In November 1990 a group of artists first squatted this building in Silver St. with the intention of creating an alternative, non mainstream art space in Reading. Since then the Rising Sun has been through innumerable changes and a number of crisis points where the future looked bleak to say the least. Now we are reasonably secure but only through the hard work of many, many people who work to keep the Centre going.
The Rising Sun's building was constructed in the nineteenth century as a Temperance House among the then massed ranks of pubs and other houses of ill repute in Silver Street . It was built to the design of the architect Alfred Waterhouse - who was also responsible for the far grander Natural History Museum in London. Architecture fans may notice his bold use of terracotta and patterned brick work feature in the design of both buildings. The main building is now listed as Grade 2 by English Heritage.
We involve volunteers in all aspects of the Centre's work. People get involved with our work as performers, artists, or promoters, by taking part in classes or workshops, by becoming involved in one of our participatory arts projects or by helping to run the Centre itself.
We've tried to stay true to the original aims of the Rising Sun 'Institute' and keep the intentions of its founders alive. Although we do indeed serve alcohol - including a splendid range of organic beers! - the Rising Sun still aims to improve the quality of life for everyone. We remain independent, run by local people, putting on ground level events which are not catered for elsewhere in the town.
hello hello!!! The sessions for the album are getting closer to the end and so I thought let’s put one more song on myspace and there it is, Miss Cool Talker…I guess everybody knows one…anyway, this one took a while to get into shape but I think…mmm, no no… you listen to it and let me know what “you” think! Have a sunny and long weekend Loris
Club Velocity presents Friday April 25th Rising Sun Arts Centre 30 Silver Street Reading
Doors 8pm. Tax £5 door £4 flyer This is one of the best line ups we have ever put on!
ALUMINUM BABE (from NYC,USA) The hardest working band we have ever met. They will destroy any other band known to man.Maybe its a NYC thing.They confirm many UK bands are fakes and just playing in the sand pit.This band know the pain. Think sassy disco punk for 2008."One of the best records i have heard in years," Huw Stephens (Radio 1) SIXTY WATT BAYONETS Female sassy fronted greatness.Just have a word and tell them stop being impatient! MIDIMIDIS Taking the computer press by storm. They are the revolution!! www. velocityrecordings. com You would have to be an idiot to miss it!!
Club Velocity will be ’trying’ out a couple of nights this one and
another one on May 16th 2008. The new venue is THE GLOBAL CAFÉ/RISC (upstairs) 35-39 London Street Reading RG1 Friday April 18th 2008 Doors 8pm to 1am Tax £5 on the door £4 with a flyer
TO THE BARRICADES One of the best bands in Reading and in an utopia-would be everyone’s favourite coffee table band. Recently featured on the critically acclaimed 4x 4 comp EP release (Broken Tail). These boys have now been played on Radio 1, 6 Music and KEXP in Seattle,USA.
"Lush sweeping guitars and soaring vocals," Steve Lamacq
THE DETAILS Another local band whose boat is coming in.
"These guys have an universal appeal, a musical mixed bag of genres bouncing from Americana pop rock blues through an uplifting folksy sound with very subtle Santana-esque undertones. The band are all exceptional musicians and totally lived up to my expectations after previous glowing reports, " bbc
SEEDS OF DOUBT Dark brooding intelligent electro 80s tinged pop greatness. They too hail from Reading. The Nu Skool of local pop. If you dig the likes of Kraftwerk/Hot Chip/The Whip/Tubeway Army/Soft Cell then you might have your new favourite band
THE GOOD NATURED Think this will only be their second ever gig. The Good natured number two, and hail from Newbury. Hooray-they suggest that Kate Nash might have got (very) lucky. The Good Natured are wonderfully ace, just don’t mention the word twee. Already championed by Huw Stephens (Radio 1)
CLUB VELOCITY presents Saturday April 12th 2008 A THUG IS FOR LIFE NOT JUST FOR EASTER at PLUGNPLAY 35 Milford Road Reading Berkshire RG1 www. plugnplay. com WHITE SUNDAY "One of the best vocalists I have heard in ages," Auntie Beeb Championed by XFM/Radio 1 THE NOYZE Banned from the Oakford Social Club for being too working class DIRTY MUNDAYS From Stoke;sadly they dont know Robbie Williams DIAMOND LINES We rate this band, it would seem we are in a minority. Boo.Fudge the non believers!! Doors 8pm to 2am £5 on the door £4 flyer or advance www. wegottickets. com
""""CLUB VELOCITY FIFTH BIRTHDAY PARTY"""""FRIDAY MARCH 28TH 2008 AT THE RISING SUN ARTS CENTRE 30 SILVER STREET READING"""""SIX NATION STATE/SIXTY WATT BAYONETS/FULL FORCE GALES MIDIMIDIS DJS DOORS 8PM £6 on the door/£5 with a flyer Maybe wise to arrive early or maybe not free cake and ballons....... www. velocityrecordings. com
HELLO WEMBLEY released their debut single in January for Velocity Recordings. The main track 'Up Great Britain' got wonderfully slated by certain areas of the music media, whilst others praised it as a stroke of genius. That was the reaction we aimed for. Nice to get a result. Imagine a Daily Mail Mother fronting Oxford Roads' answer to Happy Mondays in their prime.
