Independent gets £75,000 new look to boost its offering in Sunderland city centre

The club and gig venue in Holmeside has unveiled a £75,000 new look which, not only improves its appearance, but increases its capacity and accessibility.

Dividing walls have been taken down to make the front lounge and main club room more of a cohesive space, taking the capacity from 300 to 400 for gigs and up to 900 for club events.

The lounge features new booths, lighting, retro Americana tiling and wood panelling, with new windows to bring more light into the space.

There’s also a new drinks menu, including Augustiner Helles, Erdinger, Schöfferhofer, new cocktails, canned wines and a range of non and lo-alcohol options, including a non-alcoholic version of their trade mark blue pints, the classic version of which is their biggest seller by far.

Independent has been a cornerstone of the city’s music scene since 2006 when it was situated over the road in a since-demolished building.

The venue moved into the former Van Mildert store in 2012, with this upgrade its biggest for the past few years.

The new look was designed by Gerard McElvenny from Pulp Studios Design House, who is also behind other city pubs such as Keel Tavern and Gatsby, as well as many others across the region.

“The brief was to keep it Independent, but to also appeal to a bigger mix of people,” said Ben Wall, one of the Independent founders. “We decided the time was right to do something which could increase our capacity for gigs and club nights, while also creating an area that can be used during the day, as well as for pre-drinks before gigs.

“People are already using the new space like that and the response has been universally positive.”

Independent is open on Friday and Saturday nights for club nights including its Saturday night, Sesh, as well as for gigs and other events, including its popular Wednesday student nights during term times.

This Friday sees the second Homospace night created by Mickey Callisto who recently appeared on Britain’s Got Talent. Called Homospace after one of Mickey’s early singles, it’s an inclusive LGBTQIA+ night held monthly on the last Friday of every month from 10pm.

Other forthcoming events include Last Bus Home, a daytime clubbing event on June 14; Fickle Friends on June 20, Primaveras on June 21 and Marketplace on July 4.