Norwich nightclub up for international award

The owner of an "underdog" nightclub said he was "overwhelmed" after the venue was shortlisted for an international award.

Gonzo's Two Room, in London Street, Norwich, has been named alongside 10 clubs in London, Manchester and Ibiza for the BBC Radio 1 Dance Awards prize for best venue in the UK and Europe.

The awards, which cover four different categories, will be decided on by a public vote, which closes on 14 February.

Mike Baxter, owner of Gonzo's Two Room, said: "We're very honoured, humbled and stoked [to be nominated]."

Mr Baxter said that he and his team were "blown away" and added "any other word than surprised would be a lie".

He said: "To see the names we're up against is mind-blowing.

"I think the joke we've been making is we've heard of every one of those clubs except for us!

"It [live music] is a hard industry, but for us it was about making something awesome.

"To see artists that - by definition - don't belong in Norwich. You'd see those at shows in London, Manchester and Ibiza. We've developed relationships now with artists where we're getting major artists that we've not seen outside of the major cities before who are coming for the crowd."

Also shortlisted for the best venue award are:

• Amnesia, Ibiza
• Drumsheds, London
• Index, Dublin
• Sneaky Pete's, Edinburgh
• Blackstone Street Warehouse, Liverpool
• Fabric, London
• Hi Ibiza, Ibiza
• Motion, Bristol
• The Warehouse Project at Depot Mayfield, Manchester

The winners will be revealed live on Radio 1 Dance from 18:00 GMT on 21 February.

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