Taunton nightlife: Bliss takeover rumours and new live music venue (From Somerset County Gazette)

Taunton nightlife: Bliss takeover rumours and new live music venue

2:00pm Thursday 14th March 2013 in News By Daniel Milligan

CLUBBERS in Taunton can look forward to a live music venue soon to be created in the town centre.

Builders will start work at The Perfect 5th site in High Street this week and the people behind the revamp, Karl Drew and partner Tarryn Marais, hope to re-open the venue as The Live Room in mid-April.

It will be the second venue the couple run in the town after they took over The Drawing Room in Castle Green last June.

They said: “We feel Taunton’s missing a venue that can provide regular live music of all genres, and from speaking to a lot of people that’s what they want.

“Taunton has bars and clubs, but people need somewhere else to go that’s a bit different.”

The couple also said any acts affected by the closure of the Brewhouse Theatre should get in touch to see if the venue can accommodate them.

Meanwhile, rumours are circulating about Okoko nightclub’s potential takeover of the former Bliss nightclub in East Street.

Okoko manager Michelle Andrews did not wish to comment on the rumours, but said Taunton desperately needs a second nightclub.

She said: “Taunton needs somewhere for 18-year-olds to go and we don’t have enough capacity to get all these people in Okoko.

“The doors need to re-open at Bliss soon to keep the diversity in the town centre and keep Taunton’s late-night economy vibrant.

“You have to go that extra mile to get people to come out these days.”