Going underground as Plant Room grows
For 70 years it was used to store chairs, but the basement at Wolverhampton's Civic Hall will be opening its doors for the first time to hundreds of revellers tonight - complete with strobe lighting, a bar and state-of-the-art air conditioning.
For 70 years it was used to store chairs, but the basement at Wolverhampton's Civic Hall will be opening its doors for the first time to hundreds of revellers tonight - complete with strobe lighting, a bar and state-of-the-art air conditioning.
The room has been transformed into into an entertainment space in just four weeks at a cost of £84,000 and has been christened the Plant Room - because Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant always parks his car outside its door when appearing at the Civic Hall.
It will stage scaled down versions of popular club nights Cheeky Monkey and Blast Off for the next two weekends due to the Grand Slam of Darts at the main Civic Hall. It will then host stand-up comedy evenings and intimate concerts.
A large lift used to transport chairs up to the main hall has been ripped out to create space for a bar, and the walls and ceiling have been painted black. An air ventilation system has also been installed.
Civic spokesman Jonn Penney said today: "We are all very excited. There was a demand to open another venue here and the feedback so far has been amazing.
"It's very special because this is the first new venue created since the Civic Hall opened 70 years ago."
The work to create a basement concert room was carried out by Wolverhampton City Council and Jacobs Engineering Group.
Steve Evans, section leader in property services at the council, said: "We are constantly trying to evolve the venue and this is just part of it.
"It's been a lot of hard work but we are all relieved to see it finished."
