Weird Garden: Lincoln’s Hidden Gem for Music Lovers
October 6 | Written By Phoebe Needham-Chandler
Nestled in the heart of Lincoln at Decimal Place, 10 Burton Road, Weird Garden takes place. Hosted by Lucy and Gavin Morrow, this monthly event showcases live experimental music and sound art from a diverse range of performers. Decimal Place is a small venue characterised by its eccentricity, combining the cosiness of someone’s living room with the idiosyncrasy of an art exhibit; it’s like falling down a rabbit hole. Both ‘gardeners’ and new visitors alike can expect to be met with a warm welcome, as the organisers provide a homey space for creative, like-minded individuals to mingle.
Weird Garden celebrates creative freedom in a truly inspirational way, bringing light to small artists and first-time performers, and providing ongoing support to the underground art scene. Collaborating with Slumgothic Limited, Weird Garden presented x-24 on July 13th-14th at x-Church, Gainsborough. This free entry 24-hour music festival featured over 30 performances ranging from rock bands to ambient sound sets, all amplified by the atmospheric backdrop of a church venue. Providing food and drinks throughout the event and showcasing powerful art exhibitions in between performances, festival goers of all ages had an extraordinary experience.
In addition to their monthly events, Weird Garden hosts Lincoln Tape Club at Decimal Place, described as ‘a chance to play and show recordings, music, tapes, videos, films, slides, photos, ephemera, artwork, gadgets – or just listen and watch’. This event enables people of all ages to share and explore their interests in an open-minded environment. In the modern world, it’s easy to think of cassette tapes as vintage artefacts, but events like Lincoln Tape Club shed light on the importance and fascination of old things.
Performers at Weird Garden’s monthly events have included Flash Cassette, Dog Explosion, Plyci, Diseasesofvenus, Sorgen, and The Bohman Brothers. During their March event this year, Flash Cassette played a lively electro-funk set, featuring light up glasses and remarkable synthy sounds. This was accompanied by Diseasesofvenus, described as ‘one-man psychedelic shoegaze’, and Sorgen’s harsh noise set. March’s event is the perfect example of how diverse Weird Garden’s performances are; from upbeat dance music to ambient sound, there is something for everyone to enjoy at Weird Garden.
The Bohman Brothers, who performed at Weird Garden in January this year, demonstrated the essence of freedom and creativity during their set. Performing together since 1984, this comedic, musical duo specialises in using non-instruments to create music. Their Weird Garden performance combined comedy skits with using household objects to create sounds and songs, making the audience laugh whilst also proving that creativity knows no bounds.
Weird Garden is one of Lincoln’s hidden gems, and it promises an enthralling atmosphere and good company. As well as supporting small artists and first-time performers, Weird Garden succeeds in uniting art lovers and music fanatics from all backgrounds. The beauty of Weird Garden is its genuine celebration of creative freedom and individuality; after visiting Weird Garden once, visitors will immediately feel at home. Quirky Lincoln residents and anybody with a passion for supporting small artists can expect to appreciate everything that Weird Garden has to offer.