On Melbourne Street, in the east of Newcastle was the original Riverside which ran between 1985 and the new millenium - an amaaaazing time to be part of the music scene in the city (not that I'm jealous, at all).

The venue was established at 57/59 Melbourne Street by a limited company, but operating as a cooperative within the old Mawson Swan & Morgan printing works. The building itself dates to the turn of the 20th century, and was certainly here by 1907. Established in 1878 they produced wedding papers, stationary, postcards, business materials and the like. They were operating until the 80s, with Waterstones taking on their Grey Street premises.

The idea for such a venue came around in the 70s by a group of musicians and entrepreneurs in the city, with the project backed by the council. Anyone interested was able to buy a £1 vote share, so anyone could shape the future of the venue and how it was operated. This included setting prices, where frustration was borne out of the big promoters putting on gigs in the city centre. The determination was simply to pump any profit back into the project.

There were 70 shareholders before opening and many more after. It had four floors for live music, discos, a theatre, exhibition space, rehearsal rooms, a bar, restaurant and a hairdressing salon - providing a large and unifying space for grassroots artists and fans alike. They committed to paying petrol expenses for any local band performing to help develop an already burgeoning scene in the city.

The first artists to play here were Terry and Jerry + Marc Riley with The Creepers, but later the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, The Smiths, Bad Religion, the Stone Roses, The Fall, My Bloody Valentine, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Sonic Youth, David Bowie and The Cranberries performed here. Oasis did too as part of a radio one broadcast, but it was cut short due to an audience bust up where a fan went up and square punched Noel in the face. I'm sure any will remember its club nights as well.

The venue ceased operating as a left wing cooperative in the mid 90s, and became a more typical corporate venue until 1999. It shut its doors around the July time, and later reopened as the Foundation club until 2005. From 2010, it became office space and a gym. The Riverside venue at the old Quayside Fish Market is unaffiliated.