There are many music clubs which have played pivotal roles in the breaking of bands' careers. They often do more than that; sometimes the venues become iconic themselves, not least in the case of the Brixton Academy whose founder, Simon Parkes, was a guest on this very show a number of months ago. Another such club, albeit it on a smaller scale, is Eric's Club, the famous Liverpool venue which has witnessed its own fair share of music genius.
The Mighty Wah! frontman Pete Wylie joined Tom Dunne on Tuesday night to look back on a venue which played a seminal role in the breaking of many a group's career.
"I went (to Eric's) nearly every night between 1976 and 1980," recalled Wylie. "I met this panoply of incredible people".
Eric's Club, a small and often overcrowded haven for punk enthusiasts, was extablished in 1976 by Roger Eagle and Ken Testi. However, its existence was shortlived, closing down after a drug raid in 1980.
Among the bands that played Eric's were Elvis Costello, Buzzcocks, The Clash, Joy Division, Ramones, Sex Pistols, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Slits, The Stranglers, Ultravox, Wire, XTC, X-Ray Spex and early gigs by U2, New Order, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and Mick Hucknall.
Click on the above link to hear the full interview.
