Leeds Town Hall was built in 1858 as a statement of civic pride. The building was designed by Cuthbert Brodrick to be a ‘Municipal Palace’ for the city and to reflect the importance, wealth and confidence of Leeds at the time. It is perhaps fitting then, that for the third year in succession the New Year will be ushered-in inside this magnificent building by a club night dedicated to celebrating the importance, confidence and brilliance of “British music, new and old, with attitude and sharp suited style”, as the people behind Brighton Beach promise every one of their events is. The Victorian splendour of the Town Hall will once again add a unique twist to the trusted Brighton Beach formula, and will ensure a memorable beginning to 2008.
Brighton Beach was launched by Richard Todd at The Cockpit in 1994 and quickly gained widespread recognition through the emergence of Britpop. It went from strength to strength, hosting performances from the likes of Supergrass and Shed 7, and welcoming clubbers from all over the country. Brighton Beach was expanded to Leicester, Sheffield and Newcastle, and in 2001 it relaunched at Stylus in Leeds University. It was at one of the Leeds nights that Ricky Wilson met the rest of his future Kaiser Chiefs bandmates. In October 2005 things went full circle when Futuresound, the company behind Brighton Beach and The Cockpit, put the NME Rock ‘n’ Roll Riot Tour headlined by the Kaiser Chiefs on for three nights at Leeds Town Hall. The phenomenal success of these homecoming shows convinced the council to allow Futuresound to use the Town Hall for Brighton Beach on New Year’s Eve 2005. The event was well received, and in the two years since Futuresound have perfected their art by putting on New Year’s Eve 2006 and gigs from artists such as the Pigeon Detectives and the Super Furry Animals.
Hosting an event of that size at a venue of that nature takes a lot of work, as Lucy Barker - a Cockpit bar worker who has worked at both previous Town Hall New Year’s - acknowledges: “For one or two days beforehand people will be shifting the stock in and setting up the bars and the fridges which all come over from the Cockpit. We turn up at about seven on the night, fill the fridges and check and double check everything before it opens up. Afterwards there is a big clean up, and it takes a day or so for everything to be shifted out again”.
It is remarkable that the venue can be staffed at all. With The Cockpit also being open on New Year’s Eve it requires many people to sacrifice their own celebrations to “provide fun for the masses”, as Lucy puts it. However Paul Sheldrake, Assistant Manager at The Cockpit, explains that it is not as difficult as could be imagined: “The Cockpit holds about 500 people and needs at least 12 staff, while the Town Hall holds 1700 and needs in excess of 20, but people are always willing to work. Why would you not want to get paid for your night out, and then have your night out afterwards? We also have old staff who come back for events outside the Cockpit, and staff member’s friends often come and help too”
One such returning former staff member is Lisa Steciuk. Like Lucy she has worked both previous Town Hall New Years and she has no problem with putting her own celebrations on hold: “I would always rather be out with my friends on my own time, but getting paid to work in the nice atmosphere of the Town Hall is not a bad way at all to greet the New Year”. Lucy agrees: “New Year is not something I particularly like anyway, but even though I am working it is still fun. There is a good team spirit, and it is hard to not have a good time because the spirit – or should that be spirits? – sweeps you off your feet”. This year will hold extra significance for Lisa and Paul as, after 7 years at The Cockpit for Paul and 3 on-and-off for Lisa, it will be their last night in Leeds before they leave to travel halfway round the world together. “With Lisa and Paul leaving, you need to watch out for the hordes of sobbing barstaff” says Lucy, not entirely sarcastically.
The crowd at Brighton Beach on New Year’s Eve is as mixed as you would hope an event at the Town Hall to be. “You get people who go to the Panic! Night at the Cockpit, and people who come from far around like the other Brighton Beach cities, and also people who just fancy a different night at an unusual venue. If you want to go out on New Year’s Eve it is an easy thing to enjoy in a nice environment. The music is different to most venues of that size in Leeds and anyone can come and feel comfortable wearing whatever they like and having whatever sort of night they want to have” says Lucy. Lisa agrees that the crowd is different to a normal Brighton Beach night: “You get lots of people who would not go to a Northern Soul night, or who do not know who the Small Faces are, but they go because it is a big event. Much of the student population are back at home over the holiday period, so the fact that an event like that can fill a venue of that size shows what an interesting celebration it is. The Cockpit is primarily a student venue, as is Stylus, but the Town Hall expands it. It is a good mix.”
