The Black Heart is an integral part of the UK underground heavy music scene and international touring circuit. The list of incredible bands that have played in the venue is endless. Can you imagine a heavy music community without The Black Heart? Yeah, neither can New Heavy Sounds.
The Black Heart has spent a year adapting their bar and venue to meet government guidelines due to this awful pandemic, but they can go no further on their own. They need to raise £100,000 by the end of March 2021, or they face the very real prospect of never reopening. The venue are independently owned and operated and are proud to have retained all their staff, because they're a family. They are now reaching out to the extended Black Heart family for support as they launch the #savetheblackheart crowdfunder.
The Black Heart has played an integral part in the New Heavy Sounds Record's story. The label themselves have put on numerous gigs on at the venue including a week of shows during which they saw a performance by Vodun that persuaded the label to sign them. Paul from the label comments,
'We have launched many of our albums at The Black Heart including Black Moth, Limb and Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard. Our latest signings, Mountain Caller have a date to play a socially distanced show at The Black Heart to launch their debut album. Our Japanese two-piece noise-makers Blacklab were set to play The Black Heart as part of 2020's Desert Fest.
Ged and I have drunk and hung out there and seen a ton of bands in recent years - we even spent a memorable New Year's Eve when we invited Rob from Limb to judge an air-guitar contest in The Black Heart Bar. We love the bar, the venue, the staff, the vibe, the lot.
The Black Heart is one of the crucial grass roots venues, if not the most important, for the heavy underground scene. Times are hard indeed and we cannot rely of any 'hand-outs' to keep our beloved scene alive and thriving, we have to do it ourselves. That is why New Heavy Sounds and our bands are giving our tracks to The Black Heart in this digital compilation in order to raise funds to keep the venue going beyond the Pandemic.’
Featuring the likes of Black Moth, Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard, Sky Valley Mistress, Grave Lines, Vodun and Mountain Caller, the 11 track compilation is available digitally (suggested donation £5) from:
