The New Adelphi Club
The Stone Roses squeezed on to the original stage at the New Adelphi Club in 1987
A tiny stage in a terraced house where some of Britain’s best-known bands cut their teeth has been rediscovered.
Oasis, Radiohead and the Stone Roses were among the groups who played at the celebrated New Adelphi Club, in Hull, before finding global fame.
A carpet refit revealed the original stage, which dates from the 1950s and was lost when the club was remodelled and extended in 1995.
General manager Paul Sarel said it was a “lovely surprise” and reminder of how “some of the most famous bands in the world all squeezed on to this tiny space”.
“When we posted on social media, we had so many people who said they remembered playing on that stage or seeing some of the most famous bands play on that small area,” he added.
The New Adelphi Club
The original stage had not been seen since a refurbishment in 1995
The New Adelphi opened in the Victorian house in October 1984, but the old stage – which also hosted bands such as Pulp and The Housemartins – dates from a time when the venue was home to a social club.
It was uncovered when the carpet was ripped up for a refit made possible by a £1,000 fundraising appeal.
“That carpet’s seen some history,” Mr Sarel said.
“It had lots of holes in it. It was stuck down with Sellotape in some places, it was right down to the boards in other places. So we were desperate to make it look a bit better and get something in place for the next 20 years.”
Getty Images/Shirlaine Forrest
Pulp played at the New Adelphi club numerous times in the 1980s and 90s
Staff members and musicians signed their names and left messages on the stage before a new carpet was laid over the top.
“About 20 people from the Adelphi community came down and signed it,” Mr Sarel said. “We even had the Adelphi dog put his paw print down and had a cat come in and we took the cat’s paw prints.
“It’s just a bit of memorabilia, like when you do a message in a bottle and then you reveal it 20 years later.”
Mr Sarel said young people from the club’s steering group had led the fundraising appeal, along with musicians from the Hull outfits Black Kes and Residents Association.
Oasis played at the club in April 1994, on the eve of the release of Supersonic, the first single from their debut album, Definitely Maybe. The band will return to live shows later this year for the first time since 2009.
