HISTORY

The Luminaire opened its doors on 1 March 2005. We were sick of the way bands and gig-goers were treated by promoters and venues. We never understood why things had to be confrontational, why sound engineers snapped at bands who requested basic things, why people who were supposed to love music were disrespectful to those who made it and those who came to listen. We still don't understand it, so you won’t find any of that behaviour around here.

We hoped that if we met our bands with a smile and a handshake, helped them load in, showed them round, offered them clean towels, tea and coffee, fresh milk, beer and water, and somewhere comfortable to sit backstage, and gave them a calm, friendly sound engineer to work with, they'd really appreciate it.

We thought that, instead of acting aloof and moody when people arrived for a gig, we welcomed them and asked how they were and maybe had a bit of a conversation and a laugh, they'd remember that and tell their friends.

And we figured that if we employed people behind the bar who genuinely loved live music and who knew that, when an acoustic act was playing, they had to do their best to serve drinks quietly, it would be greatly appreciated by our customers.

In February 2006, just eleven months after opening, Time Out magazine named The Luminaire as its Live Venue of The Year.

In March 2007, two years after opening, we won Music Week's UK Venue of The Year award.

We've lost count of all the bands who've passed this way, but we thought we'd mention some of the most notable.

Afrirampo
A Hawk & A Hacksaw
Alasdair Roberts
Andrew Bird
Au Revoir Simone
Babyshambles
Barbarossa
Bat For Lashes
Battles
Billy Joe Shaver
Brakes
Brazilian Girls
Camera Obscura
Clark
Colleen
Cougar
Danielson
Datarock
David Thomas Broughton
Diane Cluck
Dirty Pretty Things
Editors
Electrelane
Final Fantasy
Fionn Regan
Fucked Up
Future of The Left
Gemma Hayes
Hanne Hukkelberg
Hot Chip
Howling Bells
Hush The Many
I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness
IAMX
iLIKETRAiNS
Infants
James Morrison
James 'Slim' Hand
James Yorkston
Jamie T
Jarvis Cocker
Jeffrey Lewis
Jeremy Warmsley
Joe Lally of Fugazi
Johnny Flynn
Junior Boys
King Creosote
Larrikin Love
Lightning Bolt
Lisa Germano
Malcolm Middleton
Maps
Mark Eitzel of American Music Club
Mark Gardner
Mull Historical Society
My Latest Novel
Pictish Trail
Redjetson
Rumble Strips
Scout Niblett
Scritti Politti
Shooter Jennings & The .357s
Son of Dave
The Ataris
The Datsuns
The Enemy
The Flower Corsano Duo
The Fratellis
The Mules
The Pipettes
The Veils
Tilly & The Wall
Todd
Trashcan Sinatras
Triosk
Vincent Vincent & The Villains
Wanda Jackson
XBXRX
Young Knives
Youth Movie Soundtrack Strategies