HnD::List all messages of thread: The Duchess of York

Forum: Nightlife

Thread: The Duchess of York

wsmith (User) Posted on: 22-Apr-2007 16:00:21.

It's incredible that, with the Leeds Music Scene as apparently rampant as it is, that the Duchess ever shut down, and that places such as the Vine which have attempted to elevate it also seems to have gone already.

Is the Vine shut down now, or just being refurbushed, does anyone know?

I would love to see some pics of gigs at the Duchess. Does anyone have any?

Call me cynical, but I am not sure if the city is better off with a Hugo Boss instead of the Duchess of York.

Thank God for the Brudenell Social Club!

LeeRatbag (User) Posted on: 22-Apr-2007 16:13:50.

As far as I can tell the Vine has reverted to brewery ownership. They seem to be doing it up, but I doubt that when it reopens live music will be on the agenda.

I went to a gig there a few weeks before it shut down and I was appalled by the state of the place. There were no pumps left on the bars, no optics, there were just cans being sold out of the firdge behind the bar. Plaster was falling off the walls, the doors were hanging off the hinges...terrible to see. I can only conclude that live music wasn't bringing in the punters.

Ian R P (User) Posted on: 23-Jun-2007 17:47:33.

Hi,

Ok, so it was a bit tatty, but it was an iconic venue. Who needs a bloody Hugo Boss, you can buy there stuff in House of Fraser.
In the 90's The Dutchess was legendary.
I saw The Charlatans there in 1990, Ride (one of whom is now in Oasis), The Mock Turtles (Steve Coogans brothers band), The Bridewell Taxis (Leeds Band) and loads i've forgot about, oh yeah The wedding present.
The only thing I regret is turning down going to see The Pixies, and on another occasion Nirvana.
Another Iconic Venue is The Warehouse, I saw Blur there in 1991 and Missed Oasis in 1994 as I was going to be on holiday in Crete on the day of the gig.

LeeRatbag (User) Posted on: 04-Jul-2007 13:09:31.

The Duchess Of York was, and remains, my favourite music venue anywhere, and I spent a sizeable chunk of the 90s gigging up and down the country. I saw dozens, hundreds even, of great bands there and played some of the best gigs of my career. I was f*cking furious when the place got shut down to make way for a shop that sells overpriced suits. A pox on Hugo Boss.

Scandy Bramley (User) Posted on: 04-Jul-2007 19:59:12.

LeeRatbag wrote:

What band(s) were you in, Lee?
The Duchess was after my time as I left Leeds for London in 1976, and then to mainland Europe. I was DJ at the Marquee Club in London 1976 - 79. Did you ever play there?

I've gigged a helluvalot, playing guitar and singing in various bands all over Europe and even in the USA. Mostly rock, tho my last tour was in Germany with a Dutch punk outfit, at the age of 48!
I'm now married and have now retired from the "scene" and hardly even pick up my guitars anymore. I miss the gigging a lot, tho Angry

Reginal Perrin (User) Posted on: 05-Jul-2007 10:20:54.

Fantastic venue. Hugo Boss can go insert things into himself. Saw loads of bands there in late 80's early 90s.. Some stand out...Weddoes, Bad Manners, Inspirals, St Etienne.

LeeRatbag (User) Posted on: 05-Oct-2007 23:21:45.

Scandy Bramley wrote:

What band(s) were you in, Lee?

I was in Sticky Fingers in '91-93 and Assassination Bureau '93-98. Never made much of a career of it, but we got about a bit and had a bloody good laugh with it.

sulkycat (User) Posted on: 06-Oct-2007 13:24:08.

lee, i might have to take zebs home in a suitcase with me ;-)

and a most excellent list of music influences

i quite like what used to be the mixing tin (cant remember what its called now), reminds me a little of the old days coming through to leeds to go to adam and eves, & being chased to the train station by irate skinheads!

wiggy (User) Posted on: 07-Oct-2007 21:21:51.

Ian R P wrote:

nirvana,as in kurt cobain....you sure??

drapesy (User) Posted on: 07-Oct-2007 22:10:40.

wiggy wrote:

Ian R P wrote:

nirvana,as in kurt cobain....you sure??

Yes - incredible as it may seem Nirvana, with Kurt Cobain played
at the Duchess - wish I'd been there.
A bit of Google trawling reveals that it was on 27/10/1989 - and videos of it exist on youtube.

jf (User) Posted on: 08-Oct-2007 12:56:41.

It died off in the late 90's when a lot of younger people got into dance music, and also younger bands coming through got jumped up ideas of their own importance and wouldn't be prepared to spend formative years cramped into transit vans travelling around the country for months on ends.

Promoters also changed the way they did things, I remember John Keenan once saying that they used to give him bands as they started out and once more before they became more famous, so often on the second pass through they would pack the place out and help subsidise the quieter nights. Instead these bands went to the cockpit or Poly once they could fetch in a few hundred.

There were some good bands there, but it wasn't the best in terms of layout, on a crowded night you could be stuck around the corner. As a player I'd also prefer somewhere like the Packhorse or Royal Park, because you'd only have to charge people a quid to get in to cover costs, so more would come down than would to a £3/£4 at the Duchess.

It was 'dead' some time before it left the building, the last few years the roster was packed with tribute bands and crap battle of the bands type events, nothing really to see.

I have a couple of the old calendar style flyers still somewhere, if I ever get my scanner going again I'll have to upload them.

I still remember the sign attached after it had closed 'Oakgate Developments - Breathing Life into the City'. Bit of a lie that, wasn't it?

Clankylad (User) Posted on: 08-Oct-2007 17:02:10.

I agree that by the time it shut it was past its sell-by date. For me, its 'golden years' were around 88-92 (or were they just MY golden years Laugh

). And it wasn't a great venue acoustically - the sound tended to die once it got back to the lower ceiling-ed bit by the bar.

LeeRatbag (User) Posted on: 12-Oct-2007 00:34:21.

sulkycat wrote:

lee, i might have to take zebs home in a suitcase with me ;-)

He'd probably fit in one too, bless him. Laugh

Y'know, it's really strange being in a band with a guitarist half my age...still, I'm sure the laydeez in the audience prefer watching him to gnarled old buggers like me!

Quote:

and a most excellent list of music influences

Why, thank you kindly! If you're not doing anything on Sunday 21st October, we're playing an afternoon gig at the Duck & Drake supporting an American guitarist called Adam Bomb. It's free in and we're on at about 4pm...

Quote:

i quite like what used to be the mixing tin (cant remember what its called now), reminds me a little of the old days coming through to leeds to go to adam and eves, & being chased to the train station by irate skinheads!

The Mixing Tin is called Trash now. It's a nice little place, but doesn't quite have the authentically fetid ambience and wonderfully scuzzy clientele that Adam & Eves/Scrumpies had... Wink

Aye, I remember dodging the roving skinhead gangs, luckily I didn't have to go as far as the train station, just over the road to the Vicar Lane/Markets bus stops.

sulkycat (User) Posted on: 12-Oct-2007 06:36:52.

thanks for that mr rattybag, am on half term then so no aching head to take into work on the monday! will most likely be the aging saddo on my ownio!

