'We want everyone to leave with a smile on their face': Live music alive and well at popular venue

Come through the doors, however, and the Tardis-like effect of the venue becomes clear as it opens up into a large area with several bars and areas for food and merchandise, then opens even further to reveal an arena with large stage and impressive sound system.

The Grade II listed building was once home to Star Motor Company, which produced tens of thousands of bicycles in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, then moved onto car production, beginning production of Star-Benz Cars and changing its name to Star Engineering Company in 1902.

It has remained exactly how it was in 1903 when the final building was built and, after operating for several years as Starworks, became KK's Steel Mill in 2018 after being named after the lead guitarist of Judas Priest, K.K. Downing, who acts as ambassador.

The ‘Ushaped’ perimeter of the factory consists of a two storey brick built structure featuring a striking pitched roof and a vast open centre area, with a single storey series of glazed pitched roofs supported on a raw steel framework.

It's become a venue synonymous with live music, bringing in arena level bands such as Skid Row and Thunder, as well as big name acts such as James, the Stranglers, K.K. Downing's own band KK's Priest and the Architects and hosting a night with then-World Heavyweight Champion boxer Tyson Fury.

Manager Phill Cates has been part of the venue for many years and spoke about how it had become a place for live music in Wolverhampton.

He said: "With KK's, we've homed in on the live music scene and we're regularly booking international touring artists on a regular basis.

"We've been a multi-purpose venue in the past, but we were looking at what was drawing in the crowds and what was missing at the time and there really weren't a lot of live music venues operating in 2018 and I just thought it would be a good addition to the city.

"It's certainly a very unique venue and a great big room which can be sized to any size we want and we can have crowds from 200 people up to 2,000 people in a variation of different sizes and scales."

The venue has multiple rooms available for use, with the main area configurable to suit small and big performances and a smaller bar and stage area in another area of the venue, as well as an eye-catching mural to Judas Priest on the wall.

Looking around, KK's Steel Mill doesn't look like a venue where the sound would carry particularly well, but Phill Cates said the venue is one which surprises a lot of people.

He said it also provides a good drink at a reasonable price, with the venue having its own twist on certain drinks.

He said: "It's funny as everything about the building suggests that it shouldn't work, but it just does and the artists who play here really love it, so it has a really nice earthy feeling to it.

"With the drinks, we've got our own twists on a dark stout and a pale ale and that's always popular with customers when they come in, plus we also have Carling and San Miguel and a nice range of ciders, so I think we provide something for everyone."

The venue continues to thrive and is set to put on some big acts over the next few months, including Stiff Little Fingers, Terrorvision, Hillbilly Vegas and The Undertones.

Phill Cates said the philosophy of KK's Steel Mill was to treat everyone who walks through the door the right way and ensure that they leave with a smile and said the space and feel of the place was what made it special.

He said: "There's something about the place which makes it special as we try to give everybody a good experience from the minute they walk through the door.

"We have the door staff who have a smile of their face and love a joke, but all do the job well, and we try to have the same people on the door all the time, so you get that familiarity.

"The bars are big, so everyone can get a drink, and the stage is big, so everyone can see, so it's just all things for all people."