The Bodega

Do you like to listen to obscure indie bands, and feel smug when you can identify them being played in a bar /​club? Do you go out of your way to find ‘quirky’ or ‘vintage’ clothing to express your ‘individuality’, and try to look cool without it appearing that you’ve made any effort to do so? Do you see yourself as a moody but intellectual type who really has never had very much in your life to actually feel moody about? Are you a grown adult in your early to mid-​20s, but think it’s ‘cute’ to carry a bag or purse or wear a shirt with a picture of a retro cartoon character from your childhood on it? If so, this could be the place for you. An indie poser’s paradise is how i’ve always seen this place, and I spent a fair bit of time in here only due to playing gigs. It’s a subjective thing I know, but I just find the clientele too posy and pretentious for my liking.
Still, the comments about this place as a music venue are quite accurate. A lot of up and coming bands do pass through the doors here, so it really can be the place to catch the ‘next big thing’ if that’s what you are into. If you regularly attend gigs here, it is quite likely that at some point in the future, you’ll be turning to your friends or people around you at a big gig and saying «I saw these guys before they were famous!» (famous meaning that they’ve now appeared on the inner pages of the NME a couple of times).
On a less sarcastic note, it is a pleasant enough place inside and you’re not likely to get caught up in a punch up on a Saturday night, unless you find yourself in a really heated debate with somebody about whether or not White Lies sound anything like Joy Division. If you are a genuine fan of indie music, then this is probably the best place in Nottingham to come to, whether you are pretentious or not.

This a great place to see bands, the gig venue is upstairs and isn’t huge so can sometimes be quite crowded. The Social attracts loads of bands on the rise so it is a great place to catch a band while you can still see them in an intimate venue. There’s a variety of people playing there so there should be something to suit most tastes. Ticket prices are pretty cheap, not often costing you more than £10. Downstairs there’s a bar which is worth a visit on it’s own. The drinks aren’t badly priced and the music’s usually pretty good.

You know the moment you’ve got a good thing, is the moment you leave and then miss it so much you come back. Legendary Liars Club enjoyed so much success in this tiny bar/​venue; they upgraded to a bigger venue, but still held every birthday bash they had back at where it all started.
If you were lucky, you would have seen bands like The Strokes, White Stripes, Libertines and Klaxons to name a few all pass through these doors. And you would have enjoyed the experience up close and personal with only 150 others. People have lied about the gigs they have seen in that venue to seem cooler than they are.
Downstairs is a small bar and small seating area. Expect it to get busy on weekends, and expect to stand, or dance, depending on the dj on either floor. Staff are polite and pretty quick considering that amount of punters they have to deal with, and there are generally good offers on drinks too.

This is a great little Live music venue.
I went recently to see Ivyrise, Paper Heroes and Alistair Griffin on September 16^th.
Downstairs is a great bar area where the prices are quite reasonable and it is possible to hang out with the talent before the gig starts.
There are 2 pleasant and clean smoking areas outside downstairs and upstairs.
The live music happens upstairs in the intimate little room that oozed atmosphere. I was one of the first up there and felt at home already. It is possible to stand at the bar and get a good view of the stage or sit at the back on the comfy sofas but the best place to be once the artists are on stage is right in front of the stage on the dancefloor.
One Criticism would be that the beer is dearer upstairs than downstairs.