Westgarth Club

Absolutely gutted, I must have played there about 10 times and it’s always been my favourite venue in Middlesbrough by a country mile. It’s another nail in the coffin for local music in Middlesbrough, especially for band who play originals.
 
Where is Teesside Uni and or Middlesbrough College when this is all going down? Do the students only all sit in and watch Fuggin EastEnders and Eurovision qualifiers now?
 
I didn’t even realise it was still open!

Drove/walked past it a few times over the last couple of months and thought to myself ‘oh it must have closed down’.

It looks boarded up, in serious need of some TLC like it’s going to collapse in on itself.

Guessing it is/was privately owned?
 
I didn’t even realise it was still open!

Drove/walked past it a few times over the last couple of months and thought to myself ‘oh it must have closed down’.

It looks boarded up, in serious need of some TLC like it’s going to collapse in on itself.

Guessing it is/was privately owned?
It needs a lot of work inside now but is not boarded up outside. And was still hosting a lot of shows from different promoters. There were some very big gigs already booked in and using two rooms simultandously.
Massive blow.
 
Very sad news indeed. I had quite a bit of involvement with The Westgarth a number of years ago.

Steve’s Daughter/Son were similar ages and became friends through our social circles. Organised the odd gig night there with a mate, and some of my mates set up a football team for The Westgarth (not hugely successful, but more done for a laugh). Used to spend our Sunday afternoons in there after playing matches.

Really nice family and nice club. Like a lot of social clubs, it’s probably been a long time coming. Another one bites the dust! ☹️
 
This is such awful news. You won't get a better manager and team.

Teesside is on the music map nationally and the two biggest factors in that over the last dozen years, with due respect to the many other great local promoters and venues, is that relationship between The Kids Are Solid Gold promoters and The Westgarth Social Club as a venue. A few years ago Wolf Alice requested to play there during Independent Week and it has legendary status on the Scottish music scene as the best venue to come to outside Scotland, especially as a first trip outside their country.
 
Not to mention it's essential contribution to Twisterella being recognised as the best small music festival in the country a couple of years back.
 
This is such awful news. You won't get a better manager and team.

Teesside is on the music map nationally and the two biggest factors in that over the last dozen years, with due respect to the many other great local promoters and venues, is that relationship between The Kids Are Solid Gold promoters and The Westgarth Social Club as a venue. A few years ago Wolf Alice requested to play there during Independent Week and it has legendary status on the Scottish music scene as the best venue to come to outside Scotland, especially as a first trip outside their country.
Feels like it will get the sort of coverage and interest that could have saved it and kept it going.. but perhaps too late.
 
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Not to mention it's essential contribution to Twisterella being recognised as the best small music festival in the country a couple of years back.
Twistarella filled the massive MML sized hole left by ten feet tall.. for me it’s on par with if not better than the Camden Crawl (which I loved)
 
Played many a gig in there, Circle pits with my metalcore band, bopping to my pop punk band, 4 fantastic Christmas college gigs and even a few gigs that I care not to recall when I was about 16 because my band was awful!

Great venue, great venue and a huge blow to the music scene.
 
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