Punk fans who were part of a lively local music scene around the start of the eighties have come back together four decades on to celebrate two long-gone venues that shaped their world.
The Garage and The Station were havens for punk lovers back in the day and are now being remembered in an exhibition set to open this weekend at Newcastle Contemporary Art gallery in High Bridge. Celebrating the legacy of local Youth Music Collectives, The Punk Exhibition is set to stir memories of all those who frequented the much-loved venues at the time.
The Garage was an old, disused warehouse in Bell's Court in the city's Pilgrim Street where young teenage punks found a place for themselves. It was a 'do-it-yourself' music space run by them and for them, with minimal adult supervision, and it became an iconic venue, hosting performances by local favourites such as Total Chaos, The Reptiles and The Village Idiots.
But it closed in 1981 and so the Gateshead Music Collective breathed new life into a former police club in Swinburne Street, Gateshead, known as The Station, which became the new epicentre for punk music in the area, say the exhibition organisers who are now telling the story with the help of photographs, memorabilia and shared memories.
With The Station - refurbished with help from Gateshead Council and The Millfield House Trust - becoming the new place to be for live punk music, The Clash made a 'secret' appearance there during an acoustic tour. A community hub, it offered rehearsal space for up-and-coming local bands too - in the way The Bunker in Sunderland, which also will feature, works today.
The Punk Exhibition, which will have an official open-to-all launch event from 4pm-7pm on Saturday, is organised by a group of those who were a part of the scene at The Garage and The Station and the time and it will pay homage to the music hubs' cultural significance. Keeks McGarry, former singer with Total Chaos, called it "a remarkable opportunity to revisit the incredible culture that emerged from the punk venues of our youth".
McGarry, who is now a manager of an adventure playground, added: "It's a chance to reconnect with the spirit of those times, honour the bands and performers who shaped our lives and inspire a new generation of music enthusiasts. I'm thrilled to be part of this exhibition and can't wait to witness the impact it will have."
Following the November 18 launch, the exhibition will be open to the public from Thursday to Saturday, noon until 5pm, throughout November and December. Visitors will find archive material such as video footage and an array of photographs and memorabilia, including posters and fanzines chronicling the energy and spirit of the punk movement's local history.
They also will be able to share their own stories, with facilities available for them to record their memories. The exhibition will close on December 16: see here.
The organiser group also has an online fund-raiser page for anyone wishing to make a donation to support the event.
Join our Christmas & New Year WhatsApp community
Join our Christmas & New Year in Newcastle and the North East WhatsApp community for all the latest festive news and events sent direct to your phone.
To join you need to have WhatsApp on your device. All you need to do is click on the link and press 'join community'.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the ChronicleLive team.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners.
If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
If you’re curious, you can read our privacy notice.