As in the past two years the Victoria Hall will be the main focus, with DJs Helen Baron and Tony Leighton playing “Indie & Britpop alongside classic 60’s Soul, R’n’B & fuzzed up 60’s Garage Rock”. It is here that a recording of the Big Ben chimes will herald the start of 2008. Meanwhile, Gav Needham will be entertaining those who dare to venture down to the basement Crypt with “wonderful, upbeat & obscure records ranging from 60’s Soul, Northern Soul & R’n’B to speed-fuelled Garage, Psych & Freakbeat” along with Jack White (Mousetrap/Le Beat Bespoke) and Eddie Wainwright (VFM). The Brighton Beach website assures readers that “the Crypt will be kept chilled with our air cooling system to ensure only the most vigorous dancers break into a sweat! It’s gonna be one hell of a night.”
The large, white Crypt with its many pillars will provide the backdrop for 60’s slide projections and psychedelic visuals, but those who venture too close to the shadows might see something more sinister. The Town Hall housed Leeds Magistrates Court until 1993, and the basement rooms were used to hold prisoners after sentencing. One such detainee was the infamous murderer Charlie Peace who was hanged at Armley Gaol in 1879. His cell at the Town Hall is now open to the public, and is allegedly haunted. The murderer’s last words were “do they have whisky in heaven?”, and if you share his thirst – for alcohol, not blood – then you should find the Crypt a more welcoming place this New Year’s Eve than Charlie did during his stay. Having said that, the Bridewell Charter dating from 1858 did state that “each prisoner should have half-a-loaf of bread and a pint of ale, together with sufficient straw for bedding” which does not sound all that bad.
Trying to go one better than the Bridewell Charter and provide more than one pint per person will be Lisa, Lucy and the other barstaff. On a busy New Year’s Eve theirs’ is perhaps the most difficult job of the night, maybe even more so than the DJ’s task of entertaining the eclectic crowd. Despite the amount of people and the copious amounts of alcohol consumed Paul is proud of the fact that there is rarely any trouble, either at The Cockpit or the Town Hall: “To some extent the Town Hall is out of our hands because we do not handle the security, but even on New Year’s Eve The Cockpit will be trouble-free because it always is, and because the ‘Check-21’ policy works”. “The most frustrating thing” says Lucy “is the ‘Oi! Behaviour’. Some people are of the attitude that because they are celebrating they forget that it is New Year for us too. It might be our choice to work, and we might be having a decent time, but some people need to realise that we are trying our hardest to serve everybody and need to just be a bit more patient”. Lisa agrees: “One single thing that would improve the night for staff and customers alike would be for the minority of people to be less bad mannered and more aware of the fact that people have given up their New Year to serve them”. “Tips go down well also!” adds Lucy.
It surprises some people that the town hall is available to host a club night on New Year’s Eve, rather than being booked up for an orchestra or something more in keeping with its stature. Lisa, however, cannot think of anything better suited to Leeds’ ‘Municipal Palace’: “A Town Hall should serve the majority interest, and Brighton Beach reflects popular culture now more than any choir night or similar event would. The Town Hall has changed from what it used to be as the people of Leeds have changed. The usage of the building has adapted, and Brighton Beach on New Year’s Eve is an event for the wider community”. Suzanne Grahame, author of Leeds Town Hall, wrote of the many different ways that the building has been used over the years: “as council offices, as a courthouse, for concerts, royal celebrations, and events of all kinds. On the day it was opened it was at the centre of the life of the city of Leeds; it has remained so ever since”. So, for a slice of history with your champagne, and some culture with your Kinks, there may be no better place to end 2007 and start 2008 than Brighton Beach at Leeds Town Hall.
The event is on Monday 31st December 2007. 9pm-3am. £15 / £17 adv. Leeds Town Hall, The Headrow, Leeds. Tickets are available from: The Cockpit Bar (no booking fee), Jumbo Records 0113 2455570 or Crash Records 0113 2436743, 24hr Credit Card Booking 0113 2444600, online at http://www.seetickets.com
Tickets are available for £15 (stbf) until 1st December. After 1st December tickets will be £17 (stbf). Tickets will be onsale at Leeds Brighton Beach on 8th December for £15 from 11pm-12.30 and tickets will be onsale at this price at all other December Brighton Beach events 11pm-12.
