Capacity: 216 seated or 450 standing. The performance room can change between the two setups.
Who plays there: Being a proper arts centre, the Phoenix’s listings are exceptionally diverse, and not limited to music either – dance classes, cinema, art exhibitions, a digital media centre and a radio station all live under the same roof. So, as well as touring indie alternative bands and artists – including Wild Beasts, Idlewild, Patrick Wolf, Wire, the Orb, Willy Mason, Mr Scruff, the Damned, the Magic Numbers, British Sea Power, Joan as Police Woman, and Public Service Broadcasting – you also get acts such as Harold Budd, the Necks, Lee “Scratch” Perry, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, Gong, the Dhoad Gypsies of Rajasthan, as well as jazz acts, reggae sound systems, blues guitarists and folk singers.
Cloakroom: Yes.
Admission: £5-£20.
Bar: A good selection of local ales and lagers that regularly changes, plus the usual spirits and mixers, with a twist of sophistication. Reasonably priced and well kept, the Phoenix is a great spot for a quiet afternoon drink as well as a night out to see a band.
Food: Yes. A good value selection of tapas and mezze-style offerings is served Monday to Saturday, 10am to 3.30pm and 5.30pm to 9pm.
Toilets: Level-access toilets on all floors.
Wheelchair access: Yes.
Sound: Routinely excellent, thanks to good equipment and a dedicated full-time staff to look after it. Small-scale and acoustic acts particularly shine, but more amplified and electronic acts fare very well, too.
Where to stand: Or sit, given that the performance room is flexible and can be set up either for standing or with tiered seating. Standing, it’s a nice, square, purpose-built room with good acoustics, so you’ll be fine pretty much wherever you fancy. The sound is best right in front of the mixing desk, but it’s a struggle to get out of the performance room and back to the bar from there. If the setup is for seating, try to get as central and near the front as you can, especially if vertigo is an issue – the seats at the back are pretty steep.
Overall: Given that it’s an arts centre, the Phoenix can feel a little dry and middle-class, but the facilities, location, sound, bar, food, plus the diversity and quality of the acts it attracts are all first rate. If you’re after something spikier, the punky, subterranean Cavern is barely 100 yards away; if that’s not a concern, the Phoenix is a cultural beacon for the south-west.
Address: Bradninch Place, Gandy Street, Exeter, EX4 3LS
Telephone: 01392 667 080
Website: exeterphoenix.org.uk
Public transport: Exeter Central railway station is about 100 yards away. Local buses pass down the High Street, just around the corner.
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