Without BLISS (Originally posted September)

As most of you probably know, Bliss is closing. Although Travis originally planned to stay open until the end of the month, the closing was unfortunately hastened. It’s my understanding that tomorrow (Tues, 29th) will be the last night.

I, and I am sure most of the music community here, feel a mixture of genuine sadness and frustration. Bliss is most known for being a live venue of course and over the past five years or so countless acts must have graced, or disgraced, its bouncy stage. There has been more than just live bands though: DJs, themed parties, spoken word, plays, stand up, charity events, open mic – all have used the venue in the name of entertainment, nurturing their talent along the way. Regardless of who we listened to or what we liked, we’ve probably spent countless long lost hours there, blissful or not.

From a musician’s point of view, Bliss had its fair share of kinks that were never ironed out – some being the aforementioned bouncy stage, the awkward space, and sound issues. Yet, whether we realized it then or now in hindsight, Bliss was a real gem. Mainly, it has been one of the few venues that have genuinely supported the music scene. As a foreign musician, it was definitely one of the few where you knew what to expect. We weren’t messed around at Bliss; we were welcomed, respected, and usually satisfied. In retrospect, we probably felt more at "home” performing there than anywhere else.

Sadly, there was very little fanfare for Bliss’ last Saturday night. In contrast, when Roxy Vibe closed, which basically moved on rather than closed, we were treated to a ballyhoo. It seems the good guys really missed out. I am sure I speak for all of us when I say we are extremely grateful to Barry and Travis for the work they have done – it is obviously quite a challenge to make such a business model sustainable.

After losing Tone 56, we now find we are without Bliss. It’s a sorry state of affairs, one that has dealt the music scene a large blow. Let’s hope the void can be filled by someone worthy and as true to the spirit as Robert (Tone 56), Barry, and Travis were.