The Belgrade Venue
by Pete Clemons
Wild Boys
The Belgrade Theatre opened their new intimate live music and theatre space, 'The Venue', later renamed to The Depot, during early October 1980.
This innocuous looking building that sat on a, then, car park across the road at the rear of the Belgrade Theatre had, I understand, previously stored props and costumes.
The first presentation it staged was with a production of 'Sorry' by Vaclav Havel, a play about a dissident writer in Czechoslovakia. Vaclav Havel was, at that time, been Czechoslovakia's greatest living playwright. During that occasion Vaclav was currently serving a 4 and a half year prison sentence for his involvement in the dissident Charter 77 and related Human Rights groups. His plays had been banned throughout Eastern Europe during a period of time when things were very different.
It was also promised that The Venue would be presenting live music by Coventry bands each Monday Night. And so it happened. Later on during that month saw the Reluctant Stereotypes opened a series of Monday night gigs.
The venue was given high praise. It was described as very accessible, had a great atmosphere and some really good bands signed up to it. Plus, the gigs were an affordable £1.00 to get in.
The hype sheet for the Stereotypes read as follows: 'They have been together in their present form for about ten months. Founder-member and Big Daddy of the band, Steve Edgson, remarked, I've been playing in bands for eight or nine years, and more has happened in the last few months with the Stereotypes than in all that time with other bands. The writing talent is down to the two Paul's - Paul King, vocals (ex-Coventry Drama School) and Paul Samson, lead guitar and vocals (ex-apprentice fitter!). Steve Edgson on clarinet, a rather earnest nice-guy, brings together a consistent, individual sound in the band's music. Base guitarist Tony Wall and drummer Colin Heanes, complete the 5 man set-up. No labels for the music but touches (?) of jazz, rock, ska, reggae... The band is a band; the vocalist is something else: very stylish, very beautiful, he incorporates formal mime in his presentation, and makes Kate Bush look like a learner in the process.
The venue attracted the likes of The Swinging Cats, God's Toys, Urge, The Mix and Attrition.
The next production at The Venue was titled 'Have a Nice Day'. It ran during November 1980 and it was performed by the Belgrade Theatre in Education Team. Again ticket prices were held at £1.00.
The following year saw productions such as 'Dangerous Girls' and the acclaimed 'Risky City' written by local playwright Ron Hutchinson. Risky City alluded in particular to Coventry. Additionally the play incorporated music by the 'up and coming Wild Boys'. Most of the action was set in a Night Club. The plays director, Michael Boyd, believed that 'the group s music had the right balance of aggression and containment', for a play dealing chiefly with the harsh realities and violence from the contemporary clash between youth and society. It was well worth seeing. And maybe demands to be revisited.
https://www.macearchive.org/films/atv-today-15061981-play-risky-city
This innocuous looking building that sat on a, then, car park across the road at the rear of the Belgrade Theatre had, I understand, previously stored props and costumes.
The first presentation it staged was with a production of 'Sorry' by Vaclav Havel, a play about a dissident writer in Czechoslovakia. Vaclav Havel was, at that time, been Czechoslovakia's greatest living playwright. During that occasion Vaclav was currently serving a 4 and a half year prison sentence for his involvement in the dissident Charter 77 and related Human Rights groups. His plays had been banned throughout Eastern Europe during a period of time when things were very different.
It was also promised that The Venue would be presenting live music by Coventry bands each Monday Night. And so it happened. Later on during that month saw the Reluctant Stereotypes opened a series of Monday night gigs.
The venue was given high praise. It was described as very accessible, had a great atmosphere and some really good bands signed up to it. Plus, the gigs were an affordable £1.00 to get in.
The hype sheet for the Stereotypes read as follows: 'They have been together in their present form for about ten months. Founder-member and Big Daddy of the band, Steve Edgson, remarked, I've been playing in bands for eight or nine years, and more has happened in the last few months with the Stereotypes than in all that time with other bands. The writing talent is down to the two Paul's - Paul King, vocals (ex-Coventry Drama School) and Paul Samson, lead guitar and vocals (ex-apprentice fitter!). Steve Edgson on clarinet, a rather earnest nice-guy, brings together a consistent, individual sound in the band's music. Base guitarist Tony Wall and drummer Colin Heanes, complete the 5 man set-up. No labels for the music but touches (?) of jazz, rock, ska, reggae... The band is a band; the vocalist is something else: very stylish, very beautiful, he incorporates formal mime in his presentation, and makes Kate Bush look like a learner in the process.
The venue attracted the likes of The Swinging Cats, God's Toys, Urge, The Mix and Attrition.
The next production at The Venue was titled 'Have a Nice Day'. It ran during November 1980 and it was performed by the Belgrade Theatre in Education Team. Again ticket prices were held at £1.00.
The following year saw productions such as 'Dangerous Girls' and the acclaimed 'Risky City' written by local playwright Ron Hutchinson. Risky City alluded in particular to Coventry. Additionally the play incorporated music by the 'up and coming Wild Boys'. Most of the action was set in a Night Club. The plays director, Michael Boyd, believed that 'the group s music had the right balance of aggression and containment', for a play dealing chiefly with the harsh realities and violence from the contemporary clash between youth and society. It was well worth seeing. And maybe demands to be revisited.
https://www.macearchive.org/films/atv-today-15061981-play-risky-city
Mark Byers (Roddy Radiation's Brother from The Wild Boys
Remember this venue well Pete. Most memorable gig. The DTs with The Ramrods as support. Very hot and sweaty and fabulous. Aj
ReplyDeleteCheers Al, was there anywhere the DTs never played?
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