Feature by Northings
Venue Profile: Fusion
Fusion
Location: Kirkwall, Orkney
Details: 2 level venue and club. Ground floor is Fusion with capacity of 500. First floor is Firelounge with a capacity of 200.
Programme: Music – live and DJ, comedy, community events
Director’s Statement
Fusion, which opened earlier this year, is located in the centre of Kirkwall. Housed in the distinctive old premises of Orkney Seafoods, Fusion is a modern and up to date venue which is able to accommodate visiting DJs and live acts, as well as local bands and DJs. The name Fusion is derived from the music policy which is varied in order to attract a wide range of customers. The design of the building is a blend of old and new with as much of the original stonework left intact as possible. The club is divided onto two floors. “Fusion” on the ground floor, has a large central bar set amid subtly lit seating areas, leather couches and stone walls. At the other end of the ground floor is a large dance floor with state of the art lighting. Upstairs, the “Firelounge” is a more intimate bar with more subtly lit seating, and a small dance floor.
The music policy is across the board. We realise the importance of providing entertainment to all ages and musical tastes. We currently have 8 different nights, ranging from the latest pop/chart releases to rock nights to country nights. At times there can be 2 styles of music on one night – one upstairs and one downstairs and once you are in the building you are free to move between the two floors.
Our aim is to offer a great night out for as many people as possible. As well as the locals regularly supporting us, we are also attracting customers from Shetland and Caithness. With our commitment to continually providing good quality acts from both outwith and within Orkney, we hope to entertain our audiences for a long time to come with the added possibility of enticing them out to try something they may not have considered attending before.
Interview with Director
As part of our profile of Fusion, HI~Arts Journal caught up with venue proprietor, Neil Stevenson.
When was the venue established?
Neil: After 3 years of planning and construction Fusion opened its doors to the public on 22 May 2003.
What famous names have taken to the stage so far?
Neil: Judge Jules was the opening act. Over the first few months we have had several big name DJs play in the club. On the live front Steve Earle, The Proclaimers, Mull Historical Society, Finley Quaye, Cosmic Rough Riders, Longview, John Spillane, Donnie Munro and Arab Strap. We have also hosted The Stand Comedy Club.
What are your big ideas for the future of the venue?
Neil: To continue to promote live music in Orkney, both from a local angle and visiting artist perspective.
Does the venue have a ghost?
Neil: We think so! The building is a couple of hundred years old and there have been one or two unexplained goings-on!
What was your worst disaster as director?
Neil: So far I have been fairly lucky. I did have one cancellation at the last minute from DJ Sammy which meant I had to refund the best part of 1000 tickets. Plus, back in April, I nearly had The Darkness booked to play in the club. Unfortunately the night they offered was already booked for a DJ. This could be one of my biggest regrets.
What was your biggest triumph?
Neil: The booking of Radio 1 DJ Judge Jules for the opening night was special, plus the Steve Earle gig. I have travelled South to the mainland twice in the last 18 months to see him live so it was an honour to have him play in my own venue. Plus, seeing Fusion’s name on his official website alongside some large USA venues was rather unusual.
If you could have any artist in the world for a one-off special, who would it be and why?
Neil: It would have to be AC/DC. They are my all time favourite band – a no nonsense rock and roll band. They have a massive following locally. We did 2 nights with AC/DC tribute band AB/CD in June which was a huge success.
Why should people look forward to visiting Fusion?
Neil: I think we can offer a quality venue in a location a little off the beaten track. Most artists that have made the trip North so far go away happy, many looking to come back.