Geordi (User) Posted on: 12-Oct-2007 11:38:52.

Yeah, I have seen some bands in my time at the Duchess. Some good, some crap and some where even the offer of free could not get me to stay.
I was one of the lucky sods who saw Nirvana there.
I don't know about videos of it, but I have an audio recording of the gig, or most of it anyway.

LeeRatbag (User) Posted on: 13-Oct-2007 19:36:07.

jf wrote:

As a player I'd also prefer somewhere like the Packhorse or Royal Park, because you'd only have to charge people a quid to get in to cover costs, so more would come down than would to a £3/£4 at the Duchess.

I disagree totally with that; the advantage the Duchess had was its location. It was much easier to get people to come to the City Centre than trek all the way up to the Packhorse or the Royal Park. Not to say they're not good places to play, but it's more of an expedition to get to them.
I played my first gig at the Royal Park, when the gig room was upstairs rather than in the cellar. Ah, good days.

nesbit (User) Posted on: 14-Oct-2007 04:43:09.

It’s good to know the Duchess lives on here at least, Hugo what have you done. Reading these posts don’t half bring back memories of many gigs, bottles of brown followed by a day or so of tinnitus. Was one of the sweatiest places to see gigs and when full was a struggle to get past the bottle neck and into the main stage area..

Just seen videos of Nirvana in Leeds on you tube, must be the DOY as the stage divers were just walking onto the stage right, no bouncers, joy.

The Nirvana gig was the stuff of legend by the time they let me in to the place. I remember Radiohead were always supporting people for about two years such as The Frank and Walters and if memory serves Sultans of Ping FC, where’s me jumper? They finally headlined and Creep really took off soon after.

I’m sure that when DOY shut the gigs were meant to move to Scrumpies? I thought that the same people owned Scrumpies and were meant to put on bigger and better gigs at the new venue. That reminds me of the broken toilet in Scrumpies, what a place.

I’m sure that someone at Leeds City Council hates the live music scene as places like DOY and the T&C really should still exist in centre of Leeds, am I wrong??

cnosni (User) Posted on: 14-Oct-2007 23:11:12.

Yeah some guy on Skyscraper reckons that Leeds has the best music scene not only in Yorkshire but the whole country!!!!.

Sorry but even though i am a biased Loiner i can definiteley state that the music scene in Leeds is pants,and before we go to a national comparison we only have to look at Sheffield to see what a good music scene is.
Chuff me they are now getting a Carling academy along with the Leadmill etc and what have we have got? the Roscoe and the Cockpit.

Not good enough.
Live music is real music,not some tosser with headphones in a trendy bar playing a song on vinyl ,that they have not even written or played on, to an audience of easliy pleased vaccuous morons drinking Vodka and Red Bulls.

Thank chuff for the Kaisers,a real live band that are refreshingly new in their old fashioned approach to music. Not only are they excellent musicians but they are also top show men.

By the way Scrumpies was pants for gigs,i should know as i spent most of my teenage years there in the 80s.

Priestly House (User) Posted on: 15-Oct-2007 01:26:56.

Duchess couldn't hold a candle to the Fforde Grene on Roundhay Road - That was the launching pad for SO many bands.
If you were a success with that HEAVY crowd there, you'd be all over the New Musical Express, in the 70's. 5 mins of fame guaranteed!
If you couldn't please the crowd, you'd be bottled offstage and your transit would have its tyres slashed in the carpark!

Ro-Man (User) Posted on: 17-Oct-2007 08:48:14.

I've managed to track down a couple of Duchess flyers stored with my old band stuff. Brings back many memories of checking the big poster in the window to see who was playing. I was in the long forgotten pop/rock combo Floozy - yeah I told you nobody would remember us!

Ro-Man (User) Posted on: 17-Oct-2007 08:51:34.

This one's the flyer for the last month The Duchess was open. A bit of history, plus a coffeee stain for good measure.

munki (Administrator) Posted on: 17-Oct-2007 08:56:57.

Wow, JJ72, Chumbawumba, HMHB, The Fall, all in one month. Oh, & Corinne Bailey Rae hidden in there under the guise of 'Helen' (her band, before she went solo), as well. What a venue!

Where any of our readers out there at the Nirvana gig?

LeeRatbag (User) Posted on: 17-Oct-2007 14:03:29.

Ro-Man wrote:

This one's the flyer for the last month The Duchess was open. A bit of history, plus a coffeee stain for good measure.

Now there's a bit of history. Laugh

The question mark on the 23rd turned out to be Terrorvision, that was the last gig I ever saw at the Duchess. Amazing show, that was - hell, I remember seeing them at the Duchess a few years earlier when they were still called Spoilt Bratz. I was at the Gallon Drunk/Beachbuggy gig too.

Geordi (User) Posted on: 17-Oct-2007 15:55:36.

Was about to say -Terrorvision was on. They were late comming on as LUFC was playing an away european game, so they were watching that before playing the gig.
Damm good show it was as well!!

drapesy (User) Posted on: 17-Oct-2007 20:28:41.

munki wrote:

Not only that .Munki - but half Man half biscuit as well!!! remember 'All I want for christmas is a Dukla prague away shirt'????

wiggy (User) Posted on: 18-Oct-2007 08:53:11.

Priestly House wrote:

i totally agree,people werequeueimg at 5 on sunday nights when it was not opened 'til 7...simple minds...dire straights...the jam...the sex pistols.if you wanted fame it was the ffordy{or the haddon hall,to a lesser extent)...happy days!

Dejadude (User) Posted on: 04-Dec-2007 01:36:47.

For everyone interested... I was once the Landlord of The Duchess of York on Vicar Lane in the City Centre of Leeds. I am building a Duchess Tribute site on myspace. The URL for the site is: http://www.myspace.com/duchess_of_york_leeds_uk

I am designing this site because I want to bring her back to life... at least over the internet. I know that with all of us together, we can do this. The Duchess gave me some of the absolute best years of my life (5 years) and many more memories (18 years). I love the girl.

I invite everyone who has a story to please send it to me... come into my Duchess Tribute page on myspace and feel free to make comments, tell stories and share experiences. This is open to bands, previous staff, roadies, fans, regular punters... promoters, draymen, anyone and everyone DUCHESS. If you wish, you may email me direct: robindover@hotmail.com.

This is some of what I have actually said on the Duchess Tribute site:

Hello Friends of The Duchess! I am Robin Dover, the Virtual Landlord and previous Landlord of the beloved, famous and deeply missed Duchess of York, which was at 71 Vicar Lane, in the City Centre of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. This site is in honour of and in tribute to one of the greatest live music venues in history anywhere on this planet... The Duchess Of York in Leeds. I have started this site as a precursor to a book I intend to finish writing regarding the many, many phenomenal stories of real life people living, working, partying and performing within the Duchess. I am open to relate stories from the many wonderful people who have passed thru her doors. My story spans from late 1989 until mid 1994 and early 1995, just before it was gutted by Hugo Boss, silencing a major music venue and turning this historic musical landmark in the great North of England into a boutique. Anyone who has a story... please send it to me and I will give you credit for your contribution. I would also like to say that my intent for this site, as a social experiment, is to create a new Present... a new NOW for The Duchess. Through all of us coming together, I believe we can create the hottest 'Live Music' venue on-line. With the right team of people, I know this can happen. So bring us your ideas and contributions... your music and 'Live' videos and we will begin regular gig nights and create free concerts that will give up and coming bands as well as seasoned favorites and legends a platform to perform and entertain the world... right here from The Duchess of York... in Leeds... at 71 Vicar Lane! Our Gig Guide will arrive soon! This is cool...