HEARTWEAR PROCRESS The Reading based five piece. Heartwear Process are 5 young men that cant stop looking into the shadows. They make music for drowning their sorrows. They believe that live shows should be about entertainment. They believe that chaos is really good for you.
"Absolutely breathtaking," Spill Magazine
"An unstoppable musical army, " Blah Blah
100 BULLETS BACK The Oxford kings of electro pop. This will be their first gig in Reading for years. 100 Bullets Back are now a three piece. The second album should be ready for release for the summer of 2008. Their debut album was championed by the media and public a like.
"If you like electro with a kick or a slickness to your rock n roll, I would swiftly point you in 100 Bullets Back's direction," Drowned In Sound
" Cool as F electro pop," Organ
SIXTY WATT BAYONETS Our fave new band of 2008 Gossip/GoGos/The Dicks/VyVyan/Bikini Kill
BEN MARWOOD Mr Marwood is God in our house. We would walk on broken glass for this chap.
Hello! Genre-bending Radio lady Zoe Paranoe here ...
Fulfil your punk, dub, blues and swing needs this Wednesday when Paranoimia hits Radio Seagull at 18:00 UK time.
It repeats on Sunday night at 2am, if you're a thrill-seeking night-owl, and I wager you are. It's also on the podcast 24/7 so check my blog for the links.
This show includes Elvis, Kleenex, Gobuggy Babies, Burning Spear, John Shuttleworth, John Hegley, The Valentines, The Andrews Sisters, The Pogues, Son Of Dave, Delta 5, Subway Sect, Buzzcocks, Vincent Vincent and the Villains, Television, Mekons and MORE!
I must warn you that I try a new system of playing music which goes REALLY WRONG, so please decide to find it charming.
Club Velocity presents Saturday Febuary 9th 2008 at Plugnplay 35 Milford Road Reading Berkshire RG1 www.plugnplay.tv Doors 8pm to 2am Price £5 on the door £4 advance www.wegottickets.com / flyer
THE NOYZE Lets get this straight The Noyze are a great,great band. A real band for real people . No nonsense. No crap. A proper band. A must see live. Four guys who know that the word 'song' is not a dirty word. All hail the noyze ..."like The Cure taking on The Twang and kicking the shit out of them. If you get the chance to see The Noyze live, do it, they'll take your breath away." - Blah Blah Magazine www.myspace.com/thenoyze
KICKS Same as above. Kicks are one of the best unsigned bands in the world. 2007 they were on the most sought after bands in the UK by the majors. The majors bottled it. Told them to go and record an album-then come back. Hilarous. That makes us want to kill the Wombats. Their first Club Velocity gig for nine months. You would be stupid to miss it. Managed by the same people who look after Klaxons and the Verve. Recording their debut album with the world class producer Youth. www.myspace.com/kicksmusic
DIAMOND LINES The most improved band in town. They now can swagger with the best of them. Also they have now have a song under four minutes. Diamond geezers indeed. www.myspace.com/diamondlinestheband
JOEY ULTRA Oh god are they still alive? Wasnt this a 5 minute art-IT wank fest? Apaprently not.At least the police can have a night off and not worry about the sex feind and lead singer of this experiment Binz. They strum-you cum? www.myspace.com/joeyultra
Venue Rising Sun Arts Centre 30 Silver Street Reading Berkshire RG1
Doors 8pm
Tax £5 on the door £4 flyer
Bands HELLO WEMBLEY/THE GINGER BREAD MEN/STEVE WHITE
Another single launch party for Hello Wembley? Go on then...........
HELLO WEMBLEY
The debut EP 'Up Great Britain' by Hello Wembley will be released in all good records on Monday January 21st.
It is a great debut and it is (seriously) a classic. Believe a Daily Mail mother fronting Happy Mondays. Probably the only local band to have their music featured on Hollyoaks.
Wonderfully confusing the music press-some of the writers have seemed to have totally missed the point and have taken the band very personally. Here are a couple of good ones
"I blame last week's NME, that and hoodie tops, nu-rave, the Daily Mail, Toriesw, scenesters, posers, anyone from Shoreditch, people who call other people roll and roll frauds, " www.organart.com
"Hello Wembley could do well, " www.native.com
THE GINGER BREAD
Hail from that London, although their guitarist Oliver attends Reading University and like us you probably them saw them recently on that very interesting Sunday lunchtime Channel Four programme MobileUnsigned. The Bread made the final six-yowsa!Anyway they deliever in scuzzzy (the three z's are important) POP garage punk. Bring out that cocktail making kit that you granny gave you for Christmas. Put in a dash of the Only Ones, a slice of Libertines, a huge dollop of Hoxton, finish off with we arent a scene band garnish. Shake hard. A glass of Ginger Bread sex you will have. Sexy with three X s. www.myspace.com/wearegingerbreadmen
STEVE WHITE The new lyrically guru in our house!In an utopia Steve would be Prime Minster-no rub that he would be the whole bleeding goverenment! Join his (political) party and get voting www.myspace.c
Venue Rising Sun Arts Centre 30 Silver Street Reading Berkshire RG1
Doors 8pm
Tax £5 on the door £4 flyer
Bands HELLO WEMBLEY/THE GINGER BREAD MEN/STEVE WHITE
Another single launch party for Hello Wembley? Go on then...........
