Endless Spite punk festival at Kirkgate Centre in Shipley

The building, on Kirkgate, Shipley re-opened last month as a new town centre hub, following a £3 million renovation.

Built as a school in 1858, the centre became a community facility in the 1970s. The year-long refurbishment has transformed it into a base for charitable organisations Hive and the Kirkgate Community Centre to provide community services and facilities, including schemes to tackle social isolation, family activities and making cultural and artistic activities accessible. The centre has meeting rooms and event spaces.

The project was funded with £2.51m from the Government-funded Shipley Towns Fund, as well as funding from the Community Ownership Fund, BD25, the Mayor’s Climate Change Grant and the Architectural Heritage Fund.

On Saturday, December 7 a line-up of punk bands will perform at Kirkgate Centre in what is billed as “the biggest gig at the venue ever”. The event, from 3pm to 11pm, is a collaboration between Bradford promoters Endless Hum and Leeds punk promoters Out of Spite collective; renowned for hosting memorable punk shows for more than 20 years.

A total of nine bands - including local acts and bands from around the UK - will be staggered across two rooms in the refurbished Shipley venue. There will also be projections, merchandise, craft ale, food vendors and record stalls.

Endless Hum have been putting on gigs in Bradford since May 2022 and Out of Spite started in 1998.

The line-up for the Endless Spite festival includes Bradford band Tiger Island, who have been “peddling their power-pop loving garage punk rock around venues of West Yorkshire since 2022”. Fuelled by massive riffs, pounding drums and tunes you can dance to, they have been compared to the likes of Sleater-Kinny, Hot Snakes and the Murder City Devils.

Also on the bill is long-running Leeds band Cowtown, who have continued to craft their “off-kilter, garage-punk” for nearly two decades. With four albums under their belts on the likes of Gringo Records and Domino Records as well as early releases, Cowtown’s back catalogue is extensive.

Leeds band Cowtown are on the line-up

Other acts on the line-up are: Bradford/Leeds newcomers Cellar Messiah; Cardiff band Obey Cobra, who played at the first Endless Hum gig in 2022; The Sex Maniacs, featuring members of legends of the Leeds punk scene Voorhees, The Horror and Gentlemans Pistols; Weekend Faithful from Newcastle, playing their first ever gig in Yorkshire; Machiavellian Art: Ox Scapula and The Breedling.

Weekend Faithful play their first ever Yorkshire gig (Image: Endless Spite)

l The gig is for ages 18-plus, but under-18s may attend under the supervision of a parent or guardian and at the discretion of the venue.

For tickets go to endlesshum.bigcartel.com/product/endless-spite-alldayer-kirkgate-centre-shipley