So please... come in... look around... and makes yourselves at home. I will be serving beers and ales as usual... and plenty of the music that you loved so much.

Thanks Again... Long Live The Duchess!

Robin Dover
Virtual Landlord - The Duchess of York - Leeds

dERvXeroX (User) Posted on: 09-Jan-2008 20:37:59.

I just heard that the legendary "Flat nose" John passed away in hospital on the 3rd January. RIP

Clankylad (User) Posted on: 10-Jan-2008 12:07:56.

dERvXeroX wrote:

I just heard that the legendary "Flat nose" John passed away in hospital on the 3rd January. RIP

Sad to hear about Flat Nose. He may not have been much of a soundman, but he was a character and used to wear some memorably minging t-shirts!

Dejadude (User) Posted on: 12-Jan-2008 06:01:08.

Yes. Sad to say it is true. Our beloved Legend, Flatnose John, has died. However, he DID have his moments as a Soundman. He was also an exceptional Lighting Engineer... he pulled off some incredible light shows at The Duchess. And he could most definitely put away some Kronenberg... When I get some time over the weekend, I will start a BLOG in honor of John Trueman. Rest In Peace Flat Nose and God Bless You.

Robin Dover- Virtual Landlord - The Duchess Of York - Leeds
http://www.myspace.com/duchess_of_york_leeds_uk

LeeRatbag (User) Posted on: 12-Jan-2008 13:41:55.

RIP FNJ.

Definitely one of the more unique characters of the Leeds music scene. Roadie, promoter, Marmite addict and the deafest soundman I ever worked with.

Mr Rik (User) Posted on: 23-Jan-2008 18:18:42.

"I would love to see some pics of gigs at the Duchess. Does anyone have any?

Call me cynical, but I am not sure if the city is better off with a Hugo Boss instead of the Duchess of York."

There are a few things here. I was a sound engineer at The Duchess from '97 to it's closure in 2000 and I took a few pictures. I have some others if you want them too.

Mr Rik (User) Posted on: 23-Jan-2008 18:19:28.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6088831169

Dejadude (User) Posted on: 24-Jan-2008 03:31:26.

Hey Mr. Rik...

I will be getting more pictures up on the tribute site for The Duchess soon. And... I must say that the City of Leeds is certainly not better off without The Duchess of York on 71 Vicar Lane. I wonder how many of the most creative musical geniuses and talents in the world has communed with a heaving group of adoring fans, enjoying a pint, in the boutique of Hugo Boss now occupying that space? And I'm sure Kurt Cobain is turning over in his grave, God rest his soul, along with Wild Willie Beckett, Steve Marriot and everyone who I have known and loved, worked with and partied with, in The Duchess. There were ghosts in The Duchess while I lived there... I know there are many more now that the structure was so severly disturbed. I'm sure I will spend some time there as a ghost when my number is up... just for the music and the people!

The Duchess of York in Leeds... like Scrumpies... were places to experience rites of passage... experience alternate states of awareness (hmmmm... guess Hugo Boss qualifies for that)... meet friends... enjoy libations and music and dance...

I Miss The Duchess Of York Leeds.

I'll tell you a cool place to go in Leeds: The Grove Inn in Holbeck

Everyone... come see me on: http://www.myspace.com/duchess_of_york_leeds_uk

drapesy (User) Posted on: 25-Jan-2008 13:21:00.

I agree - the Grove is a smashing pub - and it has one thing the Duchess never had (or pretended to have to be fair) - great beer!

Dejadude (User) Posted on: 26-Jan-2008 16:02:01.

The Grove does have a much greater variety of good quality beers and ales than The Duchess ever did... But... I must say that I was trained by one of the best cellarman in the business before he died... Little Les... and I loved every minute of working in our cellar, properly tending to the beer and making sure everything was up to health and safety standards. Our usual fare was Courage Director's - John Smith's - Guinness - Nuclear Brown Ale - Beamish - Kronenberg - Miller Lite - Woodpecker - Dry Blackthorn - the usual bottles and we had a guest beer rotating through every week or two.

The Grove is a CAMRA winner... and well deserved. I love The Grove and everyone there. Many of the old Duchess crew go there now... Rachel the Landlady introduced me to John Keenan. She is a sweet, cool person and a blast to party with.

The Duchess was a much larger pub/live music venue with a heavy range of traffic. We were the busiest live music venue in the north of England at one time. We were so busy at times that our beer never even had the time to settle. Our cellar wasn't large enough to store enough beer to give it time to settle and rotate through until the next gig... meaning the next day because we had 2 to 3 live bands perform at night 7 DAYS A WEEK. We were constantly concerned about the fire safety coming in a shutting us down for being too crowded. These conditions don't concentrate on quality of beer as much as just having enough in to keep punters from going thirsty. I saw nights when we actually ran out of beer! It was lunacy. 7 rows deep at the bar... we were ROCK-N-ROLL. But we never pretended to be a beer connaisseur's first or last stop. Sure... we provided plenty of libations for getting drunk, rowdy, singing and dancing (carried some of the best single malt whisky)... we were about music. And in that category, we were second to none in offering sheer variety, regularity and quality of performers as well as giving people who had minimal public exposure as performers the chance to be seen and heard by a packed pub of over 500 people crammed together in one place. I miss The Duchess. I can go one and on... think I will get back to my manuscript on The Duchess. And then have a beer...

Oh... another cool pub... just outside of Leeds... The Junction Inn over in Otley.

Robin Dover - Virtual Landlord - The Duchess of York - Leeds

Si (User) Posted on: 28-Jan-2008 08:15:23.

The Junction is, technically, in Leeds. Was in there New Year's Day lunchtime for a hair of the dog (or four.)

LeeRatbag (User) Posted on: 28-Jan-2008 13:26:39.

drapesy wrote:

I agree - the Grove is a smashing pub - and it has one thing the Duchess never had (or pretended to have to be fair) - great beer!

They used to do a decent pint of Directors, to be fair.

Ian R P (User) Posted on: 01-Feb-2008 23:58:32.

wiggy wrote:

Ian R P wrote:

nirvana,as in kurt cobain....you sure??

Yeah, they were on a 3 band tour up and down the country with Tad and Mudhoney. It was well before Nevermind and probably before Dave Grohl joined but I'm pretty sure my mates saw them in Leeds.

Ian R P (User) Posted on: 01-Feb-2008 23:59:53.

drapesy wrote:

wiggy wrote:

Ian R P wrote:

nirvana,as in kurt cobain....you sure??

Yes - incredible as it may seem Nirvana, with Kurt Cobain played
at the Duchess - wish I'd been there.
A bit of Google trawling reveals that it was on 27/10/1989 - and videos of it exist on youtube.

