Legendary Coventry pub to reopen as live music venue

[dutchman]

A legendary Coventry city centre pub is about to reopen its doors next month.



The old Dog and Trumpet in Hertford Street is set for a new lease of life as a live music venue – with film and comedy nights also in the pipeline.

Its new name will simply be The Dog.

Although the underground bar started life as a bier keller before becoming a venue for Trad’ Jazz, it enjoyed its biggest success when it became the Dog and Trumpet in the late seventies,

It was well established on the live music scene and The Specials were among the many local bands who performed there. In the 1980s its alternative nights became legendary.

A period of hiatus followed after its brief life-span as another bier keller came to an end.

The company Venue One took it over last December with ambitious plans to bring it back to life.

It is currently undergoing extensive refurbishment to be ready for its launch next month.

Initial plans for the weekly programme of entertainment include a student night on Wednesdays, a folk night on Thursdays, DJs both local and international on Fridays, and a live band on Saturdays.

Film nights and amateur comedy also form part of the plan to broaden the venue’s appeal with a diverse programme of good quality music for a wide target audience.

Venue One is a new venture for bar entrepreneurs Chris Lewis and Richard Easter who have run pubs and clubs in Leamington, Kenilworth and Coventry including a leasehold at The Golden Cross in Coventry city centre.

Richard Easter said he was excited by the new opportunity.

He said: “It’s just the right size for about 250 people and will still be quite intimate as an underground venue.

“It’s certainly going to be something different for Coventry.

“The decor will be a mix of traditional and modern with contemporary artwork but we want to keep the rustic feel.”

Local independent music promoter Kate Walters, whose background includes booking events for the Southbank Centre in London, is also on board. She said: “The club will be all about live music, paying homage to the music heritage of this city, but it will also be modern with dance music and a range of other events.

“There will be something for everyone.”

The Dog launches on Friday, March 8.

Anyone interested in performing at The Dog should e-mail Kate Walters at kate@troubletune.co.uk

[dutchman]

Radio 1 DJ to relaunch Coventry's legendary 'Dog'



A RENOWNED Radio 1 DJ is coming to Coventry for the re-launch of a legendary city centre venue.

DJ Gilles Peterson, of Radio 1 and 6 Music, will be the headline guest for The Dog’s inaugural event on Friday.

The underground Hertford Street venue was once the legendary Dog and Trumpet pub.

The Specials were among many local bands to perform there and it briefly returned to its original incarnation as a bier keller before closing two years ago.

Peterson, whose repertoire spans an eclectic mix of world music, will kick the new venture off to the sound of Latin beats.

He heads up the internationally-renowned Brownswood record label which boasts world, acid-jazz, Latin and electro acts.

The music producer will perform for two hours on the night, supported by special guests from his label and other DJs.

Special cocktail offers and canapes will be laid on at the start of the night, which will run until 3am.

Local independent music promoter, Kate Walters, working on behalf of club owners Venue One, says it will be the start of “something special” for Coventry’s music scene.

She said: “Our aim is to guarantee at least four high quality well known names a month.

“We want to bring in big names across all our nights, DJ, folk and live music, as well as promote local acts.

“It’s about reinforcing the fact that there’ll be something for everyone.

“Gilles Peterson is well known but it is by no means the last we are going to see of big names.

“We want to fill a gap in Coventry’s music scene, offer something different.

“We have set ourselves a strategy and we believe it’s sustainable.”

Doors open at 8.30pm.

Tickets, priced £5, are available at The Litten Tree pub in Warwick Row, city centre, or online at http://www.thedogcoventry.co.uk