A NORTH-East venue is to start holding rock gigs open to the public again.

The first Durham Students' Union event will be on Saturday, May 7, featuring punk pioneers The Damned, Scottish band The Rezillos and tribute band The Clash City Rockers, dedicated to the music of the late Joe Strummer, the former leader of The Clash.

If the night proves successful, it could pave the way for the 700-capacity ballroom at Dunelm House, in New Elvet, to open to the public on a regular basis.

Durham University was part of the 1960s/1970s national music circuit, which then included cinemas and ballrooms, and it attracted many up-and-coming bands, many of whom went on to national fame.

Groups such as Pink Floyd, Procul Harum, Barclay James Harvest, Mott the Hoople, Siouxsie and the Banshees and Caravan played there, and even guitar legend Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin are thought to have graced its stage in their early days.

Legend has it that Free wrote their enduring rock anthem All Right Now backstage in Durham after a gig, at a time when their career was in the balance.

The gigs carried on into the 1980s, but in recent years, the venue has been used for student-only events.

The city's recently revived annual beer festival has proved the exception in admitting the public.

Venue manager Jez Light said: "It is not enough to just have the beer festival here every year.

"It is probably the biggest space for this kind of thing in Durham."

Although the venue does not have the access facilities for band equipment that modern venues have, it has good acoustics.

North-East promoter Jon Connor, who is staging the first gig and remembers seeing groups at Dunelm House in the early 1980s, said he hoped to arrange others at the venue and was in negotiations with other bands, although he could not give any names as yet.

He said: "This will probably be Durham's biggest gig in 20 years, and it is quite nice to see the city compete with Newcastle.

"The Damned played the venue in 1980, so it will be 25 years since their last visit. We are expecting a lot of interest."

The 500-seat Gala Theatre has hosted bands in the past, but appears to be concentrating on tribute shows so the union does not see a conflict.

The current line-up of The Damned, regarded by many followers as the driving force of punk, features original members Captain Sensible and Dave Vanian.

The Damned last year released their first album in 14 years, Grave Disorder, and were approached by Mr Connor with the idea of playing in Durham after they performed at Newcastle's Metro Arena last year.

The gig will start at 7.30pm. Tickets are £16.50, and £15.50 for union card-holders, available from event sponsor Concept Records, in North Road, or on 0191-383 0745

* The Sage music centre, in Gateshead, is launching club nights.

They will feature performances from the best leftfield dance music artists, along with resident DJs.

They will be held on the first Friday of every month, starting tonight, with music from Etienne de Crecy, Alex Gopher and Julien Defauld.

Future guests include The Bays and British hip-hop veteran Rodney P.

Doors open at 8pm. Tickets are £6, available on 0870 703 4555.

Published: 04/02/2005