Sorry I was quick to write then, ha ha

Ian R P (User) Posted on: 02-Feb-2008 00:04:54.

nesbit wrote:

I've heard that the old T and C building is going to be a Leeds Carling Academy which is something at least. I know only [edited for content] big bands will appear but it is time for a Leeds Arena.
The Warehouse was always good for gigs too.

Ro-Man (User) Posted on: 07-Feb-2008 11:21:23.

I've managed to dig this out of my Duchess archives from The Guardian (February 9, 2000). As for proof of the sofa which Kurt Cobain kipped on, I'll post the image from the article below.

Last encores please;
Bands like Radiohead and Manic Street Preachers might never have made it without Britain's pub venues. But now they're disap-pearing. Dave Simpson reports

SECTION: Guardian Features Pages; Pg. 12

Upstairs at the Duchess of York pub in Leeds there's a sofa. It's a leather, moth-eaten affair that could have come straight from the set of Steptoe and Son. But people from all over the world have stopped to ad-mire it. 'That,' they say, excitedly, 'is the sofa where Kurt Cobain slept.'

On March 25, the pub will close after a farewell gig featuring Chumbawamba. The sofa will have to find a new home. 'It'll probably end up in a skip,' sighs Duchess promoter John Keenan.

The Duchess is legendary in the north. Over the last decade it has played host to some of the biggest names in pop. Nirvana, Oasis, Manic Street Preachers, Radiohead, The Verve and many more learnt their trade here. Now, musicians and rock fans alike are in mourning as another hallowed pop shrine bites the dust.
'I'm really saddened that the Duchess is closing,' says Embrace singer Danny McNamara, 'because we couldn't get gigs anywhere else when we started out. We actually got signed by playing at the Duchess be-cause it was one of the few venues where record companies would be prepared to come and see you.'

The local music industry is up in arms. One irate missive to the Yorkshire Evening Post compared the closure to London's Marquee turning into a chain bar and Liverpool council's notorious 70s decision to con-crete over the original Cavern. Recent events, however, suggest that this is more than just a local issue, and that the Duchess is the latest victim in a nationwide cull of key venues that has left the grass-roots live 'cir-cuit' which spawned our finest bands in danger of extinction.

Newcastle's Riverside (bought by club giants Gatecrasher and converted into a club), Manchester's Boardwalk, Birmingham's Edwards No 8 and even London's acclaimed Embassy Rooms have closed, and many other venues are teetering on the brink. 'In the past three years we have profiled 50 venues,' says Crispin Parry of national pop-venues magazine Circuit. 'Twenty of them are now extinct.'

There are some who won't mourn the passing of the smaller, sweatier, smoke -filled rooms, but the ramifications for pop music are potentially catastrophic. Where will the next Manics, Oasis or Beatles come from if there is nowhere left to play?

The problems facing grass-roots venues are symptomatic of lean times in the music industry. Since Britpop, there hasn't been any great upsurge of live bands to justify the number of venues major cities have sustained. Record companies are signing fewer bands than they used to, and are spending money on mas-sive marketing campaigns rather than pushing bands as live acts. This means fewer 'name' bands for small venues and ultimately fewer punters inspired to start bands of their own. It adds up to an even greater threat of being dominated by manufactured pop horrors like Steps and S Club 7.

Live music also suffers from an image problem. Compared with superclubs, or even Playstation, the idea of seeing a rock band in a small venue (and the accompanying imagery of old men, urine-soaked toilets and feedback-ridden speaker stacks) lacks glamour for young people. 'Small gigs aren't as sexy as they used to be,' admits Parry.

On a business level, pub venues are being damaged by the same corporate impulses behind theme pubs and fast food. The Duchess, for example, is not closing due to a lack of demand for its live music but because the property company that owns it wants to turn it into a shop. Following a Thatcher ruling that breweries could own only 2,000 pubs each, financially risky pub venues were sold en masse to property de-velopers. They realise that they can earn more money by taking advantage of a venue's prime commercial position.

Seventy miles up the road from the Duchess, Paul Jackson, the promoter of Hull's famed Adelphi, is tearing what's left of his hair out at the crisis facing a venue that has been crucial to the careers of bands such as the La's, Radiohead and the Stone Roses. 'The situation is absolutely desperate,' says Jackson. 'In three months my overdraft has gone from pounds 2,500 to pounds 9,000. I don't know how long I can hold out.'

Eager to capitalise on the recent bar boom, Hull's corporate bar owners have flooded the city's crucial student/cultural area with drinking houses. A price war has erupted, with the artificially cheap beer in these bars making a night out at an independent venue like the tiny Adelphi suddenly uncompetitive.

'I remember what it was like to be a student with pounds 5 in my pocket,' confesses Jackson. 'If you can get a pint for 20p somewhere you'll go there. But at the moment it's a step away from them paying people to drink their beer. It's a battle only the big corporations can win.'

Jackson, like most of his customers, who include Adelphi-spawned hitmakers The Beautiful South, voices despair at the state of Hull's cultural heartland. 'It's all beer and squidgy sex.'

John Power of Cast is horrified at the threat to the Adelphi's future. 'The La's and Cast both played that venue and others like it for ages before we got successful. That's where we learned our craft. These venues absolutely must be supported, not shut down. It's bad for our business and a shame for future bands.'

The crisis isn't limited to pubs. Student venues another mainstay of pop culture at a grass-roots level are suffering equally at the hands of government policies. 'Since student unions' funding changed in the mid-90s, there's been no slush fund to absorb any losses,' explains Charlie Myatt of tour bookers 13. 'Events manag-ers came in whose job was to make money out of entertainments rather than provide a service. The best way to make money is to put on clubs and discos and not risk money on bands. There's a drip effect be-cause then nobody in the student unions knows how to put on a band.' Meanwhile students who don't have as much money to spend as they used to because of student loans prefer clubs to gigs.

Competition between promoters causes more problems. Myatt points to national gig promoters muscling into smaller clubs in order to forge relationships with potentially lucrative new talent. 'You'll get a big com-pany now promoting a 200-capacity venue, which takes money away from small promoters.'

It's not all gloom and doom, though. The smaller promoters are fighting back. The Duchess's John Keenan is looking for another venue and after 25 years as a promoter (initially as a pivotal figure in the late-70s punk scene) insists he hasn't lost his hunger or his enthusiasm. He says he is addicted to the thrill of putting a potential Oasis on in front of 12 people and 'watching them grow and grow'.

Equally, Charlie Myatt points to one success story: Water Rats in King's Cross, London. 'It's working be-cause rather than take record company product they listen to tapes and put exciting new bands on. Promot-ers just have to be a bit sharper nowadays.'

That's no doubt true but should the future of pop be left to the entrepreneurial spirit of small-time pub promoters anyway? Pop music is an art form and it's time that grass-roots level pop received a subsidy along the lines of the Royal Festival Hall and Royal Opera House, cultural centres with far less popular appeal. Pop venues and rising musicians are routinely subsidised across Europe, so why not here?

