A few weeks back, I had the pleasure of going to one of Newton Faulkner’s concerts, as part of the ‘feels like home’ tour at The 1865, Southampton. This was my third time seeing him in concert and as always got very excited as the date drew nearer. A treat for my Hubby, this was a belated anniversary gift that we booked way back in December, so we were so thrilled when the day finally came to go!
The Concert Experience
The show itself was phenomenal as always, Newton can’t help but get the crowd energised from the very first song. He had the opportunity to show off his guitar skills, including some true ‘diddly, diddly, bap,bap’ which as any seasoned fan will know, is an absolute highlight.
He cycled through a variety of songs, new and old, including ‘U.F.O.’ a particular favourite of mine that was even better live! Everyone was thoroughly invested in Newton’s commentary and sound effects, even at one point seeing him recreate the infamous ‘whistle’ in the background of U.F.O. The feeling of the crowd was electric and we all had a lot of fun dancing along.
Accessibility at The 1865, Southampton
This was my first time visiting this venue, and it’s not one that I’d be in a hurry to return to. Right from the time of booking the tickets, the venue was not particularly forthcoming concerning their accessibility information and they don’t provide this on their website. I did manage to speak to a member of staff in advance of the show, who advised that the venue was fully wheelchair accessible. However, upon arrival, it became apparent that it was more a case that a wheelchair ‘could access’ the building, rather than anything being purpose-built.
The building has a car park down one side, which is handy. This only has one disabled parking space, with the rest being rather tight, making it difficult to unload my wheelchair when the disabled bay was full. Outside of the entrance of the venue, people were queuing down the footpath to one side. I couldn’t see any sign of a drop curb here, so I had to queue from the opposite direction, immediately in front of the entrance.
Once the doors opened, the staff kindly ushered me in. The venue floor is step-free, and I was quickly guided to the front of the floor, to the only accessible viewing point, in the left corner near to the fire escape. This was great viewing in terms of the stage, although the floor was uneven due to the barrier feet which extended out quite some way. As the floor started to fill, the sea of people to my right against the barriers, got deeper and deeper, providing no opportunity to visit the bar had I wanted to get a drink.
By the time the show started, the sea of people around me was very dense, and I had people standing very close to me, so had to be careful as they danced to avoid getting hit in the head. As a whole however, it was great and very enjoyable.
Around an hour into the set, Newton Faulkner took a break and a 15-intermission was provided. At this point, many went to the bar or to the toilet, but I was unable to as I was effectively ‘pinned’ into the opposite corner by people. There was no route to the toilet provided, and despite me being fairly desperate by this time, one couldn’t be created. I did speak to security who were standing nearby the stage, who reiterated that there was no access to the toilets as a wheelchair user from this position. They also shared the rather horrifying fact, that there is no disabled toilet at this venue. When the staff member had told me at the time of booking the tickets that the venue was ‘fully wheelchair accessible’ I assumed that this would mean appropriate facilities, but this was wrong.
I spent the second hour of the show, rather in need of the toilet, stuck in the same spot of the floor. Once the gig had finished, the floor cleared out quite quickly, so I was able to wheel over to the toilets, however, they were very inaccessible.
Multiple stalls, via a long queue in a cramped corridor, where lots of other people were queuing. I’m fortunate that I’m ambulatory and was just about able to get myself to the toilet, however, for someone with less mobility, this would’ve been totally impossible as a wheelchair couldn’t fit into the toilet.
Overall, while this venue is step-free, if you’ve got limited mobility I wouldn’t recommend it as it’s not been well thought out.
Recommendations to The 1865 for improvement
I would highly suggest that as a venue, they stop classing themselves as fully wheelchair accessible. To be able to support this claim, they’d need to address some of the barriers to inclusivity they currently have, by including proper access routes for disabled attendees, ensuring that everyone’s experience can be equal (i.e. not making the bar inaccessible) and adding a disabled toilet which would make the world of difference.
While some aspects of the venue showed plenty of potential for accessibility, such as step-free access and helpful security, these need to be built upon. The venue’s website also doesn’t mention anything about accessibility, nor is it itself accessible to those with disabilities. Much improvement could be made to create a truly awesome experience for all.
Overall, the show itself was amazing and I’m so pleased that I saw Newton Faulkner again. The venue, however, was quite poor and has not made me want to go back. I hope that The 1865 makes moves to improve its facilities so that all fans, regardless of disability can enjoy events to the fullest.
If you’ve had similar experiences or know of more accessible venues, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments or message me.
