A FORMER York venue which ran in the 1970s and played host to a string of music legends is the subject of a new documentary.

The Pop Club was a punk rock club which was open between 1978-79. It was situated at the Oval Ball, next to York Rugby Club.

The venue hosted mid-week gigs every Wednesday, or sometimes twice a week, where bands from York and around the country would perform.

The Pop Club hosted a number of music legends before they became famous including Adam and the Ants, The Pretenders, The Cure and The Undertones.

The venue was named The Pop Club as organisers didn’t want the local council to know it was a punk-rock club, as punks had a bad reputation at the time.

The documentary was made by Sean Parkin, who was born and grew up in the city.

Sean, who lives in London now, said: “Me and my friends were a bit younger when we used to go to Pop Club, we were about 16.

“Going to the venue gave us the inspiration to get going and start our own band.”

The Pop Club closed in September 1979, after a group of ‘skinheads’ went to the venue with violent intentions - which Sean said resulted in a riot breaking out.

Sean added: “There had not been any trouble before this, they just came for a fight.”

There were only a small number of gigs after the incident before the club was closed down.

Sean went on to say: “It was a year that has lived long in the memory of those who were there.

“We were able to see a decent band every week for just £1.”

Sean’s documentary includes stories from several York musicians who played at the venue. It also features music fans who attended the gigs there, and remember the bands that played.

To watch the documentary, visit: https://bit.ly/3gPyG39