This is the question that Crispin Parry hopes to put to the Arts Council, as he seeks lottery or other fund-ing to back a nationwide tour by a 'name' band with an entrance fee of pounds 1. 'I want to be able to show younger teenagers what it feels like to be at a live gig,' beams Parry. 'Hopefully they'll come away saying 'That was really exciting. I can't wait to go back.'

'We have to do something,' he concludes, 'otherwise it'll be a case of 'Will the last person to leave please turn off the amp?' '

Ro-Man (User) Posted on: 07-Feb-2008 11:24:22.

Here's the picture from the article above. This is the legendary upstairs room at The Duchess where the bands used to wait. I only went up there once (our first ever gig anywhere as it happens, so what a way to start).

The "Cobain sofa" (as it will now be known!) must be the one on the left.

Ro-Man (User) Posted on: 07-Feb-2008 11:33:02.

By the way,

Robin - as virtual landlord of the Duchess Myspace site, if you want the original article of this out of the paper, post a message on here and I'll send you it. Like the flyer scans I posted earlier in the thread, I'm sure the picture will end up on the Myspace site anyway, but it's just a thought.

Dejadude (User) Posted on: 07-Feb-2008 14:20:12.

Dear Mr. Ro-Man,

Please send me an email at: robindover@hotmail.com.

I am touched by your offer. I actually had this article at one time. I have moved back and forth from Leeds to virtually every planet in the known universe... I've lost track of the safe I have it sealed within. Wink

Please send me an email and let's make some arrangements.

Peace.

Robin Dover - Virtual Landlord - The Duchess Of York - Leeds

David Raven (User) Posted on: 07-Feb-2008 17:37:25.

Eeee! You guys are bringing back the memories!

I loved the DOY. From about '89 until it closed I used to call regularly, afternoons (when I was on the dole) and nights (when I was working and could afford to see bands).

Maybe one of you can help me - at what point in it's history was it the 'Pub with no name'? I think it was before being called the DOY, but aren't sure...
And how come it ended up being called the 'Pub with no name'? Did it really not have a name for a while, or just no pub sign?!

Thanks everyone for sharing your reminiscences and piccies!

Cheers
Dave

Dejadude (User) Posted on: 07-Feb-2008 19:38:48.

Ey Up, Dave,

Glad to see heart-warming memories are churning!

It went something like this... it was originally the Robin Hood going all the way back into World War 2 which was black-listed by the US military because of rampant prostitution (ladies hanging out at the bar with price tags on the bottom of their shoes) and drug trafficking. It was. after all, a pretty rough part of the city at that time. Then, around the end of '85 (I believe) the name changed to The Marquee. There was the threat of a lawsuit from the Marquee in London... so out of urgent necessity, she became 'The Pub With No Name' circa '86... then... enter "The Duchess Of York". I am still gathering an accurate history on our sweetheart and will keep everyone posted as it grows. Anyone with more details... we would love to hear more so I can post these details on the Duchess Of York Leeds myspace site.

Cheers,

Robin Dover - Virtual Landlord - The Duchess Of York - Leeds

weeman (User) Posted on: 08-Feb-2008 00:26:20.

hi everybody . does anybody know what happened to the cobain couch then? and is the building still a hugo boss shop? thanks anyway

Dejadude (User) Posted on: 17-Feb-2008 23:37:06.

Yes... the building is STILL a Hugo Boss shop...

I am researching into the location of the Cobain Couch... apparently it ended up in a museum in Sheffield... I have yet to have this confirmed. Anyone with genuine proof of this?

FREE FEATURED ARTIST GIG NIGHT - EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT!

Where: http://www.myspace.com/duchess_of_york_leeds_uk

SATURDAY 23 FEB 2008 FEATURED ARTIST: SHAKINOUTS promoting their new single: Time You Were Told available at Crash Records and Jumbo Records in Leeds for only 2 Quid!

The Duchess Of York - Leeds - are beginning a FREE 'FEATURED ARTIST GIG NIGHT' beginning next Saturday the 23rd of February 2008 on The Duchess MySpace site. It will happen every Saturday from the 23rd of February onward. If you would like, we will be more than happy to consider you as a FEATURED ARTIST on our site.

If you have a video link, youtube vid or code that you can provide to us or are prepared to create one specifically to be featured for The Duchess, send us the link and we will schedule you for a FEATURED ARTIST GIG.

Ideally, the video will be of you and/or your band performing live. However, we are also willing to consider creative concepts expressing your unique talents. We are always open to genius. Let us help you get your music and your message out to the world and what better forum than The Duchess Of York in Leeds!

Let us know if you happen to be interested.

Cheers.

Robin Dover - Virtual Landlord - The Duchess Of York - Leeds

Mr Rik (User) Posted on: 17-Feb-2008 23:57:29.

"I am researching into the location of the Cobain Couch... apparently it ended up in a museum in Sheffield... I have yet to have this confirmed. Anyone with genuine proof of this?"

It did indeed go to The National Centre For Popular Music (or The Unpopular National Centre For Music as it wass known, locally)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Centre_for_Popular_Music

The place closed down very soon after due to it's utter crapness but they DID have it in the meantime and the acquisition of the sofa is mentioned here

http://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/news/2000/04april/000403nib.shtml

Not really "proof", I know but as a Duchesser and a Sheffielder I can testify it WAS there.

No clue what happened to it when to place changed hands. Good hunting!

Dejadude (User) Posted on: 18-Feb-2008 01:44:18.

Dear Mr. Rik,

Thank you for your kind offering of information. That sofa... what an icon. You always seem to come through with lots of cool bits. What a memory for me. That things was so nasty... when you sat on it you couldn't help but check to see what you were sitting in. And when you passed out on it... oh well.

Thanks again for that! Hmmm... would be very interesting to trace its current whereabouts. Wish me luck. Regular Smiley

Cheers,

Robin

aquadite (User) Posted on: 18-Feb-2008 15:26:00.

Robin do you remember Mick Longbottom?

RIP flat nose john he was such a character..

Dejadude (User) Posted on: 24-Feb-2008 00:38:01.

Hey Aquadite,

RIP FNJ...

Yes... I remember Mick Longbottom very well. I considered him a good friend and quite an interesting character. He was the Landlord of The Grove Inn in Holbeck... and became the Landlord of The Duchess at the same time! He took over as Landlord of The Duchess while I was still the Manager at The Duchess before I became the Landlord. John Keenan actually handed over the helm to Mick. And it was Mick Longbottom that I purchased all of the fixtures and fittings, stock, etc from as I took over at The Duchess when Mick left. He drove a Jag for awhile... and had a beautiful boat which he kept on the River Aire... he was a great guy. Any knowledge of his whereabouts?

Robin

aquadite (User) Posted on: 24-Feb-2008 15:24:58.

He got remarried quite recently as he invited my step dad Dougie (you might know him too?) Doug might know what he's up to I'll ask him

I remember his boat he had a brilliant party there donkeys years ago. I was friends with his daughter Joanne and ysed to babysit his son sean.

I can remembert him being the landlord of the Grove too think that was just before my aunty pat became landlady

Ahhhh them were the days

Dejadude (User) Posted on: 24-Feb-2008 20:04:11.

