Great programme coming up at Worthing's newest music venue

Worthing’s newest music, club and cabaret venue is looking forward to a busy first full year of operations.
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The Factory Live, Worthing offers a state-of-the-art purpose-built 350-capacity live and club music venue, in the warehouse of Soundhouse Studios where it hostd new, emerging and established live music, comedy, club and experiential events throughout the week.

When it opened last autumn, organisers promised it would be a “crucial addition to Worthing’s emerging nightlife,” with the town’s atom promotions agreeing a programming and venue development partnership deal.

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Thom Milner-Smith, CEO atom promotions, is pleased with the way it is shaping up.

The coming weeks will see:

January 31 – Indoor Pets + Gloo

February 07 – Judge Jules + DJK, Miss L.A & BlahBlahBlah DJs

February 08 – Space

February 27 – The Factory Comedy Club with Pierre Novellie + Lauren Pattison

February 29 – Pete Wylie The Mighty Wah

March 13 – Turin Brakes + Kevin Pearce;

March 20 – China Crisis

March 28 – Rodney P & Skitz

March 31 – The King Blues;

April 03 – Lee Scratch Perry

April 04 – Toyah Willcox

April 11 – Chris Simmons

April 15 – The South

So far, the venue, which closed for maintenance in October, has managed to get a couple of thousand people through the doors.

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As Thom says, its great advantage is that it is a dedicated venue, specific to music and club: “There is nowhere else at all like it in Worthing.

“There is an arts centre and various pub venues, but this is a dedicated music venue. And that means you have got the programming and the facilities and the artists and the backstage and the state-of-the-art PA and light system and the box office system.

“We are averaging three events a week. January and February are a bit quieter. I think we would like to have four or five events a week.

“I think the minimum would be Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.

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“And we have already started up a comedy club as well, which meets every month on a Thursday.

“We are trying to build up the culture of the place, the live music and the comedy.

“The performers love it. They love the facilities. There is a rehearsal and dance studio as well.

“We have got a lot of commercial space.

“When an artist comes, they have got dressing rooms and a room they can use for catering as well whereas most venues this size would just offer one small dressing room.”

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As for the future: “I see us developing it into like a cultural hub with a weekly programme with a diverse variety of things with the focus on live music and club events.

“I would eventually aim for people just to come along not knowing what was on.

“But first maybe we just need to get people thinking ‘I want to go out tonight. I wonder what is on at The Factory.”

For Thom’s company, it’s an absolute dream of a venue, he says.

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“I approached several other venues about programming their venue, and it didn’t work out for various reasons, and then up pops The Factory.

“I want it to be on the circuit. I want agents and managers and the acts themselves to be thinking about The Factory when they are playing the UK, especially if they are doing the provincial markets.

“I would hope The Factory will soon become a choice rather than us having to propose it to people and performers.

“But actually that is already starting to happen. Agents are getting in touch with us about specific dates.

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“We are already seeing that kind of interest developing in the venue, and that is what we are wanting to build on.”