Breathing life into live music

OWNERS: the trio of (from the left) John Dodd, Martin Schofield and Neil Haughton have overseen a resurgence of Whittles as a live music venue

SIMON SMEDLEY meets Martin Schofield of Oldham’s live music venue, Whittles - and hears of his plans to have more local bands and a wider variety of music

MARTIN Schofield has urged local bands of any genre to give Whittles a try.

Schofield, from Lees, Neil Houghton, from Royton and Derker’s John Dodd stepped in to run Whittles in spring 2013, and it is now regarded as one of the major players on the local gig circuit.

With its revamped stage and sound system, Whittles has attracted musicians such as Chris Slade of AC/DC and Uli Jon Roth of Scorpions, as well as top tribute acts like Green Haze and the Total Stone Roses.

Schofield is now equally as keen to showcase Oldham talent and is building a reputation for local nights in much the same was as the venue’s jam sessions and acoustic nights.

The Usual Suspects drummer said: “Absolutely I want to get local bands on at Whittle’s. They are always welcome.

“Some don’t want to play here because maybe there is a rock stigma, but I’m happy to hear from anyone.

“There’s a glut of bands in Oldham and maybe next year we’d like to get a regular local indie showcase going.

“Whittles still has its rock links, but it’s simply a live music venue now. There has to be something for everybody.

“At Whittle’s we’re giving people the chance to see what they want to see, and judging by the number of new faces we see here, it seems we’re getting something right. ”

Local bands can get in touch with Martin through the website — www.whittles-oldham.com.

::Listen to clips from Simon Smedley’s exclusive audio interview with Martin Schofield