Hey Aquadite,

Wow... good for Mick! I really hope he is happy. Please send him my warmest regards. Yes... I do believe I know Dougie... the name rings many bells. And Joanne and Sean... time sure does fly.

And then your Aunt Pat became Landlady... and then Rachel Scordos became the Landlady of The Grove Inn. Rachel was working at The Duchess when I started at The Duchess. She actually arranged my interview with John Keenan who took me on as the Manager there a year before I became Landlord.

I remember Mick was married to a very slender lady while he was at The Grove and then, I believe, he possibly married a tall-ish German lady? Be sure to check with Dougie to see what Mick has been up to! Regular Smiley

Cheers,

Robin

Foz (User) Posted on: 19-Mar-2008 21:44:46.

God bless The Duchess (of York)! Favourite gig ever was The Dog's D'Amour in 94? (Unchartered Heights tour) Sitting on the glasswasher bar with bottles of Newky Brown having a right good sing-along! Of course there was a fight outside later in the night but happy days!

Does anyone remember that tatty old green sofa upstairs? Didn't it end up in some ill-fated Music Museum in Sheffield?

tyke bhoy (User) Posted on: 19-Mar-2008 21:50:15.

The national pop and rock museum was opened in Sheffield and didnae last tooo long. Can't comment on what was exhibited though

Mr Rik (User) Posted on: 19-Mar-2008 22:11:11.

It did indeed end up there. See the postings on page 2 of this thread.

Dejadude (User) Posted on: 19-Mar-2008 23:24:41.

Hey Foz,

I remember the Dogs gig very well... I had to pass through one of our offices on my way upstairs with a girlfriend that night in the course of duty and someone was taking turns with a very sweaty but beautiful groupie on the famous Cobaine Sofa... the mess left behind was phenomenal... sofa and pub. I actually acquired several packages of drumsticks left behind with pink Dogs logo. What a party that night was... I would do it all over again.

Going to be featuring The Dogs D'Amour on The Duchess MySpace site very soon as a Featured Artist of the Week. Got Manic Street Preachers now. You guys should come by and party often!

God... I miss The Duchess. I would go back right now if I could.

Robin

LeeRatbag (User) Posted on: 20-Mar-2008 13:35:33.

Foz wrote:

God bless The Duchess (of York)! Favourite gig ever was The Dog's D'Amour in 94? (Unchartered Heights tour)

The Dogs were one of the first bands I saw at the Duchess, in '88, and they became one of my favourite bands as soon as I saw them, but that particular show was without doubt the best I ever saw them do. Truly astonishing.

Incidentally - hi Rik! How's NY treating you?

Foz (User) Posted on: 22-Mar-2008 03:04:56.

Does anyone know of any other well known (signed) bands that played at The Duchess (other than Nirvana)? Chumbawamba seemed to be there all the time, especially the Shelter gig all dayers.

I heard that Metallica played there at some point as well (?) (possibly pre-Duchess days). Elastica did, The Almighty did I think, but I have also heard Oasis and Blur as well!? (Sorry if someone has already said this in a previous post?) :-)

Zodiac Mindwarp! but I won't mention what he was up to upstairs!!!

Mr Rik (User) Posted on: 22-Mar-2008 05:36:38.

Yeah, certainly Oasis. There was a picture above the bar. Obviously Status Quo in just the last few weeks aswell as The Fall but obviously you're talking pre-famous. Hmm...Robin?

LeeRatbag (User) Posted on: 25-Mar-2008 19:38:36.

Foz wrote:

Not only did the Almighty play, they were still only a support band (they were opening for Gun).

Baggpuss (User) Posted on: 26-Mar-2008 17:12:39.

Had some great nights at the Duchess, but the memory is somewhat hazy for most of them.

I was at the Nirvana gig and they were the support with, if I remember correctly, Tad & Mudhoney alternating top spot on each show of the tour.

The Henry Rollins Band gig was one of the best I remember. Absolutely packed and the loudest gig I have ever been to or at least it felt like it at the time.

I was gutted on my return to Leeds after a couple of years the other side of the Pennines to find that it had closed down. A suit shop doesn't quite cut it as a replacement.

Ro-Man (User) Posted on: 27-Mar-2008 08:50:15.

Blur certainly did play The Duchess on their first national tour - the gig even gets a mention in their offical biography by Stuart Maconie.

The story goes that after a couple of songs Damon introdues the band to the crowd.

Damon says "hello we're Blur and we're from London". A heckler in the crowd instantly shouts "well f**k off back there you c**ts".

I can remember it pretty well, mainly because it's probably the only time I've seen Damon Albarn speechless.

I wonder if anyone knows the mystery heckler who's now got a place in history?

jfk (User) Posted on: 30-Mar-2008 15:36:57.

I posted this in Facebook, but thought it also relevant to this thread:

Initially, in 1986, was asked by Mick Longbottom to put some bands in his pub, The Robin Hood (I’d just finished promoting the Fforde Grene, which Tetley’s had made into a pool hall). The place had a tiny, semi-circular platform raised about nine inches off the ground. I told Mick I couldn’t put any bands on there because the stage wasn’t big enough. He agreed to pay for the materials if I built the stage. So, along with Mick Fletcher, Pete Smith and John from Transylvanian PA, we worked overnight to construct a solid stage made from railway sleepers and 8x4 sheets of board. We put sandbags under the drum area and painted the whole lot black. The frame from that stage lasted right to the end, about 14 years.

Mick, against advice from me and practically everyone else, decided to change the name to ‘The Marquee’. I called my nights, The IF Club at The Marquee and put on acts which included names such as Nico and Roy Harper. Unfortunately Mick would let groups of football supporters into the side room, their constant chanting would often ruin the evening, so I decided to exit and became a partner in The Astoria Ballroom. The Marquee didn’t last long as the London venue of that name threatened to sue Mick Longbottom.

Subsequently, Mick called it ‘The Pub with No Name’, eventually it began to struggle and John Smith’s, the brewery, asked me to take it on. I transferred from The Astoria to The Duchess of York, which was a name the brewery had insisted upon. Not being much of a fan of the lesser Royals, I only ever used the shortened form, ‘The Duchess’, in all the publicity.

Down to details: I took over the lease and license of the Duchess of York in March 1988. I employed Robin Dover in the summer of 1990, but not as a manager... Rachel Scordos and Andy Mattacks were dealing with that. I relinquished the lease in February 1991. At the time I had two pubs and a restaurant on the go. My solicitor had assured me he had dealt with a v.a.t. problem, but obviously he hadn't (that’s another story). Consequently, I have paperwork, which is why I can be sure of the date. I made hurried arrangements with the brewery to hand over the lease to Mick Longbottom, so I could keep the place running as a venue. Mick made Robin the manager and eventually left for Germany towards the end of 1991. Robin was thereby offered a short lease, by default, and was the tenant from autumn 1991 to March 1994 (about two and a half years) that’s when The Fibbers Group took on the full lease.

Miranda McMullen was credited as being the Licensee from the beginning of March 1994 to the end of 1999 (even though she had left in 1998 to manage The Jazz Café in London). Andy Youle took over from Miranda until March 2000, the closing date.

