Express & Star

Rock Zombie nightclub in Dudley to reopen as new bar

A former club notorious for fights and violence could be turned into a new bar, the Express & Star can reveal.

Published

The former Rock Zombie club in Dudley was shut down in August last year due to violence, but a businessman is now hoping to open a new bar in the premises which he says he hopes will bring the town's nightlife 'back to life'.

Christopher Marson has been looking at various venues around Dudley but has now set his sights on the venue on King Street and is now looking for investors to team up with.

The venue was the scene of several violent incidents and police chiefs said they believed there was a real prospect of a 'tragedy' occurring if it was allowed to continue.

There was violence during June and July last year which included a customer being punched and kicked on the dance floor and an assault on a bouncer.

A gang of between 20 and 30 people also 'stormed' the venue, police said.

On Christmas Day in 2015, three men threatened a bouncer with a firearm, before striking him with a machete after they were refused entry.

Officers had been called to the club 74 times since the start of 2015.

And with violence continuing since, police chiefs said closing the premises was the only option.

But 40-year-old Mr Marson, who owns a CCTV fitting company, now hopes to turn the bar into 'a venue that can appeal to everyone over 18 and feature cabaret, music and become a generally safe and appealing place for all'.

Mr Marson, who is originally from Plymouth but now lives in the town centre, said: " We are currently trying to open a new 'Gay/Non attitude bar' on the site of the old Rock Zombie club.

"Dudley has nothing that appeals to a young crowd unlike other town's that have bars on the high street which bring people in.

"Dudley as a town seems to have stayed in the 1940s but hopefully the bar can bring it back to life.

"I've had a look inside and the venue is perfect.

"There's a lot of items such as chairs and tables that we can use but we're definitely going to try and make the venue a lot brighter as it's quite dark because it was previously a rock bar.

"Once some investors come forward we can apply for an alcohol licence but that shouldn't take long as I'm a personal licence holder myself."

From the start of 2015 until Rock Zombie was closed, police were called to the venue 74 times.

Councillor Ken Finch, chairman of the licensing and safety committee, said: "We're never pleased about the empty premises in Dudley so we shall consider it when an application has been put in."

The latest ID technology, CCTV, fingerprint and facial recognition software are some of the features Mr Marson will install if plans go ahead.

He added: "I'm ready to go ahead and set everything up, I just need to help of some investors."

Mr Mason hopes to unveil in venue in April if plans are approved.

Sorry, we are not accepting comments on this article.