Rock is dead? Trillians Rockbar shuts its doors.

On 31st October 2013, Trillians Rockbar celebrated the first night of a two-part Hallowe'en event.  There was music, beer, face-painting and all manner of spooky goings-on, and I imagine a fun time was had by all.  And many left that night looking forward to the second part the next day.

It never happened.

At 8:40 am the following morning, the following message appeared on Trillians' official Facebook page:

Just like that, one of Newcastle's most popular pubs, and a focal point for the rock community of the North East, was gone.  A pub that had seen thousands of bands, including more than a few big names, perform on the little stage opposite the bar, and held dear memories for so many of its patrons young and old, was snuffed out.

Maybe.

The reason for the closure? Trillians was part of the Bramwell Pub Company (formerly Barracuda), who went into administration the same day.  The administrators, Zolfo Cooper, immediately set about closing 25 pubs. Although it hasn't officially been stated yet which ones have been shut, it's fairly safe to assume one of them is Trillians, seeing as how it's suddenly closed for business.

Trillians has been a part of Newcastle, and its rock scene in particular, for many years. From its early days in the 1960s as the Man In The Moon, through Jubilee 77/The Jubilee, to its most recent incarnation, it's seen all manner of performers ply their trade, including the Damned, Napalm Death, At The Gates, Diamond Head, Saxon, Blaze Bayley, All About Eve and who knows how many more, as well as being a prominent venue for local talent to play.

But its more than that.  There are memories in those walls.  From the tables that had tickets, CD covers, flyers and patches of bands like Iron Maiden, AC/DC and Black Sabbath, to the seemingly pointless spiral staircase that went nowhere; from squeezing through an immovable jam-packed throng on a Saturday night for half an hour just to get a drink at the bar, to sitting quietly at a table tucking into some chips in the mid afternoon; meeting friends, making new ones - some people, including "Mrs. Loud", the singer on Meat Loaf's hit "I'd Do Anything For Love", apparently found their future spouses inside the confines of the place.

And in the blink of an eye, it's gone.

Well, I did say maybe.

Not long after the announcement was made, a new group was founded: Save Trillians. And in the space of less than a day, it acquired almost 10,000 members.  So many people who had a lot of memories of Trillians (under any name), or just expressing their sorrow at its closure, or wondering if a new owner would keep it as a rock bar.  One member had even spoken to the administrators about the pub.  There's a large contingent of people who want to keep Trillians alive, and it only takes one to actually start the ball rolling.  But 10,000 can roll it so much quicker.

We've already lost the Mayfair. Let's not lose this as well.