Throughout the 12 years I was at The Duchess, right until the finish, I was the booker, programmer and main promoter. I gave early gigs to Nirvana, Oasis, Radiohead, Coldplay, Pulp, Manic Street Preachers, Blur, and lots of other breaking acts. Earlier on in the late ‘80s I had let Simon Moran (SJM) put in a few shows, but stopped doing so when I realised he wanted to take over everything. In 1989 I handed over some nights to Flame In Hand, a DIY co-operative (some of the members worked at the pub) which aimed to promote mainly punk and hardcore gigs. I personally promoted Nirvana and their headline act, Tad, plus bands such as The Jesus Lizard and Bolt Thrower, but Flame In Hand put on other acts of that ilk, like Snuff, Leatherface, Green Day and The Offspring. In the mid-90s, because I had a small daughter to take care of, I gave up a few nights a month to Steve Kind, Paul Cooke and Flatnose John Trueman. These consisted of local packages featuring 3 or 4 acts.

The last gig was Chumbawamba. I put in an appearance as Elvis and sang a couple of songs with the band. At the end I jumped onto the stage in my ‘civvies’, made a small speech and broke into ‘Duchess’ by the Stranglers, the crowd sang along with the chorus. There were tears in the eyes of many people in the audience… to this day I don’t know whether it was my singing or the fact that they were genuinely sorry to see the place go.

Otherwise I’m pleased to say I was responsible for holding together the eclectic mix that provided a little bit of something for everyone and made the Duchess into an iconic venue. It is encased in its own time capsule to be cherished until the next generation takes over and those memories become lost in the mist.

John Keenan 2008

Dejadude (User) Posted on: 11-Apr-2008 01:19:32.

Greetings to everyone! Hi, John. Great to hear from you again.

I believe the time frame is about right. It seems like I came in around the Summer of 1990... Although in reality, I was hired as a Manager. As I came into the pub the first day to enquire about a job, Rachel Scordos let me know that she thought I just may be in luck as their Manager, a chap named Mark, had just left traveling somewhere. They had no idea if or when he was to return. So, she notified John that someone was here looking for a job. She showed me upstairs to John‘s office. I sat down, we talked. We got along great and he hired me. He specifically let me know that he needed someone he could rely upon with cashing up, banking and the lot. Rachel Scordos and Andy Mattocks were juggling this task together… along with everything else. I walked into The Duchess the next night and started to work immediately behind the bar. It was chocker-block… 4 to 5 deep at the bar. They were short-handed for the night so I stepped in and pulled pints, changed kegs in the cellar, took money from customers for the till… the lot. Rachel was happy working the bar, etc. and shortly after I began working, Rachel moved to The Grove Inn at Holbeck… another incredibly awesome pub where Rachel shines like a star taking the bull by the horns and has kept it alive to this day. Andy Mattocks, RIP, stayed on as my Assistant Manager. We shared responsibilities until the day that John surrendered the lease. At that time, it was discussed if I would be able to accept the lease, but I didn‘t have the money to purchase fixtures and fittings, the remaining monies and stock left in the premises, therefore, Mick Longbottom took back the lease of the pub once again. As I have mentioned in a previous thread, six months after Mick Longbottom took the lease back on The Duchess, Mick found himself in a similar situation that John Keenan had been in and Mick was forced to surrender the lease. Mick left for Germany shortly thereafter. But he didn’t simply walk away because everything was hunky-dory. It was a similiar set of financial circumstances. I know. I had many confidential conversations with Mick, God bless him. At this point, after a year of functioning as Manager, I was offered the lease, fortunately had the money to make the purchase and became the new Licensee and Landlord. From the beginning, I funneled the majority of the money that The Duchess made back into the business. I had a new dance floor installed, built a barrier for the front of the stage, had a new lighting rig installed and had an enclosed barrier built around Geoff Bell, RIP, to protect him and his rig from damage. I hired Kevin Wright to strip the wallpaper from the inside of the pub and new paper and paint done. In fact, almost everyone who was working in the pub at the time joined in with the refurbishing of the inside of the venue. It was a genuine team effort. We all loved The Duchess. I must say that it would have been impossible for me to have continued without John Keenan‘s experience as a Promoter. I know John was pushed into a corner by VAT vigilantes and alleged incompetence of his accountant which caused him to relinquish the lease, but he remained with me, as the primary Promoter of The Duchess throughout my entire time there. I promoted the odd gig… made a little money… lost more. I took over the weekend free Saturday afternoon gig schedule.

Here is a great quote from Patsy Matheson, who is such a lovely person and extremely talented musician now performing with Waking The Witch,

“Ey up again Robin

Hope you're well.

This is a really cool site.

I have a million stories from the Duchess from around 1986-87. The one that I hold most dear is when I supported Nico and the Faction. Sat 17th May (and I have the ticket here which I will scan). Unfortunately the year isn't on the ticket. I have worked out that it had to be 1986. Bit wierd, as clearly I must have only been about 4 at the time Regular Smiley

It was a JFK promotion and the first BIG INTERNATIONAL gig at the venue. (Just prior to that it had been called the Robin Hood and was frequented by women of the night who used to sit on high stools at the bar with price tags stuck on the bottom of their stilletos) The previous night, Mick Fletcher and a few others were in all night building the stage. I called in (with the very lovely and talented Jon Strong - we were both too drunk to be of any assistance or to drive home, which is how come we ended up there) at about 1am when they were filling the stage with sand. Brought in by wheel barrows. No-one thought it would be ready for the next night. But it was. This stage was to last for about the next 10 years! (at least!).

I remember being reasonably good at the Nico gig. She was a complete cow. (!) She had possibly the most awesome percussion player that I have ever seen playing with her. Too long ago to remember his name.

Did you know that I worked there for the first year booking all of the local bands? JFK did Fri and Sats and I did the rest of the week. This was when we were called the Marquee. The Marquee in London threatened to sue us, so Mick Longbottom came up with 'Pub with No Name', which subsequently became the Duchess of York, cos the loathesome Sarah Ferguson had just arrived on the scene. At the time, I begged him not to call it this...!!!

Anyway, there you go. Lots of fun was had.

Hope you're still keeping your torch stashed with ginger biscuits.

Have a good Christmas.

Pats

I hope everyone enjoyed Patsy’s comment. Thank you Patsy.

