The colourful history of the much-loved venue in Southampton has been captured in a book by Winchester writer Oliver Gray. Access One Step was officially launched at a special charity event at the Joiners on 17 December.  | | Oliver Gray |
Every Joiners regular knows that it is more than just another music venue - it's been part of the Southampton folk, blues, jazz, rock, britpop and dance scene for decades and there have been plenty of memorable performances and off-stage antics for Oliver to chronicle: "What really came across was the really strong affection that so many people have for this building. Everyone I spoke to was bursting with enthusiasm to tell their stories and share their memories. It's a family thing - many people have seen their children playing on stage here and remember coming here themselves as youngsters. I proposed to my wife in the Joiners - and 25 years on, she's still here!" The venue will forever be associated with the big names of the Britpop era - thanks to promoter Mint's knack of booking the right bands at the right time, Oasis, the Manics, Charlatans, Suede and Coldplay all played at the Joiners on their way to music stardom. But Oliver reckons it is the local band scene which is most dependant on the Joiners: "It's completely crucial - the whole place revolves around giving new local bands the opportunities to play live. Guitar bands are in fashion at the moment, which is great, but the bands that do go on and make it big couldn't be successful without places like this."  | | Southampton band Lux Nova |
Naturally, the book launch wouldn't have been complete without some of those bands playing. The evening was headlined by British blues rocker Jon Amor, with support from indie/electronica two-piece Scarlet Soho and rockers Lux Nova. Access One Step features tales and memories from the past 37 years, told by fans, promoters and some of the bands. It includes contributions from Andy Burrows from Razorlight and Delay's Greg Gilbert. As well as charting the venue's roller-coaster history, it also features listings for the last 30 years, so you can see exactly when you saw a band up close and personal before they were famous. Oliver is confident that the future is every bit as exciting as the Joiners' history: "For the first time, as you'll see in the book, the current owners have finally got it working on a firm business basis as well as retaining the old atmosphere so the future is extremely bright." Access One Step is available from from the Joiners, and all good book shops. | 
