Digging For Gigs: 8 Unique Spots For Live Music

Would you risk getting kidnapped for a gig? (Credit: The Kave HQ Instagram page)

The streets of Singapore are alive with the sound of music. Pin the tail on the proverbial donkey and you’ll likely land on a pub, concert hall or performance art venue that hosts musicians from all walks of life. Cover bands adept in Top 40s repertoire, original artistes unleashing their burgeoning compositions, an avant-garde enthusiast making music out of a box – you name it.

While I, for one, am more than chuffed to yell along to a drunken rendition of “Sweet Child O’ Mine” or chatter intensely about the universe while being serenaded by an innocuous soundtrack of pop ditties, I also like to embrace the live music experience as a whole. Live music is enhanced by the ambience it’s shrouded in, and the memory-etching impression it leaves on punters. Whether that’s achieved by décor, novelty, theme or a scale like no other, they can all do wonders for not just a performance, but for a music scene that’s always struggling to grow.

Embellishing the scene, I’ve handpicked several unique live music venues in Singapore.

The Kave HQ

Would you volunteer to get blindfolded, stuffed into a mystery car, and kidnapped to a dingy, unknown location for a gig? Such is the bizarre, outlandish modus operandi of The Kave HQ, one of the scene’s most clandestine happenings right now. After meeting at a designated location at night, ticket-holders are ‘nabbed’ in vintage automobiles and scooted off to a bunker-like location hidden near the woods – and that’s all I’m going to tell you. The reward is in seeing the spot with your own eyes, and relishing an experience that most gig promoters won’t dare to pull off. Past guest acts who have graced this beautiful, ninja-esque locale include .gif, Disco Hue and Tim De Cotta.

The Kave HQ, secret location.

Intermission Bar

Street-savvy urbanites will know that The Projector is the place for catching arthouse films and other screen oddities. But did you know that its trendy indoor bar is a site for seasonal gigs too? Come on the right nights, and you’ll be treated to everything from velvety jazz and amorous Latin to experimental drone while you have that intense tête-à-tête about that film you just sat through.

Intermission Bar, #05-00 The Projector, 6001 Beach Road, Singapore 199589, +65 9637 9201. Open 12pm-11pm.

Lithe House

Practise, perform, preserve – these are just some of the tenets embraced by this scene-respected institution. Formerly known as Lithe Paralogue, the now-reminted Lithe House first cuts its teeth as a popular jamming studio that helped many bands hone their chops, and it also doubles up as museum for local music, possessing artefacts of our industry’s past. But for starry-eyed punters and seekers of new homegrown outfits in Singapore, Lithe House also throws its own regular series called Sound Of Feeling, which presents a diverse lineup of rising and veteran acts for all to see. If you’re looking for the future of local music, these gigs at Lithe House are your best bet.

Lithe House, 23 Madras Street, Singapore 208418, +65 9270 8017.

Crazy Elephant

In a world where music trends are constantly shifting and transforming, it’s crucial to have venues that honour the art-forms of the old. In the case of Crazy Elephant, a longstanding live music bar with an equally elephantine reputation, that tradition is blues. The setting itself is, like the craggy quality of the genre, charmingly weathered and full of stories. And week after week, this waterhole in Clarke Quay hosts performances filled with blue-collared jams and other rock & roll throwdowns.

Crazy Elephant, #01-03/04, 3E River Valley Road, Singapore 179024, +6337 7859. Open Mon 9pm-1am, Tue & Wed 9pm-2am, Thu 9.30pm-2am, Fri & Sat 7pm-3am, Sun 8pm-2am.

Telok Ayer Arts Club

Music, like art, can be unforgivably avant-garde, comprising nebulous soundscapes that transcend the form and function of conventional songs. And while most commercial-leaning venues might shun hosting such experimenters, Telok Ayer Arts Club welcomes it with open arms. The multi-disciplinary space is more than just a CBD restaurant and bar, but also an advocate of art exhibitions, workshops, and eccentric gigs that take place here seasonally. Check out our feature on Telok Ayer Arts Club to get clued in.

Telok Ayer Arts Club, 2 McCallum Street, Singapore 069043, +65 6221 0712. Open Mon-Sat 11am-11pm.

Sled Productions x Decline

Making noises from the notorious Geylang ghetto is yet another entity that supports the music scene in its own way, with its own rules. SLED Productions x Decline is a venue that’s received the validation from various subcultures, hosting everything from hardcore mosh-fests to indie-rock gig-a-thons. If you fancy your shows crammed, communal and slightly sweaty, don your battle gear and rough it out here.

Sled Productions x Decline, 37 Lor 23 Geylang, Singapore 388371.

Lulu’s Lounge

Dressed to the nines with pizazz and all that jazz, Lulu’s Lounge is one swish hangout for those who like it smooth and suave. Conceptualised by the chieftains behind Bang Bang, Lulu’s Lounge is inspired by New York’s backstreet clubs of the ’60s, fusing both hedonism and glamour in one sophisticated package. Live jazz bands often dictate the soundtrack here, setting the tone with sensual grooves and improvised instrumentation that never cease to impress.

Lulu’s Lounge, 7 Raffles Boulevard, Singapore 039595, +65 9829 1922. Open Wed 8pm-3am, Thu 9pm-3am, Fri & Sat 9pm-6am.

Esplanade – Theatres On The Bay

The durian-shaped institution that’s never a thorn in the scene’s side, The Esplanade is undeniably a bastion for of the music industry, supporting everything from symphonic concerts to off-kilter showcases. Homegrown bands have hosted their album launches in The Esplanade’s versatile Annexe Studio, regional rockers can be found raising ruckuses at the Outdoor Theatre, while the indoor Concourse often provides a platform for electronic musicians and singer-songwriters. The Esplanade is also famous for Baybeats, an annual three-day alternative festival that unites the cream of the crop of regional talents old and new. This is where many renowned local musicians today earned their stripes.

Esplanade – Theatres On The Bay, 1 Esplanade Drive, Singapore 038981, +65 6828 8377. Open daily 6am-2am.