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In photos: Real Farmer at JT Soar, with Hard as Nails and Every Face Becomes A Skull

Review: JT Soar Fest 2025

This time last week, one of Nottingham's most intriguing music and arts spaces, JT Soar, played host to an ultra-eclectic festival packed with intriguing names and tunes. Here's what happened over the weekend at  JT Soar Fest 2025...

In photos: No Peeling at JT Soar

In photos: Mr.B The Gentleman Rhymer at JT Soar, with Revenge of Calculon

Gig review: Marvin's Revenge at JT Soar

Marvin’s Revenge not only hosted and performed a blazing gig at Nottingham's JT Soar, but at the same time rasied funds to make their New York dreams come true. We got in on the action...

Review: JT Soar Fest 2024 at the Old Cold Store

JT Soar is 15! To mark this landmark occasion, the local recording studio, venue and all-round grassroots music heroes filled the Old Cold Store with live music from local, national and international bands – for a full weekend. We went along to celebrate with them...

More photos: JT Soar Fest 2024 at the Old Cold Store

The Thompsons on JT Soar, Ratcliffe-on-Soar and Goose Fair

We revisited Nottingham's most opinionated grocers this month to have a chat about Ratcliffe on Soar power station, which turned off its chimneys on 30 September, JT Soar and Goose Fair.

Punks and weirdos: Celebrating 15 Years of studio and performance venue JT Soar

From the headquarters of a fruit and vegetable wholesaler near Sneinton Market to one of Nottingham’s best loved recording studios and truly intimate, DIY music venues - it’s been quite a journey for JT Soar. 

When Phil Booth and his business partner Nick first took over the space at number 2 Aberdeen Street, they saw beyond an empty concrete room with metal grilles and a scooter garage next door. Their vision was to create something truly special: a recording studio, rehearsal and gig space, with a truly barrier-free ethos in all senses of the word.

Now fifteen years later, JT Soar celebrates its decade-and-a-half anniversary since it first opened its doors, marking the occasion with a “two-day, one stage, all killer-no filler line-up” of some of Phil Booth’s favourite bands. Ahead of what is being billed as ‘JT Soar Fest’, we asked staff, promoters, bands and community members to share their favourite memories of JT Soar, and outline what makes it so special.

Our October cover artist Steve Cole talks photographing Ratcliffe-on-Soar

This month’s cover artist Steve Cole tells us more about his stunning photography of Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station

Heart and Coal: the history and future possibilities of Ratcliffe-on-Soar

The end of September saw the closure of the UK’s last remaining coal-fired power station: Ratcliffe-on-Soar. Environment Editor Adam Pickering reflects on the past and future of this instantly recognisable Nottinghamshire landmark, the conflicted feelings that surround it, and how it could be re-purposed in the years to come.

Gig review: ACHB at JT Soar

Choosing a space at the fabulous JT Soar venue, Notts locals ACHB hosted a fun-packed, eclectic line-up of local acts. LeftLion contributors Gemma and Natalie experienced an entertaining evening, with a few surprises, too...

Nottingham's most opinionated greengrocers on Lord Byron, fanzines, and JT Soar

From Storing Fruit and Veg to Welcoming Live Music: We Chat With JT Soar’s Head Honcho Phil Booth

Since JT Soar stopped storing fruit and veg and started welcoming bands as a music venue almost fifteen years ago, it has maintained its DIY sentiment while growing in popularity and success. And going into the new year, the venue will be more accessible than ever, with widened entrances and doors and access ramps, among many other modifications. We chat to Phil Booth about the importance of making the space inclusive for all, how they manage to give all of the money they make from gigs straight to the bands performing, and their important place in Nottingham’s DIY music scene…

Gig Review: Jadu Heart at JT Soar

There is a lot of discourse around ticket prices these days and how they are rising to ridiculous, unprecedented levels. While this is certainly true for academy and arena shows, I would say that the smaller venue shows are as cost-effective as they’ve ever been – you just need to be willing to look for them. Enter electro-folk duo Jadu Heart, who stopped by JT Soar this week for the final stop on their Bleak Midwinter Tour, where all tickets cost just £5. Here’s what went down…

Gig Review: Alex and The Christopher Hale Band at JT Soar

Collars unfortunately had to drop out, but Alex and The Christopher Hale Band (also known simply as ACHB) swooped by to save the day...

Gig Review: Withered Hand & Darren Hayman at JT Soar

Alternating headliners throughout the tour, Edinburgh based cult-indie songwriter Withered Hand (aka Dan Wilson) and Darren Hayman (formerly of Hefner) joined forces at Nottingham's JT Soar...

Gig Review: Rattle at JT Soar

We headed down to JT Soar on a cold December evening to see Rattle...

Gig Review: The Flatmates at JT Soar

Michael Prince heads down to JT Soar for Sophie Diver, Diablo Furs and The Flatmates...

Interview: Snug Recording Co on Relocating to JT Soar

Rich Higton caught up with Robin Newman and Rich Collins from Snug Recording Co after the studio's recent move to Nottingham’s JT Soar...

Two Notts Creatives Discuss the Future of Ratcliffe-On-Soar Power Station

Architectural Designer William Harvey and artist Ryan Boultbee, two creatives obsessed with the built environment, discuss the uncertain future of Ratcliffe-on-Soar (R-o-S) power station - that’s the big’un, with the giant cooling towers, that you can see dominating the landscape on the approach to Notts…

Queer Band Slash Fiction on their Upcoming Show at JT Soar: " If we don't fight for visibility, what are we even doing?"

Since I moved to Nottingham as a young, queer person, I’ve been fortunate to stumble into the world of local indie, punk and DIY punk gigs, which have provided me with a community and more importantly, a place to go on a Friday night. Now, as an older, queer lesbian, I’m aware of the importance of carving out queer spaces, especially within rock clubs and bars that can be dominated by cis-gender, heterosexual boys.

We spoke to Beans from Queer band Slash Fiction ahead of their upcoming Fan Club debut show at JT Soar about personal lyrics, influences and their EP Flowers...

JT Soar's Phil Booth: "The gigs aren't here to make money for the space."

Over the past decade, an angular building in Sneinton has grown into one of the UK’s most revered DIY music spaces. JT Soar, a fruit and potato warehouse turned studio, rehearsal space and gig venue, will celebrate its tenth birthday this month, with founder Phil Booth still very much at the helm. What began in 2010 as a recording studio has slowly but surely become a DIY exemplar, boosting our city’s street cred while simultaneously providing an all-embracing platform for artists from far and wide to flourish. We stopped by for a pre-birthday brew to find out more about JT Soar’s Midas touch…

Live Music Review: The St. Pierre Snake Invasion, EGO and a-tota-so at JT Soar

Not even this heatwave can keep us away from JT Soar. We sent Rob down for another raucous trio of bands, brought to Notts by expert promoter Buttonpusher...

Live Music Review: Hibushibire at JT Soar

We got down to JT Soar to check out Japanese psychedelic powerhouse Hibushibire...