Wardrobe to close

January 3, 2007 @ 3:17 pm · Filed under Music

I could hradly believe it but its true. My favorite jazz club in Leeds, the Wardrobe, is closing down with the new years event highly likely to have been the last gig in the venue. I’d just like to post a message of thanks to all the staff who have worked at the venue and musicians who have played in it to make it one of the best jazz clubs I have ever been to.

I attended regularly, usually once a week on average, and saw some superb live music there not to mention experienced a great atmosphere. It will be very greatly missed by myself and the many others who attended gigs there with me.

By way of dedication to such a great venue I’m linking to all the reviews I have written about events I have been to in the Wardrobe in this post

Polar Bear
Soweto Kinch
Troy Andrews & Dennis Rollins
Capri
Marlena Shaw
Roy Ayers
The Lightnin Rods & Bourbon Y Tequila
Dada

And many more, including the great DJs and regular groups that have played at the Wardrobe on the countless nights that I’ve just been there for a few drinks or when I haven’t had the time to write a review

Please leave your messages of appreciation for the Wardrobe in comments and if you have written any reviews of your own from events you have been to at the Wardrobe I’d love to add links to them in this post as well as any links to photos and photo albums from events, contact me

UPDATE

And here they come, links to Wardrobe gig reviews from other people. I’ll add any links sent to me to the following list with a credit.

Lara Rose (Gary Williams)
Soul Vaccination (James Goodhead)

 

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10 Comments

  1. Kieran Said,

    January 4, 2007 @ 1:31 pm

    Further news about the closure of the Wardrobe can be found in this news article

    It appears from the interview with the owner of the Wardrobe that the upstairs will stay open (presumably with its food, bar, occasional live bands and jazz on the hi-fi) but that the club downstairs will close for at least 3 months. The reason given is the cost of the building and having such a large overall space.

    Comments and discussion on my article and the information contained on the link welcome and encouraged.

  2. James Said,

    January 4, 2007 @ 3:10 pm

    Will the new Coopers Jazz Club be a suitable replacement to The Wardrobe for the Leeds Jazz Scene? Discuss.

  3. Kieran Said,

    January 4, 2007 @ 7:17 pm

    Well I googled that name (thanks for the link James 😉 ) and it does in fact look very promising – a newly opened jazz club in Leeds!

    I could (regretably) only find the Coopers Jazz Club MySpace page but it does provide useful info and a picture of it all which looks good. I’m certainly going to have to check this venue out after my exams 🙂

  4. Niall Fleming Said,

    January 4, 2007 @ 10:53 pm

    It will be a shame if it does have to shut permanently, we need more Jazz clubs in the uk

  5. Kieran Said,

    January 5, 2007 @ 1:58 pm

    Totally agree with that one. Until this closure I really did think there was the market for it in Leeds, after all the jazz gigs and clubs are always full.

    Every time I see yet another generic place opening I almost cry. We’re supposed to live in a world of variety but when it comes to music its almost like there is a hidden force trying to make us all listen to the same stuff.

  6. Kieran Said,

    January 5, 2007 @ 3:11 pm

    More on the Coopers club.

    Unfortunately its absolutely miles outside Leeds. Well beyond walking distance from me or any of my friends, and most likely a very expensive taxi ride. While there may be buses that get you there, getting one back at 2am or later would most likely be a challenge.

    See the google map here

    Oh well, worth a try I guess.

  7. Oliver Said,

    January 22, 2007 @ 12:26 pm

    Having been up to The Wardrobe with a range of musicians, I had hoped that, at last, Leeds had a good venue near the centre of town. The Irish Centre, a predecessor, probably still has air gun bullet holes when Iain Ballamy was playing once with Billy Jenkins. Is Coopers going to be the only alternative?

  8. Kieran Said,

    January 22, 2007 @ 12:48 pm

    The only viable alternative to the Wardrobe (due the distance mentioned about Coopers above) will be the Hi-Fi club.

    This is a great venue (I saw nu York State play there last night) but doesn’t have as much jazz and blues on as the wardrobe – they tend towards more DJ orientated club nights. The only true jazz events there are the jazz sunday lunch where they have a regular jazz band come in and play while you have lunch and the sunday joint which is the evening jazz club session where the band varies each week (usually very good).

    This is better than nothing and hi-fi do often have jazz and such on other nights as well but its not a fixed thing – sometimes they do sometimes they don’t.

    Speaking to the band last night I’ve heard that its quite difficult to get gigs there as the demand is high, but I guess that means there is normally a good chance of getting something good to listen to when you go.

    Unfortuantely the truth of it all is that the Wardrobe was the best jazz club in town and there isn’t really any one place that can replace it.

  9. deian jones Said,

    February 27, 2007 @ 4:02 pm

    i moved away from leeds early last summer but still visit my friends there regularly and i have to say that i’m devestated to hear that the wardrobe is to close down, and i hope that the rumours of only a temporary closure are true.

    as well as jazz nights i have seen some of the best hip-hop nights that leeds have ever staged at the venue; from arrested developmant, dj vadim, jungle brothers, edan, kid koala, roots manuva and many others. this will leave a big musical gap to fill as well as nice place to hang out and get drunk with you friends.

    i wish to say thanks to everyone at the wardrobe for making my every visit an enjoyable one.

    oh yeah, and ‘the harlem bush club’ held at the hi-fi club on thursday nights offer some quality live music, for those who don’t have to work on fridays…

  10. Kieran Said,

    March 1, 2007 @ 2:57 pm

    The rumours were that it was only going to close for 3 months, so if that is to be believed then it should re-open in a month or so, but personally I’m sad to say I think its gone forever.

    Thanks for the tip about the harlem bush club, I may well check that one out.

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