the Slamdunk Festival a couple of years ago too. I’m not sure why. It’s big enough, and there’s a relatively well staffed and stocked bar (ok, cans of Carlsberg are £2.50 and you get it in a plastic cup), but the stage area is teensy, meaning whoever’s performing looks as though they have no room to enjoy themselves.
The toilets are down in the labyrinthial corridors of the SU, and as always are skanky thanks to ignorant patrons chucking hand towels on the floor. If the SU just got rid of paper towels and used hand dryers it would be much better and prolly save money and the environment and stuff too.
I’ll come here if I can’t be bothered to trek to Manchester or somewhere and I really want to see the act, but otherwise I prefer the Cockpit or Leeds Met.