SOMA San Diego

[Alchemist559]

What does everyone think of this venue, I really want to go see Interpol, but last time I was there it was filled with a bunch of fucking retards that made me hate this Venue. It was filled with Kids pushing and fighting, the place was really dirty and they didn't even serve beer. Was that just my experience the one time I went there or have other people been there and had a better time? I like to chill rather than be trampled, that is why HOB in SD is the best venue for my taste. BTW the show I went to was for Artic Monkeys and the opening band sucked balls.

[GrossMagic]

vs.



vs.

[Alchemist559]

What venue is the second one, it sort of looks like the Fonda in Hollywood, I take this post as you think SOMA blows as well?

[PassiveTheory]

Well SOMA pretty much bankrupted every other semi-major venue in the 90s, so you can thank them for the WIDE variety of venues to choose from in San Diego.

[GrossMagic]

haha yes it blows. Interpol is also playing at the Fox Pomona which is the second image.

[PJandBompton]

FUCK motherfucking Soma. not only did they eliminate venues in SD, but being the only All Ages venue that size, they took away the possibility of good hip-hop shows in SD, as they refused to allow me to book Wiz Khalifa on this latest tour, and won't do any hip-hop.

FUCK them.

[Alchemist559]

okay I just moved to San Diego 2 years ago, so can someone explain how this piece of shit in a horrible location managed to bankrupt alot of venues in SD

[Mr. Dylanja]

I haven't read a single good thing about the place, but...

ONE MONTH, I'LL BE THERE!!

[PassiveTheory]

FUCK motherfucking Soma. not only did they eliminate venues in SD, but being the only All Ages venue that size, they took away the possibility of good hip-hop shows in SD, as they refused to allow me to book Wiz Khalifa on this latest tour, and won't do any hip-hop.

FUCK them.

That's funny since I compare the Catalyst here in SC to SOMA in all but one respect, and that's it.

[getbetter]

i should be somewhere in that fox theater picture because i was on the right side

[PJandBompton]

That's funny since I compare the Catalyst here in SC to SOMA in all but one respect, and that's it.

i have heard the same about the Catalyst, but at least they have hip-hop as i know Wiz played there on the same tour i booked him...

[PJandBompton]

and to make it worse, when i was working at the Che Cafe, Len Paul, the owner of Soma, used to file noise complaints when there was an indie show he wanted but instead ended up at the Che.

fuck him.

[Alchemist559]

okay I just moved to San Diego 2 years ago, so can someone explain how this piece of shit in a horrible location managed to bankrupt alot of venues in SD

yeah i just quoted myself becasue I still want to know the answer to this

[PassiveTheory]

and to make it worse, when i was working at the Che Cafe, Len Paul, the owner of Soma, used to file noise complaints when there was an indie show he wanted but instead ended up at the Che.

fuck him.

Which is pretty much what the owners of the Catalyst did to what used to be The Attic as well as other venues downtown.

[Phantasma Del Mar]

I'm 20 so there hasn't been many venues I can go to for shows in SD...Been to Soma way too many times and it is indeed a shithole, lol.

Hearing this stuff about the owner and how they ran out other all ages venues is awesome though, anyone wanna go in-depth on all that?

[PJandBompton]

if it wasn't for the Casbah, none of us would ever have to deal with going to any shows at this shithole.

As far as him running venues out of business, i'm only 21 so the only one i can speak on personally is him filing noise complaints with the Che from a hotel, when the hotel is over 2 miles away. He did this out of greed, and that he didn't get local bands that the Che was getting.

[PassiveTheory]

I do not give a fuck about The Locust but this sums it up:

What has been your biggest difficulty in performing/organizing all-ages shows in San Diego?

Well over the years, I think I paid my dues as far as getting on good show. I worked at the Che, and knew so many people who have booked there over the years. Also, I have been part of the musical community here for so long, I have become friends with people who book around town. I mean, for San Diego, we are sort of screwed. Id love to see a venue like the Troubadour, where it’s all ages and had a bar. But for whatever reason we don’t get that. So in place artists tend to gravitate to playing houses, in parking lots, art galleries, and even secret underground sewage areas. These days I mainly work with Tim Mays who books The Locust and in the past has booked for other bands that I was part of like Some Girls and Head Wound City. If it’s not Tim booking at the Epicentre, its be booking at the Che or other random places. But for bands coming through, I know a lot of them have serious problems getting shows, especially if they want to play a good venue like the Casbah and not some dive bar where there is little to no promotion.

This may seem like an obvious question, but have any of your bands ever played The Casbah? If yes, have your experiences been positive or negative?

Nope. But I have been there a gazillion times to see bands that are on Three One G or even people whom I am or have been in bands with, play there in other bands. I think it’s a great venue and I’d very much like to play there. But it’s just not going to happen as far as I can tell.

I’m assuming you attend 21+ shows, but correct me if I’m wrong. If you do, what was the first show you saw at The Casbah? Who were you with? How was the show? What did you like/dislike about the club?

Yeah, like I said, I have gone there so many times. Its one of my favorite places to see live bands. I’ve even been thrown out when I went to see Das Oath play there. The first time I went, was to see someone play, but I was under age and watched from the door, back when it was up Kettner a bit more. I’ve even gone there with my mom to see shows. As far as dislikes, the only one is the age restriction. Sometimes the audience, but that can’t be blamed on the venue.

What was the most memorable concert you’ve seen at The Casbah? What happened that made it great and/or a total mess?

Awe man, there were so many. I’m pretty selective about shows I go to as I spend over half the year on tour playing shows. So when I go to a show at the Casbah, its friends like Melt Banana, Quintron, Melvins, The Chinese Stars, Zach Hill, and so on. So seeing friends perform is always memorable. The sound is great there, the people who all work there are cool, and the venue over all accommodates the artists who play there, making the shows good for the bands and the fans.