HELLO WEMBLEY
The debut EP 'Up Great Britain' by Hello Wembley will be released in all good records on Monday January 21st.
It is a great debut and it is (seriously) a classic. Believe a Daily Mail mother fronting Happy Mondays. Probably the only local band to have their music featured on Hollyoaks.
Wonderfully confusing the music press-some of the writers have seemed to have totally missed the point and have taken the band very personally. Here are a couple of good ones
"I blame last week's NME, that and hoodie tops, nu-rave, the Daily Mail, Toriesw, scenesters, posers, anyone from Shoreditch, people who call other people roll and roll frauds, " www.organart.com
"Hello Wembley could do well, " www.native.com
THE GINGER BREAD
Hail from that London, although their guitarist Oliver attends Reading University and like us you probably them saw them recently on that very interesting Sunday lunchtime Channel Four programme MobileUnsigned. The Bread made the final six-yowsa!Anyway they deliever in scuzzzy (the three z's are important) POP garage punk. Bring out that cocktail making kit that you granny gave you for Christmas. Put in a dash of the Only Ones, a slice of Libertines, a huge dollop of Hoxton, finish off with we arent a scene band garnish. Shake hard. A glass of Ginger Bread sex you will have. Sexy with three X s. www.myspace.com/wearegingerbreadmen
STEVE WHITE The new lyrically guru in our house!In an utopia Steve would be Prime Minster-no rub that he would be the whole bleeding goverenment! Join his (political) party and get voting www.myspace.c
eat spam and tell you friends.... make do and mend line up announced.....special guest might even be very bearded compare Scroobius Pip, you never know.............
CLUB VELOCITY presents………………. Date Saturday 12th January 2008 Venue Plugnplay 35 Milford Road Reading Berkshire RG1 www.plugnplay.tv Doors 8pm to 2am Tax £5 on the door £4 advance www.wegottickets.com / flyer
TO THE BARRICADES "Lush sweeping guitars and soaring vocals, " Steve Lamacq "To The Barricades not only Readings' best kept secret but maybe one of the best kept secrets in the UK, " Blah Blah www.myspace.com/tothebarricades TANKUS THE HENGE A great find, a truely great find. www.myspace.com/tankusthehenge THE DEFEAT We once saw Mogwai in Bergen, Norway and they left us bored and cold. The Defeat have come from no where and they could destroy the Reading music in 2008. THE WOOKIES Their first local gig in months. They have ditched their last lead singer and have invested in new blood. English forward thinking nu wave prog for the kids. Think Pink Floyd having Sunday brunch with Rick Wakeman.
CLUB VELOCITY presents………………. Date Saturday 12th January 2008 Venue Plugnplay 35 Milford Road Reading Berkshire RG1 www.plugnplay.tv Doors 8pm to 2am Tax £5 on the door £4 advance www.wegottickets.com / flyer
TO THE BARRICADES "Lush sweeping guitars and soaring vocals, " Steve Lamacq "To The Barricades not only Readings' best kept secret but maybe one of the best kept secrets in the UK, " Blah Blah www.myspace.com/tothebarricades TANKUS THE HENGE A great find, a truely great find. www.myspace.com/tankusthehenge THE DEFEAT We once saw Mogwai in Bergen, Norway and they left us bored and cold. The Defeat have come from no where and they could destroy the Reading music in 2008. THE WOOKIES Their first local gig in months. They have ditched their last lead singer and have invested in new blood. English forward thinking nu wave prog for the kids. Think Pink Floyd having Sunday brunch with Rick Wakeman. Bring a firm...........
HELLO WEMBLEY DEBUT SINGLE LAUNCH PARTY SATURDAY DECEMBER 15TH 2007 AT PLUGNPLAY 35 MILFORD RD READING RG1 ADVANCE TIXS £5 www.wegottickets.com £6 on the day full supporting cast It will be awesome!!! Bring a crew.......
CLUB VELOCITY prersents this Friday December 7th at Rising Sun Arts Centre Silver Street Reading Berkshire RG1 MR FOGG/BLUE FLAMES/MIDIMIDS WEST READING GALAXY DJS Doors 8pm £4
To all my friends in Reading (or those passing through) I'm moving down to Bath on 8 Dec. and to celebrate, I will be at the Scratchy Apache sunday social, Sun. Dec 2nd at the Oakford social club... from about 4. Come and loll about with me drinking beer on sofas xxxx
Hi, Oxjam Reading 2007 is TONIGHT at the RISC bar! Come along and watch some of the best live music Reading has to offer, and all in aid of Oxfam! Get your tickets online now, from our myspace, or on the door. Cheers! The oxjam team x
N.B. Online ticket sales will go offline at about 4pm today, so get yours quick!
