PAST ACTS INCLUDE...

Wed, 3 Feb 2010 11:11:18 +0000

THE LOUISIANA is a World famous Live music venue disguised as a pub with a listed building exterior in central Bristol. We've got a wide range of international, national and local live acts - It's the best place to discover new music before bands get to play massive venues and you never know, you may even get to chat to the bands...

We host 2-3 bands/night, pretty much every night of the week. As well as National touring acts, we also put on shows by the best local bands.
We advise to regularly check the listings.

The Louie has seen some rather impressive acts grace it’s stage over the years... We have played host to the likes off:

(If we’ve missed anyone, let us know)

AIRBOURNE, AIRIEL, AMELIA TUCKER, ANDY SMITH (PORTISHEAD DJ), ARCHIE BRONSON OUTFIT, ART BRUT, BADLY DRAWN BOY, BAXTER DURY, BEACH HOUSE, BELL X1, BEN'S BROTHER, BIS, BLOC PARTY, THE BOOKHOUSE BOYS, BOY LEAST LIKELY TO, BOY KILL BOY, BRITISH SEA POWER, CHRIS T-T, CLEARLAKE, COLDPLAY, CORINNE BAILEY RAE, DAVID FORD, DELAYS, DIRTY PRETTY THINGS, DOT TO DOT FESTIVAL, DRAGONETTE, ELBOW, ELECTRIC SOFT PARADE, EMILY BREEZE, EMMY THE GREAT, EUGENE MCGUINNESS, EXIT CALM, FAN FARLO, FEEDER, FIELDS, FIGHT LIKE APES, FINDLAY BROWN, FLEET FOXES, FLORENCE & THE MACHINE, FORTUNE DRIVE, FOY VANCE, FRANCOIZ BREUT, FUTURE OF THE LEFT, GABBY YOUNG & OTHER ANIMALS, GAVIN THORPE, GEMMA HAYES, GHOST, GIANT DRAG, GOGOL BORDELLO, GOLDEN SILVERS, GOLDFRAPP, GOLDIE LOOKIN CHAIN, GOMEZ, GONGA, GRAMMATICS, GUILLEMOTS, HOT HOT HEAT, ILIKETRAINS, IMELDA MAY, INTERPOL, JACK SAVORETTI, JACOB GOLDEN, JAMES MORRISON, JAMES YORKSTON, JAMIE SCOTT AND THE TOWN, JAMIE T, JAY JAY PISTOLET, JENIFEREVER, JEREMY WARMSLEY, JET, JOHNNY FLYNN & THE SUSSEX WIT, JOHNNY FOREIGNER, JOSE GONZALEZ, KASABIAN, KATE NASH, KATE WALSH, KEANE, KID CARPET, KID HARPOON, KILL CASSIDY, KING CREASOTE, KINGS OF LEON, KUBICHECK, KYTE, LIAM FINN, LIONHEART BROTHERS, LONGCUT, LOS CAMPASINOS, LOW vs DIAMOND, LUKE HAINES, MALAKAI, MARK EITZEL, MARTINA TOPLEY BIRD, MERZ, METRONOMY, MISSISSIPPI WITCH, MISTY'S BIG ADVENTURE, MOGWAI, MR HUDSON AND THE LIBRARY, MULL HISTORICAL SOCIETY, MUMM-RA, MUMFORD & SONS, MUSE, MY MORNING JACKET, MYSTERY JETS, NINE BLACK ALPS, NOAH AND THE WHALE, OFFICIAL SECRETS ACT, OPERAHOUSE, PADDY MILNER, PALLADIUM, PATRICK DUFF, PAUL STEEL, PAULO NUTINI, PEGGY SUE AND THE PIRATES, PETE DOHERTY, PETE MOLINARI, PETER, BJORN & JOHN, PIVOT, PLACEBO, PRETTY GIRLS MAKE GRAVES, PULLED APART BY HORSES, RADIO 4, RAZORLIGHT, REDLIGHT COMPANY, REGINA SPEKTOR, REVEREND AND THE MAKERS, ROYWORLD, SANTA CRUZ, SARABETH TUCEK, SATURATION POINT, SCISSOR SISTERS, SEAFOOD, SEBADOH, SECRET MACHINES, SEMI FINALISTS, SERGEANT, SHE CREATURES, SIA, SKY LARKIN, SLOW CLUB, SNOW PATROL, SON OF DAVE, SONS AND DAUGHTERS, SOUNDTRACK OF OUR LIVES, SPINTO BAND, STEREOPHONICS, SUNSET CINEMA CLUB, SUPER FURRY ANIMALS, TEITUR, THE AUTOMATIC, THE BLACK KEYS, THE BOY LEAST LIKELY TO, THE CAZALS, THE CORAL, THE DATSUNS, THE DEARS, THE DEATH SET, THE DIVINE COMEDY, THE DODOS, THE DRAYTONES, THE ENEMY, THE FRANCOS, THE FUTUREHEADS, THE HIGH LLAMAS, THE HOOSIERS, THE HOT PUPPIES, THE KOOKS, THE LIBERTINES, THE LITTLE FLAMES, THE LOCARNOS, THE METROS, THE MUSIC, THE NOVA SAINTS, THE ORGAN, THE PADDINGTONS, THE PIPETTES, THE RAPTURE, THE SCARE, THE SCRIPT, THE SLEEPY JACKSON, THE STROKES, THE SUBWAYS, THE TWANG, THE VIEW, THE VINES, THE WAVE MACHINES, THE WHIP, THE WHITESTRIPES, THE WOMBATS, THE YOUNG KNIVES, THE ZUTONS, TIMES NEW VIKING, TINY DANCERS, TRAVIS, TWISTED WHEEL, ULRICH SCHNAUSS, UNION OF KNIVES, VENN FESTIVAL, VIJAY KISHORE, WE SMOKE FAGS, WHITE ROSE MOVEMENT, WINCHELL RIOTS, YOU SAY PARTY WE SAY DIE, ZERO 7