It was essential for John to continue promoting in keeping the momentum that he had already gained with the Duchess. It was a relationship in which I needed John and John needed me because The Duchess was the busiest live-music venue in the north of England. It was John’s bread and butter… and mine, too. I believe John was juggling events at The Toby Jug and was attempting to launch the Blue Mood Café. My opinion is that the economic climate in the city centre of Leeds and in Yorkshire in general just wasn’t conducive to so many outside investments. I believe The Duchess needed everything it could take to keep going on it’s own besides anything else on the side. With the combined effects of an absolutely demanding VAT plus unrelenting bills, bills, bills BESIDES VAT accumulating at The Duchess and the sheer demand because of these combined circumstances requiring a BUSY night at The Duchess as often as possible… it just didn’t happen. And the rest is history. I admired John for the exercise of his faith and sincere hopes of survival with the potential success of the other two businesses. But it just wasn’t to happen. There just wasn’t enough time. Maybe if we had had more time. We all wanted to see everything work. I remember going down to the Blue Mood Café on it’s opening night. Rachel was there. We wanted to see it work. But it didn’t and sadly, The Blue Mood Cafe was forced to shut, and gigs from the other pub wasn’t enough to sustain the nights which were less productive at The Duchess. I held the License for The Duchess for around 3 years rather than 2 ½ years. I was there for around 4 years… and was also found frequenting her thereafter through the years. The Duchess was my best experience… which is why… around 13 years after I relinquished the License for her, that I decided to bring her memory back to life in MySpace. I actually stood inside of the gutted interior of The Duchess in April of 2001 while workmen were stripping her out… before there was ever a Hugo Boss sign up. Tears came to my eyes as I stood inside where I once lived. As for The Duchess on MySpace…I want to do something a little more than just bring her memory back to life. I want to see her old community come back together again… and also cause a new community of supporters, believers, fans, musicians and friends to have a place to come to for reminiscing as well as for creating a series of new experiences, too. I love what I am doing with her and I feel like I walk through her doors every time I come into the site. I hope it is the same for all of you. As far as who was there first, or the longest, or who was there last or who was the best at pulling a pint, booking a gig or cleaning the beer lines… and it all matters in some way… but let’s be honest. The most important thing of all is that through our efforts and what we are doing, we have already brought The Duchess back to life… have given her a new Lease on Life. The Duchess is a place that welcomes all of you. I miss The Duchess deeply and I know many of you do, too. By the way… I have heard John Keenan sing. I‘m sure when he was singing on that final night, that the tears in the eyes of John and everyone else there was genuinely due to the doors shutting on the most beloved venue in the north of England… The Duchess of York. The Duchess is alive. I agree with John… The Duchess is an iconic venue. It became this way because of ALL OF US who made The Duchess what she was. Not just because of John Keenan, or myself, or Mick Longbottom or Geoff Bell RIP or Tigi or Andy RIP or Rachel or Iain or Youngy or Flat Nose John RIP… the list goes on FOREVER. It is because of all of us. John so elegantly stated that “It is encased in its own time capsule to be cherished until the next generation takes over and those memories become lost in the mist”. I am saying that the next generation is here, right now. And that we will always hold the memory of The Duchess so that she will never become lost in the mist. We will create new memories and we will reminisce with the rest. Thanks to John, and Tigi and everyone of you. Together… we are The Duchess.

Cheers.

Robin Dover - Virtual Landlord - The Duchess Of York - Leeds

Talc (User) Posted on: 19-Mar-2010 20:05:35.

What a great thread, never went to the D.O.Y but thats been a great read.

franco (User) Posted on: 19-Mar-2010 21:19:51.

Ah the Duchess,so many memories especially around the mid eighties. Gawd i saw some rubbish there. Liza Dominique ,at the time Kerrangs weekly poster girl. Body of a supermodel,voice like a broken fridge possessed by the tormented spirit of Arthur Mullard. Tigertailz anyone?No i thought not seeing muggins here was one of only three paying customers on a wet Wednesday night.The lead singer resembled John Merrick with a bubble perm and had the charisma of an introverted toastrack.

Cardiarms (User) Posted on: 20-Mar-2010 20:01:41.

Went to see New Model Army last night at the Coliseum. Fat Old Goth
Ressurection. :-D

Crazy Jane (User) Posted on: 21-Mar-2010 12:23:30.

"Gawd i saw some rubbish there."

Isabel's Shrine and La Costa Rasa were always the two support bands i dreaded, you never knew who was supporting until you got there and for goth acts they always seemed to put one of those on first to make them look better.

Apart from the time Patricia Morrison played, total nonentity with zero stage prescence, but the support was, um, Isabels Shrine followed by La Costa Rasa Angry

I saw Incubus Sucubus (or however they spell it now) there a bunch of times, also Toyah Wilcox on a warm up gig in the early 90s, Jayne County a couple of times too.

Chrism (User) Posted on: 21-Mar-2010 13:25:47.

I wanna know what Zod Mindwarp was getting up to upstairs.

jim (User) Posted on: 21-Mar-2010 13:26:06.

Wonderful venue,spent many nights there in the 80s,weekend lunchtimes to.I remember a Jayne County performance too,highly entertaining even if pitch accuracy could be somewhat approximate.I also performed there myself,both before when it was still the Robin Hood and through til the end both in (local) headline and support bands.Knew many of the characters as well,sometimes more entertaining than the acts!

Chrism (User) Posted on: 21-Mar-2010 13:33:49.

Foz wrote:

The Proclaimers. I remember the queue for that night was right round to the Vine nearly.

jim (User) Posted on: 21-Mar-2010 14:39:07.

Just had a root through my collection of old flyers,and found these signed,but less well known acts:-

Gallon Drunk
Flaming Stars
Royal Trux
Jonathan Fireater
R.L.Bunside

And that's just acts that bands I played in supported!I also searched for a roll of old gig posters that I'd collected,but the weevils at the back of the research store caverns must have got them.

For those (I know you're there!) trying to work out who I am, please,no band names no surnames,no mention of my present band (yes,I'm still gigging and I'm 69 next week!)and respect site anonymity.If you want to guess,mention the instrument and make appropriately insulting remarks about my appearance!

Chrism (User) Posted on: 21-Mar-2010 16:16:52.

I've heard of the first 3, they're pretty grungy if I'm not mistaken, and Robert Lee is/was a bluesman, but didn't he do some sort of punky stuff later on?

outofthefire (User) Posted on: 21-Mar-2010 16:23:12.

I used to go to the duchess in the late 80's some of the bands I can remember

Zoot and the Roots
Dumpy's Rusty Nuts
Bogus Brothers

Another engineer that used to do sound was mick fletcher

jim (User) Posted on: 21-Mar-2010 17:36:10.

Chrism,Yes indeed,he both performed and recorded with The John Spencer BluesExplosion,one of the many influences on my previous band!

purplezulu (User) Posted on: 21-Mar-2010 22:28:03.

O the duchess!! Much missed. One of the best bands I ever saw there was Last of the Teenage Idols.
Mad bunch altogether, was a comedy show as well as a music gig. The singer - Buttz - was just so funny.
I'll never forget the chant of 'Terry Waite, your're supposed to be kidnapped' - refering to their manager or something, who bore a striking resemblance to the unfortunate Mr Waite.

I don't think I've ever seen such an entertaining band since - in the laughs department anyway, I wonder what happen to them?

franco (User) Posted on: 22-Mar-2010 17:47:46.

I remember "listening" to Wolfsbane in the late 80's at the Dutchess. I say listening because unfortunately my view was completely obscured by some denim clad freak who possessed the biggest head of industrial strength ginger hair i have ever witnessed. Like some malevolent folicle based Hiroshima cloud it rendered me sightless engulfing not only the stage and band but the entire first row.

burtyboy (User) Posted on: 06-Sep-2010 18:22:00.

Yes, I remember going to se The Selecter (twice, I think) and also Ash at the Duchess.
BTW, you could always walk into Hugo Boss & shout "You made SS uniforms with slave labour!" Laugh