Thinking inside the box

New live venues pop up

What?: Usually reserved for trafficking people across continents, shipping containers are being put to a much better use as mobile pop-up nightclubs. Southern Comfort is currently engaged in the SoCo Experiment, which consists of stacking four shipping containers -side by side, or on top of each other (like giant building blocks) – to form a mobile live venue. The units – which can be assembled in a day – normally consist of a bar, stage and lounge area, shifting décor and music to fit its clientele. During Melbourne’s St Kilda festival in February, SoCo Cargo hosted a number of up-and-coming live acts in the pop-up box environment.

So what?: As the stalwart venues of the live industry feel the inevitable rumble of JCBs on the horizon (The Astoria, Hammersmith Palais both scheduled for demolition) and with increasing pressure on venues – due to spiraling community policing costs and the heavy handed approach of local councils to sanitize areas into flats or office blocks – any new venture for live is to be welcomed with open arms.

Pop-up venues contribute a solution to both the demise of traditional small venues and the monopolisation of the larger. A temporary, mobile venue offers brands the ability to utilise a personalised live arena, without the overriding costs of purchasing an actual arena. The ability to switch the style of music and setting, combined with the deliverability of being able to place your brand on your target audiences doorstep, positions this as a strong music platform with room for inventive development.

www.southerncomfort.com