SOUTHAMPTON’S Joiners has been named Britain’s Best Small Venue.
The 200-capacity venue in St Mary’s, which has hosted legendary shows from the likes of Radiohead, The Charlatans and Primal Scream over the years, has scooped the 2013 accolade following votes cast by more than 76,000 music lovers in an NME poll.
Frank Turner, who himself voted for The Joiners in the poll, will perform a special one off show to celebrate.
The folk punk singer/songwriter, who hails from Meonstoke near Winchester, will return on June 24.
He said: "For somebody like me, who came up through those places, to give a little something back is really important."
He last appeared there on his birthday in December in a fundraiser for The Joiners, which has suffered financial difficulties.
Ricky Bates, head of booking and promotion at The Joiners, paid tribute to the venue’s audiences who he said were all ‘so versed in music’.
The venue secured the top spot from the likes of Stoke’s Sugarmill and Concorde 2 in Brighton.
