Five incredible gigs lined up for Independent Venue Week in Ipswich

The big picture: Brighten The Corners has been participating in Independent Venue Week, an annual celebration of grassroots music and arts venues and the people behind them, since 2018.

Why it matters: Grassroots venues are crucial to the music industry's ecosystem, often providing the first stepping stones for aspiring musicians. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy recently praised Ipswich's music ecosystem as a potential blueprint for towns across the UK – down largely to the work of Brighten the Corners, which runs three indepenent venues in the town.

The lineup:

• Tuesday 28 January: Post-punk band Home Counties headlines The Smokehouse, with support from alternative pop band PleasureInc
• Friday 31 January: The Smokehouse hosts East Anglia Noise Alliance's experimental electronica showcase featuring six artists, while Tune Up presents rising local acts Sophiethegreat, Arthur Black, Headcheck and Helix at The Baths
• Saturday 1 February: Folk band The Rabbitts perform at The Smokehouse with support from Maple Ward, and Colchester punk band PET NEEDS delivers an acoustic set at St Stephen's Church

What they're saying:

• The Line of Best Fit praised Home Counties, writing: "From boisterous highs to relentless lows, Home Counties' ability to capture the tumultuousness of the every day through bouncy, maximalist soundscapes has fast secured them as notable indie noisemakers," giving the band an 8/10 rating.
• The Most Radicalist described PleasureInc. as "Danceable, groovy and slick".
• NARC Magazine dubbed PET NEEDS' latest record 'Primetime Entertainment' as "joyous experimentation" in a four-star review.

The bottom line: As venues face challenging times in January, Independent Venue Week offers music lovers a chance to support the spaces that nurture emerging talent while enjoying an eclectic mix of performances.