I have just booked tickets to see John Cooper Clarke playing at Unity Works next month.
I believe The Cribs had something to do with opening up Unity Hall after a long long shut down.

Are they one and the same venue?????

Cheers

They certainly are, and a beautiful venue it is.

Fantastic venue. I'm a shareholder, one of many, and I was amazed at what they've done to it!

Went to see some hippie bird there in the 70's who was from one of those music education programmes you got on daytime tv back then, atoria or something she was called, seem to remember it being a real grand room we where in. Some great bands played there back in the day, (boomtown rats, Pretenders and Iron Maiden spring to mind) let's hope there will be some great acts coming to the city soon.

Inside Man that was Attara"s Band. Do you you remember a young lad picked from the audience to play the drums on stage. That was me lol.

The good ole days.

My first gig was Iron Maiden at the Unity Hall in June 1980, Praying Mantis were the support band - an excellent gig.

I read recently that The Pretenders played their first ever gig in Wakefield - I knew their 'Brass In Pocket' song was based on a comment from a someone in a Wakefield band they played with but wasn't aware of this other Wakefield connection

Saw Slade and Gillan there, possibly others, the late 70s were a bit of a haze for me

"Back in the day " I saw The Stranglers and The Adverts in the late 70s and then Ultravox early 80s.

Just glad to see Wakey have a venue and we don't have to trapes to Leeds or sheffield

Good venue, but they need to sort the sound out. Am I right in thinking they put a lower roof in previously??

Went to see Frank Turner and the sound was fine but went to see the Damned and the sound was distorted. Dont know if it is anything to do with the ceiling. If they can get it right for one turn
still a great venue, best concert for me was The Beat in the early eighties

The sound has been bad both times I've been there recently, both The Cribs and the Damned sounded poor.
Saw plenty of bands there in the 70's
Boomtown rats
The Skids
The Damned
The Ruts
Human league
The Beat
Iron Maiden
The Tourists
The Only ones
Penetration.
The good old days!

That guy was a young kid (at the time) called Ada Wilson, singer in a great band called Strangeways, they were the first proper band to come out of Wakey and make it relatively big, the story goes that the Pretenders were playing Unity hall as support to Strangeways, Chrissie Hynde went into the dressing room and asked for money, to which Ada replied that he had no "brass in me pockets".

Close - but not quite right, Story is on a video sharing site, look for "Unity + Heritage - Brass In Pocket"
It is an official video from Unity, but actually posting the address may violate AUP

Heritage video created to mark the restoration of Wakefield's Unity Hall, local musicians Strangeways reveal the origins of the song title. In the dressing room backstage at a gig where Chrissie Hynde was to support local heroes Strangeways, she asked 'whose strides are these?' pointing to a pair of leopardskin trousers slung over a chair. Strangeways singer Ada Wilson joked 'They're mine if there's brass in't pocket' (Brass being a local phrase for money)
From Wikipedia

Not too far off, it was 36 years since.
Ada Wilson also has a cracking solo album out, I've got it on vinyl and CD (managed to track him down in a stalker kind of way) and he sent me a copy, a bit acoustic 'ish but a good listen all the same.

He is usually in Harry's Bar Fri evenings, I am not stalking him- I just happen to be there- Honest

I was at most of those and also UB40 & Specials & Grupo Sportivo

Getting back to Strangeways I grew up living next door to fellow band member Bob Marsden and Baz Snaith lived at the end of the street. Was chatting to Bob re pretenders just the other week. Pretenders played support to Strangeways !! I also remember dashing home from school to see Strangeways on the kids tv programme Get It Together. Other local bands of the time were Tradition and Stranger Than Fiction

Iron Maiden
Vardis
The Sweet
Limelight

It was always a good night at Unity Hall 'cos most of the folk there were from Wakey.

Vardis playing there again in December!

No Al Selway though, I E mailed him when I saw it but he's not been invited.

Ooh don't go there with that one, Alans not too impressed about the whole thing, especially as he was originally going to be involved in the the re-union thing!

Still, Should be a good gig.

Yeah he Did mention it! He suggested a reunion tour a while since aparantly but one of the other guys said a big no no.

Yep;. It's like 1982 all over again! They are recording a new Album to be released next year. Hope it's better than their last one (Vigilante) and doesn't sound like old men with now't better to do!

never saw any bands, but i do remember going to the trinity member meetings, especially the one where they announced they were selling shares!