AN R&B superstar will help launch a new programme of live music at a famous entertainment venue.
Alexander O’Neal will be the first performer at the new Origin Live on Saturday, October 30, a programme of live music and entertainment at the Origin bar in Batley.
He was the last act to play The Frontier venue, which was previously known as Batley Variety Club, before its closure in 2016.
Origin Live is the brainchild of Nick Westwell, the former general manager of The Frontier.
Just a week after its closure in 2016, he opened Origin and has since invested £500,000 into the venues.
The new venture at the Bradford Road site will operate completely independent of its club room nights upstairs, offering audiences a relaxed environment to enjoy top-quality live music and entertainment.
The shows will take place on the ground floor at Origin before its popular club events begin upstairs at midnight. In an effort to make the venue accessible to a wider range of audiences, the venue is extending the dancefloor, building a new stage for live performances and offering an eclectic programme of live music, comedy shows and bingo nights.
With this new venture, Westwell promises to offer the people of Batley and beyond an intimate take on the world-famous Variety Club which became the entertainment capital of the North, attracting such names as Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones and Louis Armstrong and drawing audiences from across the region.
Mr Westwell said: “With Origin Live we are investing in the venue and in the town.
“There’s a lot of people of all different ages that need entertaining and we’re trying to facilitate that while also becoming part of the community.”
He added: “Things change, people’s requirements change, people’s needs change, so we’re changing the venue from a party bar into a live venue before midnight.”
Billed as the ‘Batley Frontier Reunion’, O’Neal will be performing some of his biggest hits from the 80s and 90s, including ‘Criticize’, ‘If You Were Here Tonight’ and ‘Fake’ on October 30.
O’Neal said: “I can’t wait to be back on stage in Batley again.
Last time I was here performing at The Frontier, the crowd was phenomenal and I’m sure it’s going to be even better this time around
The venue will also be bringing the celebrated comic Billy Pearce, Britain’s Got Talent star DJ Murray Mint and the renowned tribute bands Abba Revival, Complete Madness and Oasish to Batley over the coming months.
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