Where’s the best place to hear alternative/punk music in Exeter?
Without a doubt the Cavern is the place to go. The venue puts on alternative bands almost every night of the week, in every genre imaginable. There are also alternative and indie club nights regularly.
Which nights should people look out for in particular?
If pop-punk/emo/grunge is your thing then come to a No Seatbelt DIY night. We put on rad DIY South-West and touring bands every month or so. You’ve also got a pretty safe bet going to any night promoted by Freakscene, your go-to for indie-punk and old school punk. If you’re looking for indie music, head to Indie Club, which is on every Saturday. There’s also TV Party which happens every so often and sometimes the Lemon Grove puts on a Detention club night with Pop Punk tunes.
Big touring bands come to Exeter fairly regularly nowadays; we’ve hosted everyone you can think of including Moose Blood, Bayside and H20 in the past few months. Sometimes bands will skip Exeter on their tours, so you might have to travel to Bristol or Plymouth. Plymouth especially has a thriving hardcore punk scene at the moment, if you love hardcore, travel to any OCHC event for a decent night out.
Are there any big alternative bands playing in Exeter in the next few months that you’re particularly excited about?
Bangers are headlining the Exeposé showcase on the Monday of Freshers’ Week, they never disappoint! Then October is the month to be in Exeter with Freakscene’s ‘Roctober’ happening. There’s four gigs, Rvivr & Muncie Girls (Mon 5th), Sales (Thurs 15th), Dogs on Acid & The Cut Ups & Doe (Sat 17th, this one especially should not be missed). Even if you’ve never heard of any of these bands, it’s worth coming just to check them out, especially if you’re a fan of punk, indie punk, or emo.
Who’re the best alternative South-West bands right now?
Exeter has basically blown up in the alternative/punk scene in the past year or so. Everywhere I travel in the UK there seems to be an Exeter band playing. Definitely check out this entire list of sick bands based down your road: Great Cynics, Muncie Girls, Shit Present, Skeleton Frames, Bangers, The Fairweather Band, Selfish Son, Splitsville, Honey Pot & Chiyoda Ku.
If you’re ever stuck for new bands to listen to, listen to the No Seatbelt DIY Compilation CD, a sequel of which is being released late September.
And if you want to start a band or meet other people with your music taste, join Campus Bands! I was in a band during my time at the uni and we met through the Campus Bands e-mail system, it was one of the best experiences I had during my degree for sure. It’s also worth going along to the Exeposé Music socials and meetings to find other music lovers.