Laughterhouse takes over Eric's in Liverpool

One of Liverpool's most important music venues has been converted into a purpose-built comedy club.

Eric's was a vital part of the punk and post-punk scene of the late 1970s, hosting acts such as Elvis Costello, Buzzcocks, The Clash, Joy Division, Ramones, Sex Pistols and Siouxsie and the Banshees.

It was also the centre of a local scene that involved the likes of Dead or Alive, Echo & the Bunnymen, Julian Cope and The Teardrop Explodes.

But now it has been taken over by the Slaughterhouse, which already operates comedy clubs in two other venues in the city.

It has been refurbished as a purpose-built club with a capacity of 200, and will open on November 27. Club owner Paula Harrington said: 'We believe this space could become one of the finest comedy rooms in the UK.'

The venue is opposite the Cavern Club in Mathew Street, one of the liveliest for nightlife in the City. A sculpture on its outer wall pays tribute to the Beatles as Four Lads Who Shook the World.

The venue opened as Eric's on October 1, 1976 and closed in March 1980 following a police raid, but it was hugely influential in its brief life. It inspired a 2008 musical of the same name, and a book subtitled 'All the best clubs are downstairs'.

Upstairs is a bar called Eric's Live, but it has no real link to the punk hotspot.

Published: 19 Oct 2015