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Building Bridges @Freedom Festival 2014

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Hull, UK:  On October 1st 2014 The Adelphi Club in Hull will celebrate 30 years as a small underground live music venue. A steadfast member of this scene since 1984, the venue, alongside its brother and sister venues dotted around the UK (King Tut’s, The Leadmill etc.) has provided a platform for the careers of bands such as Radiohead, Stone Roses, Pulp, Primal Scream, Oasis, The Housemartins, Green Day, Pavement, The Manics, Inspirals, My Bloody Valentine to name just a few.

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The New Adelphi Club aims to support the launch of the new Bridge Stage at Freedom Festival with a ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity for original local performers and bands. The aim of the Bridge Stage is to provide a prominent platform for up and coming talent.

The world famous ‘New Adelphi Club’ will offer one band or performer the opportunity to support the major headline act at the forthcoming 30th anniversary celebrations. This event will gain considerable national media attention and will take place on Friday 3 October. An appropriate remuneration will be negotiated.

Paul Jackson, Owner of Adelphi commented:
“Whilst only one artist or band will be given the opportunity to support the major act we’ve been continually offering opportunities for emerging local talent for nearly 30 years and will carry on doing so throughout the year”.

The Bridge Stage, positioned on the Smoke House area at Freedom Festival has been endorsed by Paul Heaton, who knows The Adelphi only too well. He famously signed The Housemartins contract with Go Discs! on The Adelphi stage in 1986. The Housemartins first played at The Adelphi in 1984 and used it as a testing ground to perfect their trade over several years.

Paul Heaton has said, “It’s incredibly important that Hull harnesses its talent and displays it”. This has been the role undertaken by The Adelphi by providing opportunities for local talent regardless of the financial implications of small audiences.

Polly Sowden, one of the ‘Adelphi 30’ event organisers commented “On a local level the club has particular cultural significance in the lives of many thousands so we’re proud to extend this to the Bridge Stage which is all about ‘bridging the gap’ for young musicians and their next step to a career in music, exactly the same ethic that Adelphi has held for 3 decades”.

Small venues such as the Adelphi have proved significant cultural breeding grounds and haunts for artists, designers, poets, actors and comedians who have been inspired to play or engage with the community venue. The very make-up of a venue environment with small audiences inhabited by the next generation of young intelligent politically aware creatives invites a challenge to the current trends, styles and dominant attitudes.  The environment affords them the opportunity to try new things, a testing ground and to hone their trade. It can be argued that, alongside art schools, these places are a catalyst for the creation and development of original ideas.

Not every band ascends the ladder to fame and fortune but there is a great deal of fun, friendship and frolicking shared in the years of trying, friendships are formed which last a lifetime.

The wonderfully eccentric and charismatic owner, Paul Jackson, has fought nail and tooth to keep the venue’s head above water in recent years. Sadly many similar venues have since closed. Many of the pressures on small venues are artificially generated. Toilet tour venues receive no external funding from the Arts Council, local government or other bodies, yet make a hugely significant cultural contribution.

Paul Jackson and agents will be in attendance. The selected band will be notified w/c 8 September.

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