North east music venue Bobiks set to close
Written by Lewis Bassindale on 21st March 2024
North East venue Bobiks has announced its closure after over four years.
Credit: Lewis Bassindale
The closure comes after the Punch Bowl Hotel (which houses the venue) in Jesmond has recently changed operators from Frank & Bird to local Mexican restaurant Birria Bella.
Bobiks themselves have given the reason for the closure as the music venue “doesn’t fit the overall vision for the venue” that the new owners have for the pub. This decision has come as a shock to the Newcastle music scene as the venue often hosted between 18-25 gigs a month with a lot often selling out.
When asked about the closure, local act Rivkala told us “It’s devastating that so many small venues are closing at the moment – all over the country. Intimate venues like Bobiks are essential for artists as they build their audience and craft, and I’ve had so much fun there both as a performer and in the crowd.”
Talking about the venue, Rivkala also said “The energy was always so mint because you could really connect to everyone in the room. It’s a space that will be sorely missed!”
Also talking about their Bobiks memories, Sarah Johnsone told us that “It was the place of one of my first sold out headliners, it was a place where I saw bands I’d been waiting to see for ages, it was a place where I discovered new bands, it was a place with a mint backdrop for gig photos – that big beautiful curtain will be sorely missed!”
Local band Peeve Wonders also praised the step the venue gives to acts “It’ll be a huge miss, it was a great step up from local pubs before playing bigger venues such as the Cluny.”
Credit: Blind Johnny
They also commented on how the powers above don’t help grassroots places such as Bobiks “There needs to be something in place by our government and large corporations such as Mastercard to help keep these venues afloat. They can fund stuff like the Brit Awards so why not push some of that money into grassroots venues because there won’t be anyone to give these awards to if places like Bobiks shut down. A real shame for the region and a real push in the wrong direction for small bands and artists.”
The last gig will be tonight, with Heather Ferrier playing the venue.
It is reported that the space will be used by Birria Bella as a dining space.
