Venue Stories - Narratives, Memories, and Histories from Britain’s Independent Music Spaces - Fraser Mann
Coming of Age at the Warehouse, Liverpool, 1981
Venue Stories - Narratives, Memories, and Histories from Britain’s Independent Music Spaces - Fraser Mann
Dawn Amber Harvey [+]
Writer
Description
The Warehouse was a fairly short-lived music venue that ran in Liverpool city centre in the early 80s. The venue has been almost entirely erased from the history of Liverpool’s music scene, overshadowed by the legacies of Eric's and The Cavern, which came before it. My chapter discusses the huge cultural significance the club had at the time. The 80s was a time when a number of sub-cultures existed side-by-side: the tail end of punk, goth, new romantic and rockabilly. All of these sub-cultures had their own musical style and being able to see their heroes and mentors play live was a huge part of the development of individual senses of identity. This writing is autobiographical in content. It is written from the point of view of an over- excited, clueless teenager making their way out into the world, soaking up new atmospheres and experiences on a voyage of self-discovery. I first visited the club when I was 16 and have so many great memories of the space and the bands that I saw there - Au Pairs, Delta 5, Theatre of Hate, The Higsons, Dead or Alive, The Birthday Party, Craig Charles to name but a few. This musical soundtrack formed the basis of life-long influences that have shaped both my taste and personal history. I discuss the importance of The Warehouse, and small venues in general, to the musical growth and development of performers, allowing them to develop their art to move on within their careers and later play sold out shows at huge stadium venues.