We’re the only venue in Reading taking part in this year’s Independent Venue Week, a “7 day celebration of small music venues around the UK and a nod to the people that own, run and work in them, week in, week out.”

We were involved last year, and this year we’ve doubled our involvement with a pair of cracking gigs courtesy of Club Velocity. On Friday 29th January, we’ve got Quiet Quiet Band, Big Zero and Matt Maltese. Then, the next night, it’s Vienna Ditto, The Pink Diamond Review and Juliet & The Raging Romeos.

So, we thought we’d get in touch with all six acts and ask them just why independent venues – and the Rising Sun Arts Centre – are so important…

Quiet Quiet Band
"Independent venues are the most important place to see and support the music you love. While you can still see great shows at the Eventim Apollo (that name though, ugh!), you'll rarely get the same sense of closeness with a musician when you're separated by a barrier, security guards and several thousand other people as you will in a tiny room, six inches from the singer, staring creepily into his or her eyes whilst echoing every word. Haven't we all at some time or other been that person? Coming back to the Rising Sun is like returning home. While most of us have moved away from Reading, we all grew up in the area and have strong connections still. With its warm atmosphere, great volunteers, and the welcoming face of Sir Cliff above the hearth, what more could you ask for?”

Matt Maltese
“I’ve been playing at The Rising Sun since I was 15, and its continued to be home to some of the most interesting nights I've played at. I think, particularly due to its independence, there's always a feel that you're playing amongst friends and to people that give a damn about music. I've played at prog rock nights and I've played at singer-songwriter nights, and I've found the audience and those who work at the venue always have an indifference to genre that allows for the feeling of a real independent community there. Sid and the whole team over at Rising Sun have created one of Reading's most important and most selfless venues around.”

Juliet and the Raging Romeos
“Independent venues such as the Rising Sun Art Centre are brilliant for up-and-coming artists as they are usually small, vibrant places where you can be directly in touch with the audience. At the same time, for the people attending the show, there's that feeling of "Wow, I could be up there too!" There is no real separation and everything seems possible. Independent venues encourage independent thinking, creativity and belief.”

Acid DoL of The Pink Diamond Review
“The Rising Sun Institute is one of my favorite venues in the UK. Me and my band The Pink Diamond Revue always have a cool night there. The building was built in the late 1800's and still retains a lot of its original character which makes for a very laid back atmosphere added to that the promoter Sid and the bar staff are the best”

Vienna Ditto
“If the Rising Sun didn’t exist some ghastly hipster would have to make it up, only the admittance would be £15; the beer £7; it would serve quail burgers in micrograin bread buns and be called Silver St. Temperance Hall. It would no longer be vital local laboratory for the arts and it would be full of the most irritating and over-inked people in the solar system. It is time to make a stand against the replacement of genuinely good things with things pretending to be the same things but with a twist of irony and expensive, although admittedly very tasty, craft beer.”

Big Zero
“IVW will be the 4th time ZERO has played the floor of the Rising Sun Arts Centre since September, and it has everything we enjoy in ANY venue, independent or not, NO STAGE NO FRILLS PUNK SHOWS! It is ZERO's live Reading home and Sid/the team do a great job; without venues like the Rising Sun Arts Centre, we're left with click, copy and paste venues with a stage but no soul!”