Here are some huge artists you didn’t realise played at Liverpool’s Guild of Students

You’ll probably only think of Mountford Hall as the home of the big freshers’ bash, pub quizzes and cheap pints, but the University of Liverpool’s student union has hosted some of the UK’s best musical acts over the years – as well as serving tasty burritos and post-lecture treats.

The Guild’s very own Mountford Hall has a capacity of 2,300 people, meaning thousands of sweaty students have piled into the venue at some point to jump in a mosh pit and throw plastic cups of Thatchers around the place.

I watched The Last Dinner Party perform at the humble venue in October and the band themselves said it had the same vibes “school gymnasium”. Admittedly, it is quite a fitting description.

Hundreds of bands and artists have probably flown under your radar during your stint at uni, so we’ve compiled some of our favourites that you may or may not have realised performed at the Guild of Students at some point.

Azealia Banks

Starting strong with a fan favourite and queen of the rap scene, Azealia Banks graced the stage of Mountford Hall on 21^st September last year. This was the singer-rapper’s second gig in Liverpool following her first in 2012, and was the sixth stop of her UK tour fittingly named Back to the Union Jack. She was an hour late to the stage in classic Banks fashion, but who can blame her when she’s just that iconic.

Blossoms

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Stockport’s own Blossoms are Liverpool regulars. The band have visited the Guild twice now, as well as several other locations in and around Liverpool including the beloved Jacaranda Baltic, Sefton Park, O2 Academy and Invisible Wind Factory. There’s just something about seeing a giant fibreglass gorilla on the stage in your student union that ticks all the boxes for me.

Fatboy Slim

Dance music legend Fatboy Slim performed at the Guild’s Mountford Hall on 23^rd March 2023 as part of a UK tour following the release of his album, Right Here, Right Then. Slim has been regularly performing at festivals all over the world for decades now, so consider yourself lucky if you saw him at a venue this size.

The Wombats

Crossing enemy lines onto the UoL campus are indie rock band The Wombats. These guys were born out of a jamming session at Liverpool John Moores, so I commend their bravery for stepping into Mountford Hall. If I’m not mistaken, the Wombats have played the most shows at this venue, spanning from their first visit in 2015 to their most recent three night run in April 2022. The Wombats are set to return to Liverpool this Valentine’s Day at the Jacaranda Baltic.

Sam Fender

Sam Fender played Mountford Hall on 23^rd November 2019 after the release of his debut studio album Hypersonic Missiles. Six years later, the Geordie has headlined Finsbury Park, won a Mercury Prize and is now selling out a UK stadium tour. I’m assuming anyone who saw him play has jumped on the “before he was famous” train, and I don’t blame them.

Kasabian

Well-loved giants in the rock scene Kasabian have performed in Liverpool quite a few times over the years, playing Mountford Hall twice. The Guild saw them in October 2021 and over 10 years prior on 25^th June 2009. In between these visits, Kasabian headlined the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival in 2014, released several albums and garnered multiple award nominations. That’s one for the memory books if you managed to catch them in our tiny uni venue.

Catfish and the Bottlemen

Catfish and the Bottlemen played at the Guild back on 5^th April 2015 during The Balcony tour. The Welsh indie rock band have played other Liverpool venues including the Echo Arena, the Arts Club and St Luke’s Bombed Out Church. They headlined Liverpool’s Sound City festival in 2016 and performed in Sefton Park last year following the end of their hiatus.

This is just a short selection out of many artists who have played at the Guild’s Mountford Hall throughout the years, and we can’t wait to watch you all skip your next afternoon seminar so you can make the most of our gig venue. If it’s in the student union, it’s basically doing your uni work, right?