by Glen Screeton
DESPITE having visited many venues on my music travels, the one place I have never been to is one of the town’s established venues, namely ‘Tank’ Bar and Live Lounge – right here in Warrington at The Hive WA1!
To be honest I always thought it was just the upstairs bar, so when I was shown downstairs to a ‘speakeasy style’ room it was a very pleasant surprise.
The room is low ceilinged, the lighting and table arrangement make it quite intimate, and it was perfect for a group of invited guests to celebrate the start of their 3rd year of trading.
Having been greeted by very welcoming staff and shown to my table- (yes,you heard right), a table for me on this one occasion, I was introduced to Bar Manager Nina, who explained that for the next 2 hours I was welcome to sample the drinks menu – unfortunately and rather foolishly I had come in the car!
However, I asked if this was a reopening and Nina quickly reminded me that it never went away, as could be seen by the regulars having a great time and we were only 15 minutes in! It was all very convivial and greatly assisted by the excellent electro-acoustic artist – Matt Earle belting out some regular singalong anthems.
Nipping over to the website it shows that ‘Tank’ is a Wednesday to Sunday venue with various slots allocated to live music and now scheduled every Saturday from 5pm, giving the venue a regular slot in Warrington’s weekend calendar.
There’s also a move towards earlier performances, with new two-hour live music sessions designed to give audiences the chance to catch a show without necessarily committing to a late night. It’s an approach that could be particularly useful for music fans who want the live experience without the traditional “doors at 8pm, home at midnight” routine. The venue isn’t simply filling the stage with another procession of standard cover bands either, they are positively encouraging grassroots bands and performers with original material as well which is excellent news, so get in touch musos!
To me the message is straightforward: after almost three years, there’s still plenty to come (check their socials) but for now ‘Tank’ is concentrating on developing its regular programme and creating a space where food, drink and live music can coexist in very nice venue indeed.
