Go rocking to live music at the perfect club.
For live music lovers the question “which club to check out?” maybe as hard to answer as the question “which club to check out?” maybe as hard to answer as the question “which club to play at?” is for a music band, especially considering that the number of live music clubs in Kyiv is considerably smaller than that of its glamorous dance clubs. Being a musician myself, I have been researching the live music club scene for several years now, and have concluded that there aren’t that many places worth attending. So thinking about which live music club deserves being called the best of Kyiv, I found four venues that, in my opinion, come closest to winning the title.
The first music club I ever attended in my life was Barvy. It happened about four years ago and I liked my first visit so much, that for some time Barvy became a place where I spent all my Friday and Saturday nights. In fact, this is one of the oldest live music clubs in Kyiv, with a history starting in the late 80s. At first it was a secret rock club, but in 1995 the club became public and for a long time it gathered crowds of people wanting to listen to bands like Mertviy Piven (Dead Rooster), Plach Yeremiyi (Yeremiya’s Cry), VV and many other bands which were at that time known only in small circles of music connoisseurs and are now living legends. Unfortunately, being non commercial, the club soon became more of an underground venue and is now considered to be the first stage for young bands to perform on. The club’s non-commercial nature shows in the musical equipment there, which leaves much to be desired. Besides, the size of the stage is way too small and can hardly accommodate a band of more than four musicians.
Being slightly disappointed with Barvy, I started looking for another club with a cozy atmosphere and good music. I’ve heard a lot about the popular 44 art club and decided to check it out. Though the club stands on Kyiv’s main street, Khreshctyk, it took me ages to find it, because it is hidden in a deep courtyard and has neither a signboard with the club’s name, nor any other sign indicating the club’s whereabouts. The owners of the club affirm that this is the club’s “salt,” but to my mind this is a bad idea. The main hall of the club, with a long bar and a stage opposite it, looks like a good setup for a music club. Bands playing jazz, blues and rock perform there every evening and music equipment is of high quality. Famous bands also perform at 44 quite frequently. However, if you venture into the club in time for such a gig, you will experience awful service, waiting for almost an hour to be served by a server.
For a long time Bochka Pyvna, located near Petrivka metro station, remained my favorite music club. A stage with high quality sound equipment, a long bar, and a cool pub atmosphere are just a few nice features on the long list of the club’s advantages. Bochka is decorated country-style, with massive wooden tables and chairs. The club has one spacious room equipped with nine TV sets and one big projection screen, giving you an opportunity to enjoy sports programs during the day. Pyvna Bochka offers 10 brands of beer, including its own “Bochka” brand, which is made according to the club’s exclusive recipe, and which I like best of all. Unfortunately, there isn’t enough space between the stage and the tables, so that when a concert takes place people dancing around near the stage become a real disaster for the guests sitting at tables.
The “younger sister” of Pyvna Bochka, Bochka Khmilna, opened in February. The new Bochka retained the features of the older one while adding some nice new ones. The interior is designed in retro style: the walls are decorated with wood and are not plastered in some places, so that the brickwork shows through. The club consists of three floors with different themes. The second floor looks more like a jazz cafe than a pub, with a little stage and a piano in the corner. In the evenings jazz music is usually played there and a calm atmosphere reigns in this part of the club. The first floor of Bochka has a real pub ambience with a long bar, serving a huge assortment of beer. Wooden stairs lead from the first floor to the ground floor with dim lighting and a big, well-lit stage in the far part of the hall. And while I still love Bochka Pyvna, I cannot underestimate the much more central location of its younger sister and a size, which, complete with atmosphere and good music, make it an ultimate hideout for those who prefer to hanging out to the tunes of live bands.
Bochka Khmilna (3B-1 Bohdana Khmelnytskoho, 390-6106)
