“We’re a bit nervous!” says Chris Hindle, who is about to open the UK’s first ‘bring your own booze’ music venue. “But sometimes you’ve got to try something a little bit different.”
XLR, which has been operating as a regular venue on Wilmslow Road in the student capital of Withington for the past four years or so, will be re-opening on 24 September, ready to pioneer this new approach to going out and listening to music.
There will be a few rules. A cap of around eight cans per person will be in place to keep things sensible, and around 70cl when it comes to spirits, and there will be no backpacks.
Once you’ve finished, you can always buy a drink from behind the bar, and so you’re not clinking around with a carrier bag all night, there will be lockers to store your booze.
Hindle is using the idea of a ‘corkage fee’, seen in restaurants up and down the land for time immemorial, but more often used by places that either don’t serve alcohol themselves perhaps on religious grounds, don’t have a licence, or simply allow you to come with whatever you’d like to drink.
“I was sort of thinking about ways to separate us from other venues and combat the hospitality crisis,” he told MCR Finest, having had his lightbulb moment while in the car. He actually had to pull over.
“I thought, well, what if tickets were a little more expensive but you could bring your own alcohol? I pulled over, ran the numbers, and realised it actually worked. It also means we can pay promoters and DJs properly. Everything just balances out.”
There is a little bit of precedent for the idea. Nearby Antwerp Mansion, which closed in 2018, and where Hindle used to be assistant manager, allowed BYOB on occasion, but more on an ad-hoc basis after it surrendered its alcohol licence.
He says the council has not yet been in touch about the plans, but he’s open to any discussions or queries they may have.
The new format will see XLR open four nights a week, with events ranging from disco nights and headline bookings like British Punjabi and South Asian music scene icon Yung Singh, to grassroots showcases from collectives such as Ivy Collective and the female-led Not Bad For A Girl series.
The 200-capacity venue will be open from 10pm to 2am Tuesdays to Saturdays, and will boast a Funktion One soundsystem. The ‘corkage’ charge will range from £10 to £20, depending on night.
Hindle believes the concept comes down to accessibility and fairness. “At the end of the day, it’s trying to make it cheaper for people, so anyone can go to a club rather than just people with money,” he said.
“The type of events and music we do should be for everyone.”
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