Aside from providing an opportunity for a younger audience to see your bands, what do you think the other advantages are in playing all-ages venues like the Che Café or The Smell in L.A.? Do you think it provides for a better live experience? Do you appreciate the communal aspect?

Well with the all ages’ circuit, you tend to get an audience who is more enthusiastic about the music. Like I said before, a younger all-ages crowd tends to be part of the show, which makes for a different feel. But I’m speaking for a type of music that I play. I suppose if I played in a band like the Bad Seeds or something, I’d be more apt to play age restricted shows. But I don’t want to lump all ages shows into one category. There is a definite difference between venues like the Che and the Smell compared to once like the Epicentre. And even with that, me and other local artists have drawn an ethical line with venues like Soma, who has ruined aspects of the San Diego music community for years, even since I was 13 or 14 years old. Len, the owner would shut down places like the Che, Soul Kitchen, Grape Street Alano Club, and many others. So I’d suck up my morals and play the Casbah, where the people involved are looked at as part of our musical community before I’d play Soma.

Do you think clubs like The Casbah appeal to more touring bands because they’ll almost always make more money there than if they play an all-ages venue? Do you think The Locust would be more or less successful and widely known if you regularly booked both 21+ clubs and all-ages clubs?

Bands probably get paid better playing the bar circuit. A cut of the bar that can be applied to the bands pay is always a plus. But then again, if the audience is at an all ages venue, they can’t buy booze, so what else can they buy? Merchandise! But as far as pay, ultimately what it comes down to is booking agents, and promotion. I think if the Che put more effort into promoting, it would have better turnouts at times. But you are talking about a collective who is all-volunteer compared to a paid staff. As far as what would be more successful for The Locust, I have no idea. I’m sure our morals and ethics for many things have harmed us. But you can’t buy dignity and integrity, so we opt to stick to our guns.

Do you know Tim Mays personally? Have you ever worked with him to book all-ages shows? If yes, what are the key differences between dealing with him and dealing with other show promoters in town?

I do know Tim. I love the guy. He has booked some of the bands I have been in, I have brought bands to him, and he treats everyone very well. He is a rare breed of promoter I must say. I have come across some real dick heads in my years of touring, so it’s always great to work with Tim here in San Diego.

Are there any show promoters in town whose business practices are deplorable? Anybody who’s a complete dick and shouldn’t be worked with?

Len Paul.

[PJandBompton]

and that is why i have such an admiration for Tim Mays. he is a complete idol in every aspect of promoting i do.

as far as the Che, they don't get bigger shows because of the reluctance to give into anything they don't agree with. when i was there, we got offered by myspace to have two seperate shows from Against Me and No Age, and they voted against both of them because of the affiliation with Rupert Murdoch. needless to say, myself and the rest of the booking guys there were pretty pissed off...but i respect them for staying true to their morals...

[hangthedj112]

last time I was there it was filled with a bunch of fucking retards that made me hate this Venue. It was filled with Kids pushing and fighting, the place was really dirty and they didn't even serve beer. Was that just my experience the one time I went there or have other people been there and had a better time?

Noooooooooope, that's Soma.

[Alchemist559]

That shit is stupid why would Interpol play this shitty venue instead of HOB or somewhere else in SD? Is it just because of the all ages thing? Does Interpol really need to rely on selling merchandise? I already know even though their music is not the type to make people mosh and push people, these dumb kids will find a way. This sucks when you want to see a band and they are coming to where you live and you would rather drive 2 hours north just to be in a better enviroment.

[pancakespancakes]

That's interesting about Tim Mays. I have had some bad experiences with him personally. So usually when I drive past the Casbah as I'm getting on the 5 north there I give it the finger. But it seems like he's pretty well loved around here and it makes sense...

[PJandBompton]

That's interesting about Tim Mays. I have had some bad experiences with him personally. So usually when I drive past the Casbah as I'm getting on the 5 north there I give it the finger. But it seems like he's pretty well loved around here and it makes sense...

Just curious, but would you mind elaborating? I haven't really heard anything bad about the guy, but i can see where he might have an ego...

[chairmenmeow47]

i will also be there for the black keys and interpol. i'm sure this venue will be better than the non-existent venue they will not be playing in phoenix.

BUT

do they really not serve alcohol? am i going to have to get shitty drunk before i even get there???

[sames44]

do they really not serve alcohol? am i going to have to get shitty drunk before i even get there???

yes it's true unfortunately - get your drink on elsewhere then do some shots in the parking lot before entering

[TallGuyCM]

i will also be there for the black keys and interpol.

I'll be at these shows as well. High five Ivy!

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

I am really glad that L.A. does not have the same laws concerning all ages shows that San Diego has. Nearly all the venues in Hollywood and surrounding are all ages and have bars and they don't have to seperate drinking/no-drinking sections. I got to see so many venues and see so many awesome shows before I was 21 because of this.

[PJandBompton]

I am really glad that L.A. does not have the same laws concerning all ages shows that San Diego has. Nearly all the venues in Hollywood and surrounding are all ages and have bars and they don't have to seperate drinking/no-drinking sections. I got to see so many venues and see so many awesome shows before I was 21 because of this.

one of the reasons LA is the shit.

back to Soma, the security guards will come up to your car and tell you to go inside if you sit in the parking lot too long. no fucking joke.

[JustSteve]

I'll be at these shows as well. High five Ivy!

and me, high ten!

[unknown]

Tallguy is coming down for Interpol?? We need to all meetup for drinks beforehand.

[chairmenmeow47]

I'll be at these shows as well. High five Ivy!

and me, high ten!

*high fives all around*