SWX Bristol
Map
Former names
  • Syndicate
  • Papillons
  • The Works
  • Top Rank
  • Baileys
  • Romeo and Juliets
  • Odyssey
Address5 Nelson St, Bristol, Bristol, BS1 2JY
United Kingdom
LocationBristol, England
Coordinates51°27′24″N 2°35′32″W / 51.4567°N 2.5922°W / 51.4567; -2.5922
OwnerElectric Group
OperatorElectric Group
TypeMusic venue
Capacity1,100
Opened
  • 1964 (as Top Rank Ballroom)
Website
www.swxbristol.com

SWX Bristol, formerly known as Syndicate and earlier known as Papillons, The Works, Top Rank, Baileys, Romeo and Juliets and Odyssey, is a music venue in Bristol, England.[1] It opened in the former Syndicate building in 2015.[2] SWX Bristol was purchased by Electric Group in 2017.[3] This venue opened in 1964 as Top Rank Ballroom.[4]

History

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Re-opened As SWX Bristol

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SWX Bristol was purchased by Electric Group in 2017.[5] Electric Group now plans to work with local and national promoters to bring more live music to the 1,100-capacity SWX venue.

“We operate with an independent mindset, shaping an easy and collaborative culture for promoters to embrace SWX with as few financial strings attached as possible," said Electric Group co-founder Dominic Madden. “Having invested substantially to make the venue production complete we are focused on providing a perfect platform for shows so we can help promoters smash ticket sales.”[5]

Electric Group will manage the SWX live diary from Brixton under head of music Mike Weller’s direction, while Ticketweb will provide box office and marketing support. Weller has been working with the SWX team to further refine the venue’s live set-up, technically and commercially.

SWX also hosts DJs such as Sigala, Clean Bandit, Jonas Blue, Don Diablo and Sigma. Its club nights attract more than 250,000 Bristol students to the venue every year.

SWX is the most recent incarnation of a music venue which was originally a Top Rank Ballroom and hosted performances by luminaries including The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Cream and The Beach Boys.

2021 Arson Attack

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Owen Marshall (29 years old) pleaded guilty to charges of arson being reckless as to whether life is endangered, criminal damage and making threats to cause criminal damage at a hearing at Bristol Crown Court in September.

He set fire to a nightclub in a protest against Covid-19 vaccine passports two months after he had hand-delivered a letter to the venue in which he threatened to "burn" it, has been jailed for six years. He ignited a towel soaked in petrol and posted it through the letterbox of SWX. Police said Marshall had become "obsessed" with lockdown restrictions and targeted other venues in the city. He was caught after officers viewed hundreds of hours of CCTV footage. The day after the attack, on 14 July, he was caught on CCTV delivering a letter to the home of Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees in which he claimed responsibility for the arson and said it was a warning to other venues.[6][7] The fire raged for 27 hours.[8]

Re-opened after refurbishment due to arson attack

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SWX Bristol was re-opened on September 9 2022. Electric Group undertook a £3.2m renovation of the Nelston Street venue.

Electric Group said the focus of the rebuild was on restoring the previous infrastructure with upgraded tech. The refit involved the fitting of an L-Acoustics Kara II PA, all new lighting, motors, and a Fiend Productions’ LED wall.

It said among the most notable changes are the double height foyer, a reinstated feature from the Top Rank Suite-era, and a wheelchair-friendly lift that opens up access to all three floors for people with a disability.[9]

Capacity

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SWX boasts a capacity of 1100 for live concerts and 1800 for receptions and club events – and can accommodate dinners (200 pax), presentations (250/300 pax) & showcases (100-1100).[10]

Adjacent to Stage One, SWX2 (with a capacity of 250) has its own separate sound system & bar and can operate either as an extension of the main space, as a secondary event space or even as a VIP area.

At the rear of the venue (behind the stage) is the Backstage Bar which can operate independently of the main room. with a Capacity of 300.

References

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  1. ^ "old venue names". 13 January 2018.
  2. ^ "Syndicate nightclub relaunched as SWX Bristol".
  3. ^ "swx purchased by electric group". 15 November 2017.
  4. ^ "open date". 10 September 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Electric Group snaps up Bristol's SWX venue". www.musicweek.com.
  6. ^ "bbc arson article". BBC News. 8 December 2021.
  7. ^ "bbc arson info". BBC News. 13 July 2021.
  8. ^ "fire info". 31 August 2022.
  9. ^ "refurbishment info". 31 August 2022.
  10. ^ "SWX Bristol - Meetings - Reviews".
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