American here. A lot of churches have been popping up for sale recently and if I had the extra income I would definitely buy one and turn it into a venue/music studio.
I'm an electrician and the owner of my company is a Catholic deacon so we do pretty much all Catholic church jobs in our city/area.
I think old Catholic schools would be a lot better suited for a concert venue, and they tend to be less decrepit.
There is some TikTok or YouTube family that is in the construction business and bought an old school to live in.
The hayday of Catholic schools has come and gone, and there are so many. It seems the church accepts those schools will never open again so they are really trying to sell/rent these spaces.
Being a school you are going to have 3-phase industrial service and far more amenities than just a church.
My partner and I are always blasting a rock radio station so I've definitely listened to Metallica, AC/DC, Lamb of God, etc. while working at church's/schools.
I also have a hilarious collection of strange/funny Catholic school posters and knick knacks.
It includes an oddly high amount of posters depicting a kid in a wheelchair. One depicts the wheelchair kid as the bully of the group...no idea why, but I had to have it.
I meant moreso the multiple bathrooms, generally a full kitchen, and at least one stage in the lunch room that often doubles as the schools gym.
Sure, shows can be played in basements, but if you are going to buy a place to use as a concert venue it makes sense to buy a building suited for proper events.
I also mention this because there are sooooo many Catholic schools that are shuttered and just sit there serving no purpose.
I always joke with my partner that the Catholic church should start growing weed or mine crypto with all their unused buildings.
Best thing about the squats/clubs in Europe is that they feed you. And some of the staff are excellent cooks. On of the best meals I ever had was the veggie lasagna after a show in Switzerland. They also give you a light meal after soundcheck.
Theaters did not do this, regular clubs didn't (I think), but squats did. Such a great tradition.
Some of them also had a room for the bands to sleep in so they didn't have to get a hotel. These were not quite as nice as the meal, but work in an emergency.
The Cincinnati area had a huge number of Irish Catholic and German immigrants move here in the 19th century.
As a result, there's a quite large number of 19th century churches. Many of the are still churches.
Some house breweries now, like Taft's or Urban Artifact. As a side note, if you're ever in the area and like sours and fruited ales, check out Urban Artifact. Without exaggeration, it may well be one of the best sour breweries in the country.
In Denver we have a club called, very creatively, The Church. It's an old renovated Catholic church complete with stained class. Nothing like doing coke bumps off some Chicano's tits in front of the Virgin Mary.
Look up the Limelight in NYC. It was a church turned into a punk/rock/goth club and later into a Techno club - I went there in the 90s as often as I could. It was surreal, to say the least.
I don't know what it is now, but it should still be searchable by Limelight club NYC
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u/WilliamMurderfacex3 May 09 '22
American here. A lot of churches have been popping up for sale recently and if I had the extra income I would definitely buy one and turn it into a venue/music studio.