Players Bar - The Unassuming Stage for Established and Upcoming Artists.

Players Bar is located in the  CBD below the parkade along Union Avenue in Harare, its not flashy or upmarket in any way, its more to the filthy side. The location of the bar is on a dark corridor which feel like a cave and on your way to the door one will be greeted by the smell of urine as some patrons relive themselves in the dark parts on the path. Inside there is nothing that stands out, you get a stage, pool tables some flat screen led tv's and several bar tables where you can order your beer and chill. Enroute to the toilets you pass through a mini restaurant, only the brave eat there!!. Its definitely not a bar you can take you lady to but you can go with your buddies mostly because the beers are perfectly priced, no additional premiums or anything.

A couple of years back when I was still into clubbing we would go to the bar with the guys and have a number of drinks before we leave for the clubs, it made economic sense, we would leave the bar already lit and would get into the club ready to have a good time, without the pressure of buying insanely priced beverages. So those days nearly all the times I got into Players Bar there were these third class strippers on the stage and I thought that was mainly what the bar was for. I was proved wrong recently when a friend of mine who still frequents the bar told and showed me the list of artists that come to perform there. 

The list is quite long and it features superstars and established artists such as Jah Prayzah, Sulumani Chimbetu, Progress Chipfumo, Tryson Chimbetu to upcoming artists & bands such as Mbeu & The Mhodzi Tribe to some unknown bands that are still trying to make name for themselves!!. Artists of various genres come to perform at the bar, which believe it or not surprisingly makes the bar one where you can experience the most diverse sound. The last time I passed through the bar there was this traditional band on stage, with a serious Mbira vibe led by a female artists, have forgot the name. 

It may be crazy to think this bar probably has the most diverse array of shows but when you realize that unlike other bars/venues which book artists according to their pulling power, Players Bar seems not to work in that way and also it's not a bar that can afford to bring those stars. It seems that the bar despite being unassuming, it's a place where many artists come to put final touches on their sets and/or sample some new songs and/or get to sample how fans reacts to their new choreography. Also the big artists do not perform their normal sets in terms of length, they just come on stage for about 30mins and leave.

One can say artists are exploiting the bar but on the other hand the faithful patrons of the bar get to enjoy various artists and performances for just a dollar whilst enjoying appropriately priced beverages. 

Its not even a bar I can recommend to people, it's not the cleanest of bars, when packed it does start to smell but somehow your favorite artist(s) keeps coming to perform there. 

Proud Zimbo