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Venue in Lemmy's hometown 'would boost music scene'

Alex McIntyre
BBC News, West Midlands
Lee Blakeman
BBC Radio Stoke
PA Media Lemmy Kilmister - wearing a black cowboy hat, an iron cross necklace, a black shirt and black trousers - holds an orange and red-coloured bass guitar while playing on stage. A large guitar amplifier and cabinet is visible behind him. PA Media
A new concert venue is planned for Lemmy Kilmister's hometown of Burslem

A planned concert venue in heavy metal legend Lemmy Kilmister's hometown would help to boost the area's music scene, a local artist has said.

The proposal would see the vacant Queen's Theatre in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, transformed into an 800-seat venue with a cafe, museum and music studios.

Among those behind the idea is sculptor Andy Edwards, from Newcastle-under-Lyme, who created the statue of the Burslem-born Motorhead frontman.

Mr Edwards told BBC Radio Stoke the venue, which would be called Kilmister Halls, could help to attract more bands and artists to the city.

"We've got a big musical heritage in this city and we used to attract the best bands," he said.

"That's drifted away and this [new venue] would make a huge difference in getting that back again."

A man with a black hat, glasses, a black jacket, black shirt and jeans. Sits down on a work table in a workshop and places his left hand on a statue of Lemmy, which is lying down.
Andy Edwards sculpted the statue of Lemmy Kilmister, which was erected in Burslem

The Grade II-listed Queen's Theatre originally closed in 1998 but reopened for occasional events in 2003 before shutting again in 2014.

It neighbours the Lemmy statue on Market Place, which was unveiled on 9 May to mark 10 years since the singer's death from cancer and the 50-year anniversary of Motorhead's formation.

According to IFK Legacy CIC, which is working on the proposal, plans for the venue were at an early stage and organisers were looking at procuring the building and raising funds.

Meetings have been held with Stoke-on-Trent City Council, which owns the theatre, and Mr Edwards said they had been "really positive".

Reuters A crowd, some of them holding up phones, gathers around a beige-coloured plinth which has a black statue on top of Lemmy - a man with long hair holding a bass guitar and singing upwards into a microphone. A large building can be seen in the background.Reuters
A statue of Lemmy Kilmister, pictured with the Queen's Theatre behind it, was unveiled in his hometown of Burslem on 9 May

He said it was important the project was financially viable, adding: "It's not just about wild dreams, it's about making things pay for themselves and not run out of steam."

A spokesperson for the city council said there had been "lots of discussions" with interested parties over the future of the Queen's Theatre.

"While these discussions are in still in the early stages and all options are being explored, it is clear that all interested parties are keen to progress with a project to restore the building, particularly one which will combine a performance space with wider community and educational uses," they added.

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