A SOUTHAMPTON music venue famous for championing bands like Oasis and Coldplay in their early days re-opens this week with a fresh look.

The Joiners on St Mary Street is hosting the first of a series of socially-distanced seated gigs on Thursday after being closed for most of the last 15 months.

But while the sound system was silenced, work to maintain the historic building has been carried out by a collective of local musicians and supporters.

Promoter Ricky Bates told The Daily Echo: “We haven’t stopped. So many people have rallied round to make sure we are ready for when doors open again. It’s been amazing. Our thank you list is huge.”

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As well as roof and floor repairs, there is a new black and red themed refurbished bar area, with upgraded lighting and seating. Meanwhile, intricate handcrafted copper-foil stencilling surrounds the bar.

Music fans will also see a new wall of photos of past performances and posters from some of the most legendary shows, including The Verve, The Vaccines and Green Day.

While grant funding covers rent until September, the venue has lost 85 per cent of its income during lockdown and bar staff and sound engineers have had to find work elsewhere.

Each socially-distanced gig will seat 33 people, drinks will be ordered by app and table service, and shows will also be live-streamed on the venue’s Twitch channel.

Bournemouth-based indie-rock band Monster Logic headline the first show, while Portsmouth’s Blithe play Sunday.

Ricky says it is important for The Joiners to start performances again even with current restrictions.

“We need to keep fans interested and encourage local bands to play even if we don’t make a profit. Without venues like The Joiners, the whole music eco-system will crash,” he said.

The Joiners has 115 gigs booked between September and January and Ricky is optimistic for the long-term, even though he thinks it is possible that a proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test may still be needed for gigs after June 21.

“Some are predicting a repeat of the Roaring Twenties once this is over. People want to come back to socialise and see live music again,” he said.

Tickets and dates at joinerslive.com