With the UK’s pint-raising sing-along hit THE CHOIR OF MAN opening its doors soon in Greenville, let’s take a look at what makes the islands’ pub culture so special. 

Imagine a time before cell phones, before Wi-Fi, before the internet even. There's no normalized adventure travel, no global tourism ... in fact, there are no airplanes or automobiles, subways, or trains. There’s just you, your shoes, maybe a horse and cart. Everyone’s whole worlds unfold within a few square miles of their homes, which are all located near-ish each other maybe in London, or Dublin, or Galway, but most likely in smaller hamlets and towns.  

Photo Credit: Stephen Noulton

Now that you’ve imagined yourself here, where do you think you’re going to meet up with your friends, get the town gossip, tell a few exaggerated tales, drink beer, and probably end up singing a few of your favorite traditional tunes?  

That’s right. You’re headed to the pub. And that’s where we’d be headed, too. 

The pub in the United Kingdom isn’t quite like the American bar. Pubs grew out of social necessity, as community gathering places for common folk, blooming from crossroads and town centers and sidewalks to become as much a part of a neighborhood or village as the people themselves. They were places to fill your cup literally and figuratively. In time, pubs earned their rightful station as historic landmarks (at least two English pubs date back to pre-Crusades), their graphic art and interior design are now proud emblems of identity and heritage.  

But along with the structures and time-capsule architecture, pub culture remains, at its core, about a community’s home—a sacred secular place where you’ll find the best of humanity: company, conversation, characters, and someone always ready to buy the next round. 

Where Did Pubs Come From? 

When the Romans started ravaging Britian in 43 A.D., they set up customary Italian tabernae, small wine shops built to quench thirsty soldiers, along the networks of new Roman roads. The Brits also enjoyed wetting their whistles and brewed a rather distinctive ale. Naturally, ale ended up alongside Italian wine at the local tabernae, a word that later became “tavern.” 

Time marched on. Alehouses, inns, and taverns became known by the general term “public houses,” or, for short, “pubs.” They’re deeply rooted into culture and identity, immortalized in art, and as inextricable from the people of the British Isles as DNA itself. 

“The Local" - What the Pub Means to the Community 

So, pubs trace back to the Romans but evolved into their own distinct things across England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. What pubs have in common across the UK is that they’re the heart and soul of a community or neighborhood. They’re a home-away-from-home, a public living room of sorts where you can toss your feet up, let your hair down, and see all your favorite faces. And, there’s beer! 

When you find “your” pub, the place where you belong, the place where you want to be, and where your friends and family know they can find you if you’re not returning texts, that’s called your “local.” As in “Be back in a few, I’m going to the local.” And everybody knows which pub you mean. This term can also refer to the local pub, the neighborhood bar. (You can go to the local without it being your local, is what we’re saying.) 

From Scotland to England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Wales, the pub’s where you go for camaraderie—even if you don’t know anyone there. The best pubs extend a warm welcome in the atmosphere alone. You step inside and feel right at home. You can strike up a conversation with anyone, enjoy the wonky quirks of the building (and your fellow drinkers), watch the game, hear music, and partake in the time-honored tradition of escalating ale-soaked storytelling. 

Meet Us for a Pint at THE CHOIR OF MAN 

The spirit of the great pub—all that fun, that feeling of being safe among friends to be yourself, the music—that's what you’ll get at THE CHOIR OF MAN show on Feb. 4. The creators wanted to capture the joyful essence of the pub at its most celebratory, when all the patrons are feeling good, and every song that comes on the jukebox is one you’re going to sing out loud. Self-consciousness is out the window—you're at the local now. 

Recreating the genuine pub culture vibe means there’s an actual working bar onstage (yes, beer on tap), and you can grab a pint on the set (“the world’s greatest pub”) before the show. The cast, who all play working-class lads you’d find in Any Pub UK, brings the world’s greatest pub, and its jukebox, to life. You’ll hear radio hits you know most of the lyrics to, from Guns ‘N’ Roses to Luther Vandross to Adele. Expect to find yourself singing along, grinning ear to ear. 

It’s your pub culture experience, Peace Center style, and we hope to see you at THE CHOIR OF MAN.