Plaque marks pub where Nirvana and Oasis played

Oasis apparently played at The Duchess to a crowd of only two paying gig-goers

A former music venue in Leeds which played host to Oasis, Coldplay and even Nirvana in the late 1980s and 90s has been honoured with a blue plaque.

The Duchess of York pub on Vicar Lane, known as The Duchess, was given the honour by Leeds Civic Trust at a ceremony on Saturday.

The site, which is now home to a Hugo Boss store, was noted for its "significant contribution to the music industry" thanks to the work of owner and promoter John Keenan.

The plaque includes the fact that Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain "slept upstairs on a sofa after their gig on 25 October 1989".

Amanda Burns and Paul Cockcroft were behind the campaign for a plaque, held here by former promoter John Keenan

The plaque was unveiled in Leeds on Saturday afternoon

It reads: "The Duchess of York (1988-2000). This building was once the heart of Leeds music scene.

"John Keenan helped transform “The Duchess” public house into a vibrant incubator venue for new artists including PJ Harvey, Oasis, Radiohead and Coldplay."

Leeds Civic Trust said Oasis performed at The Duchess in 1993 - to practically an empty room - before returning to a larger crowd in 1994.

The gig reportedly had only two paying customers in 1993 and guitarist Bonehead said: "Just two years after playing the Duchess we walked out in front of 250,000 people at Knebworth.

"Those little venues with people right in your face are where you learn your craft.

"If you can do it there, you can do it anywhere."

Coldplay were just one of the emerging acts to play at the venue before finding fame on an international stage

The trust awarded the plaque after approving its nomination from a group including Amanda Burns, who said it was a chance to "celebrate our city’s creative cultures".

She said: "Promoter John Keenan not only brought notable figures from the wider music industry to the city, he provided a platform for local and unknown talent to be nurtured and careers were built from these opportunities, locally and on the world stage.

"I hope this is just the beginning of the story for the recognition of grassroots venues and their positive impact on communities," she added.

The Duchess of York was open on Vicar Lane from 1988-2000

Dr Brett Lashua, co-editor of a book documenting the city's music history, said: "The Duchess of York became Leeds’ most important grassroots concert venue where emerging bands and artists performed on their way to becoming commercially or culturally successful.

"The iconic list includes Oasis, The Verve, Radiohead, Blur, Coldplay, PJ Harvey, Muse, Bush, Placebo, Green Day, The Cranberries, Pulp and, most notoriously, Nirvana."

He continued: "Nirvana played on 25 October 1989, two years before the release of their multi-platinum selling album Nevermind."

Martin Hamilton, Leeds Civic Trust director, said: "The Duchess celebrates the places and spaces that grassroots bands and musicians so desperately need and which enhance our culture so richly."

The final band to perform at the Duchess before it closed in March 2020 were Chumbawumba, who played the venue multiple times.

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