For forty-three years, The Victoria Hotel in Menai Bridge—affectionately known as The Vic—stood as a reliable cornerstone of our diverse music scene, finally closing its doors under independent ownership on November 21, 2021. Managed by sisters Anne Smeaton, Kate Elias, and Nicky Campbell, the venue was celebrated not just as a local pub, but as a prestigious stop for touring musicians in the jazz, folk, blues, and independent rock genres. It gained a reputation as a "musician’s venue," where world-class players were drawn to the intimate atmosphere of the function room and the genuine hospitality of the family who ran it.
The venue’s musical legacy was vast and varied. It served as a primary hub for the North Wales Jazz society, hosting acclaimed acts like the Tom Thorp Quartet, tenor saxophonist Dean Masser, and local jazz luminary Neil Yates. Its acoustic and roots programming was equally legendary, featuring performances by folk icons such as John Renbourn & Wizz Jones, the award-winning Canadian artist Stephen Fearing, and the high-energy blues duo Hat Fitz and Cara Robinson. On the louder side of the spectrum, The Vic embraced the underground, providing a stage for Bangor-based krautrock pioneers Ectogram, the heavy distortions of The Bent Moustache, and local talent like Jack Sharp.
The sale of the hotel to the national chain Greene King in 2021 marked the end of an era for the town's independent spirit. While the building underwent a multi-million-pound refurbishment and reopened in 2023 as part of the Chef & Brewer Collection, it is the pre-2021 version of The Vic that remains etched in the memory of the community. It was a place where international talent and local fans shared the same floor, and where the "wall of sound" from a touring band often competed with the stunning, quiet views of the Menai Strait just outside the windows.
Here's a video of Welsh Rebel Outpost - a band featuring members of Anhrefn and 4Q playing The Ruts' 'Staring At The Rude Boys' with punk poet Attila The Stockbroker. At The Vic in 2016.
