A BRADFORD bar which originally opened in the 1980s is making a musical comeback with a rock 'n' roll weekend.
Tickles Music Hall will re-open to music fans tomorrow night with a three-day event, also held on Saturday night and Sunday.
The event kicks off on Friday night with performances from Wayne Gee, Faith and Stevie Cruz and DJ Maverick.
Saturday will see Si Cranstoun and his band, CJ Stewart and DJ Maverick.
The weekend will wrap up on Sunday from 3pm with The Jets and Ruby and the Prowlers taking to the stage.
Last-minute preparations are under way at the bar as it gets ready for the grand opening.
The Westgate venue is set to become a hub for live music in Bradford city centre and hopes to attract bands and music fans from across the country.
The site will initially be open every Friday and Saturday night between 7pm and 1am.
It is spread over two floors, includes a dancefloor and has a capacity of between 400 and 500 people.
Other performers set for Tickles in the coming weeks include Eban Brown, former lead singer of The Stylistics, on Saturday, October 30.
It has also put up a nod to its past with the original Tickles Music Hall sign at its entrance. The bar initially opened in 1982.
Ellen Boyle, events manager, said: "We started working on it before lockdown.
"I have a thing about doing older places up. Bradford, in particular, has some beautiful buildings.
We have tried to retain the charm and character of the place. We have been sympathetic to the way it used to be. We have left the stained glass windows in.
"We want to make live music affordable and achievable for everyone.
"We're hoping to put more music festivals on at Tickles.
"The sound system we have put in is above industry standard. It's definitely going to be the place to be.
"We have had people from the North East and the Midlands buying tickets to our events.
"People in Bradford love live music. People have missed it for so long with the pandemic."
The original Tickles Music Hall was opened by businessman John Holmes in 1982, in the style of an old Victorian music hall. He had restored several aspects of the original decor.
Plasterwork in the ceiling had been painted dark red, white and yellow and the bar and stage had been designed with sloping canopies of tiles. Even the doormen had joined in with the theme by wearing Victorian-style bowler hats.
Then Radio 2 DJ David 'Diddy' Hamilton made a special guest appearance on both the Friday and Saturday opening nights, wowing the crowds.
One innovation of the music hall, which was previously known as the Tavern in Town pub, was the showing of advertisement slides on the stage backdrop during breaks, coupled with an eye-catching old-style public telephone booth.
For more information, or ticket details, go to tickleslivemusichall.co.uk
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