Music venue bids to revive city's gigging glory days

There was a time when Wakefield buzzed with live music as crowds packed into pubs to watch bands such as The Cribs and The Kooks during their rise to fame. Although much of the grassroots scene has since faded, a new live music venue hopes to bring back the glory days for emerging talent.

The Backroom, which opened this week inside the city's Hop and Cobble pub, aims to give young musicians a taste of performing to an audience in a purpose-built space.

For musician Adam Schofield, a singer in a band during Wakefield's music scene heyday, the inspiration came from a lack of opportunities for young bands to hone their craft.

It struck a chord with Hop owner Jamie Lawson and, over a pint, the pair came up with the idea for the Backroom.

Schofield, 47, says: "As a band we used to talk about getting back together.

"We'd say 'let's just do that one gig' but then we were like, 'yeah that's great, but where do we play in Wakefield nowadays?' All the places that used to exist have gone."

Players, Escobar and the Snooty Fox were among the venues where Schofield and many local bands gigged.

Wakefield's internationally acclaimed indie rockers The Cribs performed at Escobar in their early days, while acts including The Kooks and Arctic Monkeys also played the venue.

"It was this tiny little place which wasn't really set up as somewhere for bands to play - it had this pillar down the middle stage," Schofield remembers.

"But it had a really good reputation for live music - so much so that emerging bands would put it on their UK tours.

"For local bands, what that meant was they'd get these opportunities to support a band coming up from London.

"You'd say 'yeah OK I'll play that gig' and it turned out to be The Kooks or Razorlight."

Those venues may have been popular, but Schofield says the Backroom offers something they did not - a space built for live music.

"The Backroom has got all the things you'd associate with playing a big venue like the O2 but in a smaller space.

"There's a green room so the band gets to sit backstage, have a few drinks and come out onto the stage instead of having to clamber through the crowd.

"It's got a great sound system and it's dark so you're always able to create a vibe."

When it opened in 2009, live music was at the heart of The Hop. Although that focus faded over time, Lawson, who is also the owner of Ossett Brewery, said he had always wanted to bring it back.

"Bands all need to start somewhere and I think without a grassroots venue then it's very difficult to do that.

"As a company we've grown a lot since then, so now it's about investing in the local area and giving people the opportunity to play live music again."

The impact of The Hop can be seen in some of Wakefield's more recent successful acts who credit the pub as a place that enabled them to shine.

Ryan Johnston, lead singer of Skinny Living, says it played a pivotal role in the band's formation.

"The Hop played a huge part in Skinny Living forming. It's where Danny and I first met and we've had some unforgettable gigs there," he recalls.

"It's a proper grassroots music venue with a real passion for the local community.

"It's great to see the opening of a new stage for new artists to come through and play in Wakefield."

Similar support came from Embrace drummer Mike Heaton who remembers playing some of the most memorable gigs of the band's career there.

He says: "We did two nights at The Hop to road test the songs after such a long time away and they became two of the most memorable shows of our career."

For Schofield, he wants to provide the same opportunities for the next generation of musicians.

A weekly grassroots night will take place at the Backroom every Thursday and bands are able to sign up to register their interest in playing.

"There's a trend with younger people where they're turning back to real instruments and forming bands again," Schofield says.

"We're probably the only purpose-built place in Wakefield where a group of kids can email us and say 'can we play?' and the answer is 'yeah, you can be on next week'.

"It doesn't matter how many people you can pull in. The bigger bands didn't start playing to huge crowds, they all had to start somewhere."

The venue will also work with local colleges and other music organisations to give people interested in the technical side of the industry opportunities to gain experience in areas such as production and engineering.

Schofield says: "Ultimately, I'd love to see Wakefield go back to 'Oh it's a Wednesday night, shall we go and watch a band?'

"Instead of, 'oh it's a Wednesday night, there's nothing to do'."