[Posted by staff member]

The Monto Water Rats of Grays Inn Road is in the unique position of being not only one of the most important live music venues of the last decade, but also one of London's most famous pubs, favoured for its warm, convivial atmosphere.

The Monto Water Rats live venue and bar is free from all the bullshit that you would normally associate with Clubs in London. The reputation is universal. On their website www.themonto.com you can see the ethos was to create a platform that would nurture both local talent and, at the same time, cater for international stars.

Tourists from all over the world regularly visit to photograph the venue that has played host to such legends as Bob Dylan, Oasis, Katy Perry, MGMT and The Magic Numbers. In recent years The Monto Water Rats has hosted concerts for important new stars such as The Courteeners, Glasvegas and Black Kids. It is a venue that musicians from all over the world consistently request to perform in and return to.

Monto are a team of experienced music bookers and promoters programme a schedule of live music seven nights a week, incorporating all genres from rock, indie and electronic to traditional, folk, country and roots music. This diversity attracts music fans from all walks off life – students, media professionals, and veteran music fanatics.

I love the Water Rats - great location, great look and feel. HOWEVER (and this is a massive however for people thinking of parting with their hard earned cash to make a trip) I went there to see some bands last night (Thursday 13th Nov) and was left hugely disappointed not by the music (which was all exceptional and diverse), but by the sound man. He was clearly having a terribly bad day.

Imagine if you will being smacked in the face by a continuous wall of sound and punched in the ears over and over again by Floyd Mayweather - that brings you somewhere near an experience of the sound quality. The 'professional' sound man commented in response to a clearly concerned front man that  they 'should have turned up for their sound check'. On further investigation, it turns out that all the bands were late because of an unavoidable 2 hour traffic jam in central London. Surely any 'professional' sound man of any worth would be able to respond to such a situation, especially given that there are paying customers.