CULTURE EDITION
MUSIC THE JUNCTION AT 35 From club nights to Britpop bands, stand-up comedy and community theatre, Cambridge’s coolest indie venue is 35 this month. Popular culture manager
Rob Tinkler reflects on the highlights F ew live music venues are held in such high esteem and with such affection as Cambridge Junction. At age 35, this iconic culture hub is still presenting some 600 live performances annually, from electrifying gigs by the likes of Blur and Coldplay to new comedy and theatre. The man who books the talent is Rob Tinkler, a former Mill Road record shop owner. “The Junction came about thanks to Cambridge Venue Group, which agitated the city council for a venue that would serve the needs of young people,” explains Rob. “Back in the 80s, the only venues were the Corn Exchange – closed for renovation for much of the decade – pubs or smaller venues such as the Sea Cadet Hall. “The council came up with various ideas, including building a venue in the middle of the Elizabeth Way roundabout! Young people got so worked up, there was a riot at the former Thake’s Bike Shop on East Road. I wouldn’t call it a riot exactly, but there were a few disgruntled young folk running about! A police car might have got kicked at one point.” Eventually, the city council built the new community venue at the former cattle market. “There was one story about how the builders had to be paid in lager because money had run out,” says Rob. Capacity increased from 400 in 1990 to 850 by 1992, just as the emerging club scene – acid house and Orbital raves – took off. “We put on club nights every Friday and Saturday, with live music, comedy and theatre during the week – all in the same building,” says Rob. “We were forever having to take the stage down to make space for club nights, so eventually we applied for National Lottery funding to build a separate theatre, and J2 was born.” The J2 theatre space was built at the same time as a new, smaller studio space (J3) for artist development, new comedy, smaller music gigs and theatre rehearsals. “The community space has allowed us to expand our remit,” says Rob. “We’ve introduced operations and technical apprenticeships for local students who go on to become sound or lighting technicians, and we do open evenings for schools and colleges.” Because the Junction is part-funded by Cambridge Arts Council, new creative talent is nurtured too. “We have a monthly event called The Fiver, where you can see five bands for £5 – and New Routes, which
is for new singer-songwriters who play acoustic music. One of our recent success stories is local band Mallory Knox, who started out playing The Fiver and recently sold out their own gig here in December.” The Junction has seen many bands rise to superstardom. “We’ve had Blur a couple of times, Pulp, Green Day, Manic Street Preachers, Stormzy and Sleaford Mods. Once they get big, bands often return for a warm-up before a UK tour; we’ve had Paul Weller, Duran Duran and Lou Reed. We’ve always punched above our weight.” Rising insurance costs and utility bills are forcing venues to charge more. “The live music industry has changed in the last 20 years since the collapse of record sales. Bands’ record companies used to fund tours to make things work financially. That doesn’t happen now, so bands tend to rely on selling merch. They also spend more time touring, but you can’t play live too much or fans will get bored of you. “The biggest change in the last 35 years is that music is no longer the only entertainment for young people nowadays. They’ve got games, streaming and social media. For 17-year-olds back in the 80s, music was the only thing we had. We’d listen to it in our bedrooms and make our parents bang on the ceiling!”
20 FEBRUARY 2025
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