Founders of The Cockpit have launched a new club that claims to be Leeds’ first dedicated rock venue.

The venue, ‘The Key Club’, is to host three nights a week catering to all genres of rock along with regular gigs from widely known bands.

The news comes just weeks after The Cockpit, a centre of the city’s alternative scene, announced its closure. The Cockpit’s most popular nights, Slam Dunk and The Garage, will now be held at The Key Club every Tuesday and Saturday.

The venue will also feature a new metal and classic rock night on Friday. The Key Club is situated on Merrion Street, only a few minutes away from the University’s campus.

It is hoped that the club’s location will attract many of Leeds’ students.

President of the LUU RockSoc, Miley Stevens told The Gryphon, “It’s early days in the life of The Key Club, and I think it is too soon to tell how it will fare on Leeds’ alternative scene, but after visiting them a couple of times over Freshers’ week it looks like it is a good substitute for The Cockpit.”

Stevens added: “There is also so much hidden and unsigned talent in Leeds that the alternative scene will never really die.”

George Dixon