The Carling Academy is very poor in terms of sound and the people it gets into its gigs. Some of the people who go to gigs here seem to think it acceptable to talk ALL the way through gigs. The floor is sticky, the prices they charge are stupidly expensive and the sound system is very much poor. I have been to loads of gigs there both upstairs and downstairs and have rarely been impressed but had to go as that is where some of my favourite bands always end up going.

I have saw many gigs at his venue and  while it holds a good size audience, it is still small enough to retain a sense of imtimacy. A great example was the recent Y&T show, during which Dave Meniketti held the audience spellbound with his playing and the atmosphere of the whole event was just incredible.
Door policy is lenient (but not so that any idiot can get in with a blade) and staff seam laid back and sociable.
As a local venue to me, it is one I rely on to book better known and up and coming artists and they usually succeed in doing so at reasonable prices around the £15 to £20 mark, athough the recent Scorpions show was a little overpriced IMO at £35.
Overall a good venue with lots to offer, only real criticism is early nigh curfew for gigs which usually means an early start too.

MOO!pmsbull

I was there to see Mercury Rev last week. The band were outstanding but the venue-it was poor. It was smelly, the sound was dreadful because there was another artist playing in the same building and the crowd were lethargic to say the least. The latter was surely only due to the venue because everyone I spoke with after the concert agreed the band were magnificent.