HISTORY OF THE BUILDING

Tue, 2 Feb 2010 22:09:03 +0000

The Louisiana ( formerly the Bathurst Tavern - The Smugglers - Garrick‘s )

If you had taken a walk across the Prince Street bridge in the early nineteenth century you would have had the water on one side and an extensive view over the surrounding countryside ahead of you across the River Avon.

Then, in 1809, you could have been forgiven if you had thought you were in New Orleans as the lace ironwork balconies on the The Louisiana stood out on the horizon like a ship’s prow.

The Louisiana, now on the corner of Wapping Road, then stood proudly at the entrance to the Basin with a splendid view over the green fields of Bedminster. The Basin itself was constructed as part of the Floating Harbour scheme in 1804-9 by William Jessop, where the Malago Brook once entered the Avon, turning the wheels of the old Trimm Mill as it did so.

The Basin formed a locked link between the New Cut and the Floating Harbour and The Louisiana overlooked the southern lock. The Bathurst family had a long association with Bristol when Charles Bragge was its member of parliament at the end of the eighteenth century.

He changed his name to Bathurst in 1804 and so, when the new Basin was created it was named in his honour, Bathurst, rather than Bragge’s Basin.

The Tavern or Hotel as it was then called was originally purpose-built in 1809 to cater for the seafarers and travellers brought to this area once the Basin was created. It was this association with the sea which inspired the design for the new hotel; the first-floor tented balcony covering seven bays with the iron standards and railings so reminiscent of New Orleans, gave a sailor’s eye view over the countryside.

The ironwork was probably the work of a local craftsman who first designed it and then actually made it himself. It is aesthetically pleasing at this corner. A fan-light over the entrance door is of patent metal with the well-known ornamentation so often seen in Bristol.

A feature of many nineteenth century houses and inns is the ‘window-tax’ blocked-up casement. The Louisiana has many of these visible reminders of the iniquitous tax which was not repealed until 1851. Just opposite the Tavern in Commercial Road is the ruined gatehouse of the Old Gaol built by 1820 to replace the dreadful Newgate Prison.

The Corporation had begun excavating for the new prison in 1816 believing that 'it would be the means of employing a considerable number of hands during the ensuing winter, who perhaps otherwise will be reduced to starvation and misery'.

These early philanthropic city fathers invited tenders for the excavation and 'plans could be seen on application to Mr William Cleak at the then named Bathurst Hotel. ' It is difficult to imagine the excitement which this new prison must have caused with, as reported a newspaper of the time, 'gardens laid out in esplanades and parterres filled with beautiful flowers, among which were thousands upon thousands of roses and lilies in full bloom, filling the air with the most delicious fragrance.'

Now, only the gatehouse remains as the gaol itself was the target of the 1831 Rioters who burned it to the ground. The Governor of that gaol, William Humphries, was actually taking refreshment at the Bathurst Hotel when the mob attacked his gaol and he was forced to stay there and watch the destruction.

The gateway of the gaol was the scene of the last public hanging of a woman in Bristol, when in 1849 Sarah Thomas was hanged for murder. In 1978, the Bathurst was renamed the Garrick's, when the landlord of the demolished Garrick‘s Head on Bristol's Centre took over the inn and hoped to keep most of his old clientele.

Then, in 1982, the name was again changed to the Smugglers and some new external decoration and internal decor added. Murals of disappointing artistic quality depicting smugglers in action have been painted below the superb iron balconies and the smugglers’ motif has also invaded the interior.

The Tavern stands at the junction of Wapping Road and Bathurst Parade and is part of an ambitious scheme which has brought life to a once threatened derelict area. The early nineteenth century merchants’ houses in the Parade have been superbly restored as Merchants Landing and though small craft have replaced the tallmasted ships, the Bathurst Basin is once more the home of seafarers.

The pub is now used as a live music venue for up and coming bands and renamed The Louisiana - the upstairs of this public house is now a venue for live music sees many different local and touring bands each week playing a variety of styles.

Information courtesy of Paul Townsend: Local historian for the City of Bristol England and webmaster of www.gertlushonline.co.uk

LOUIE HISTORY

PAST ACTS INCLUDE...

HISTORY OF THE BUILDING