Five Lamps to shine again

When the Five Lamps pub announced earlier this year that it was to close its doors because, well, not enough people were walking through them, my tangible sense of loss was accompanied by a slight twinge of guilt.

There’s no doubt in my mind that, despite the heritage of places like The Flowerpot and The Vic, Five Lamps was THE place to go for fresh, live - and superbly diverse - music and entertainment in Derby. And if the city couldn't muster enough enthusiasm to keep one of the city's finest music venues alive and kicking, then what chance did we have of ever nurturing our own local talent?

My guilt was far more self-absorbed and lay in the fact that, despite living just a two-minute walk away from one of Derby’s most iconic venues, I’d not really been the supportive regular that I should have been. I’d often strolled by the The Lamps on the way in to town with the intention of calling in for a pint or two, only to find a band half way through their set and the guy at the door asking me for a fiver. Other times I’d walk in to find it more or less empty. It was one of those places that was difficult to work out.

But whenever I’d taken the conscious decision to spend an evening in the company of my local, there’s no doubt that it had something extra-special about it. Something you couldn’t quite put your finger on. It was one of those places that seemed to form a protective bubble to the outside world and wrap you up in its uniquely enthusiastic arms.

The Five Lamps was in its element when bursting at the seams. Its film nights showcased ‘shorts’ by some of the region’s most promising film-makers, its ‘open mic’ nights encouraged performances from spoken word through to acoustic and beyond and it’s ‘Girls with Guitars’ sets were a showcase for Derby’s finest female singer songwriters. There certainly ain't many (if any) places in Derby that came close to matching Five Lamps' devotion and diversity.

So I was thrilled to see that, over the last couple of weeks, its run-down exterior had shown encouraging signs of activity and last week, a wind-swept banner promising an August re-opening now tantalises us with a ‘To drink. To eat. To relax. To watch. To Listen” pledge that lets that feeling of guilt to subside.

It's not every day that we're given a second chance and this time, I pledge to support the Five Lamps pub at every opportunity I get. For the creative sake of our beloved city, I urge you to do likewise.