Busy West Street venue dedicated to live music.

The Venue
Situated, as the name would suggest, on West Street itself, West Street Live is virtually impossible to miss. The mock Tudor frontage is perhaps a little misleading as it clashes somewhat with the American rock bar design of the interior.

A large, three sided bar occupies a space right beside the door and this faces out into a large floor area, filled with tables and chairs in front of a good sized stage. A slightly more secluded spot can be found at the rear of the room, hidden away behind a few pillars, offering further tables and a few arcade machines. The stage, however, is quite clearly the focus of the place, and for the most part the layout is wholly given over to ensuring a good view for the assembled crowd.

The People
The name is something of a giveaway - West Street Live is dedicated to keeping music live, and it does exactly this. The vast majority of patrons are live music fans and with bands playing almost every night of the week, it’s not the place for a quiet pint and a chat. The music isn’t relentless as bands normally play sets of around 30 to 45 minutes with breaks in between, so customers can enjoy a good mix of live music and chat. And if you fancy a chuckle they've recently started hosting monthly comedy nights.

The Music
Many of the bands are unsigned local bands hoping to make a name for themselves. While most bring at least a small following of their own, much of the crowd will be made up of neutrals simply dropping by to see whoever happens to be playing on a given night.

The acts are mostly rock, metal and punk though other styles are represented on occasion with a loose theme to many of the nights. Forthcoming acts are listed inside the venue and on its website but you’re unlikely to know any of the bands and it’s often better to arrive unawares in the hope, perhaps, of a pleasant surprise. There’s certainly no harm in looking as admission is always free.

The Drink
West Street Live sells itself more on its entertainment than its refreshments but still offers a very well stocked bar. The selection on tap is fairly typical with Fosters, Stella, John Smiths, Guinness, Strongbow etc and there’s a couple of more interesting guest ales available as well.

The range of bottled beers is substantial, as is the choice of spirits on offer. Prices are towards the top end of the city centre average, but that’s perhaps understandable given that the bar supports the free live music. Drinks promotions are usually run a couple of nights a week particularly Thursdays, when new local bands are featured.

The Last Word
A great venue working hard to keep music live. The West Street Live is worth a look even for those who wouldn’t normally choose live music for a night out.

venue information venue map view sheffield review user reviews (2)