Spooky action in store as Lancaster co-op hosts monthly music night
Music fans are in for a howl this Saturday as Lancaster Music Co-op celebrates news of its reopening next year with a special Halloween-themed night of free music.
Headliners, Lancaster-based noise duo dull. promise ‘intense screamy vocals’ - a seemingly perfect fit for this month’s edition of the co-op’s regular music night at The Pub on China Street.
The show - for which gig-goers are encouraged but not compelled to don frightening fancy dress - comes hot on the heels of the co-op’s announcement that is has secured £90,000 in Arts Council funding.
Paired with £10,000 the co-op has pledged in match-funding, that will be enough to complete a major renovation and re-open its rehearsal facility, recording studio and music space in Lodge Street next summer. The premises was forced to close more than six years ago after being issued with an eviction notice.
Thick fuzzy guitar riffs and motorik drums, but minimal electronica-inspired arrangements are promised by dull. at this weekend’s All Hallows’ Eve showcase.
The band comprises vocalist/drummer Joel Maudsley, who cites bands such as Preoccupations and Protomartyr as references, alongside guitar/electronics wizard Raymond Jennings who points to the influence of Blixa Bargeld and Factory Floor.
Having only begun gigging in early 2025, they have already racked up an impressive list of performances alongside The DSM IV, Hot Wax and Jane Weaver.
Maudsley has previously been seen behind the drum kit for Bingo Records bands Dog Daises and Mr Ben + The Bens, while Jennings cut his teeth playing bass in a host of bands and composing short film scores. The pair, who met DJing at disco and electronic nights in their hometown, bonded over a shared love of immediacy and minimalism in music.
They recreate this love with abundance in their intense live shows, relishing in contrast and contradiction, and poetic and thoughtful lyrics. The guitar throbs loudly with sub bass, while Maudsley’s vocals range from screamo-shouting to something between speaking and singing, evoking the techniques of Matt Berninger of The National fame.
Also taking to the stage are Callis, are a four-piece from Todmorden making widescreen, atmospheric guitar music shaped by post-punk, folk and the landscape of Northern England.
Rather than settling neatly into one genre, Callis occupy the space between art-rock, post-punk and contemporary folk, with regional storytelling running through everything they do.
Recent live appearances have included shows with Opus Kink and The House of Love, alongside headline performances across the North of England and London.
Opening the night are Polypores, boasting intricately woven modular synth tapestries, and whirling psychedelic freak-outs with hypnotic polyrhythms and fuzzed-up drum machines.
The man behind the moniker, Stephen James Buckley, is a riveting artist and performer, channelling the weird energies that make up his fractal musical universe. Recent live sets comprised wonky, gonzo-techno.
His Polypores project is forever respawning, weaving intricate textures and motifs into effortlessly mesmerising music for some of the most respected labels in the electronic music sphere, including Cracked Ankles, Aural Canyon, Castles In Space, DiN, Polytechnic Youth and Frequency Domain.
Co-op director Derek Meins said: “This Saturday’s show promises to be a hauntingly-good hoot, with a happy atmosphere in the house after news of the Arts Council grant.
“It’s the kind of eclectic line-up these nights have become renowned for, showcasing the kind of brilliant local talent the co-op has been so important in providing a platform for over the decades.
“To be in a position to do that from a ‘like new’ renovated premises again from next summer will be absolutely brilliant.
“We do still need funds to equip the rehearsal rooms and buy studio equipment, and that’s where events like this one can come into their own. While admission is free, donation points and our merch stand give people the chance to make a contribution. It’s this kind of wonderful community support that has got us where we are now.”
The repairs at the co-op were turbo-charged by £1.2m from the government’s Community Ownership Fund, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Lancaster’s High Street Heritage Action Zone and Lancaster City Council.
The Arts Council grant will fund the final build phases, which will see all works completed and include competition of rehearsal and recording rooms, the office, and all finishing works.
This will allow the co-op to re-open in June 2027. The newly-refurbished facility will include five rehearsal rooms and a small recording studio. There is scope to develop the upstairs area into a venue in future, but that will be dependent on raising further funding.
The city council, which owns the co-op premises, issued it with an eviction notice in 2018, but it was eventually granted a long-term lease following a community campaign and support from city councillors.
You can donate to the co-op fundraising campaign at https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-lancaster-music-coop
Co-opilation Vol #1, a compilation of tracks donated by artists who have used and supported the co-op over the years is available to download at https://lancastermusiccoop.bandcamp.com/album/co-opilation-vol-1 on a ‘pay what you feel’ basis with a suggested donation of £5.