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.
