29 Sep 2023
The newly-revamped Pioneer Club opened their doors to the public on Saturday for their first open day.
After a significant upgrade to all areas of the site, this was many people’s first opportunity to see the new look and hear plans for the future of the venue.
The indoor skatepark has been fully repainted and features some stunning new wall art from a team lead by St Albans’ very own Ant Steel. Ant has also led the charge on updating outdoor graphics, where we have a new entrance wall showing exactly what the pioneer club is all about, and a collage of artists that have played the pioneer being painted on the main wall.
The community café has been upgraded to the Suet Yard, which will perform as a café during day time openings and events, and a bar to support gigs and night time events, it is also planned to be a hub for local charity events. The Pioneer’s music partners, Headliner Spaces are putting the venue through a significant tech upgrade, it will feature a world-class JBL sound system and seven square metre LED screen. Just 50 metres from the stage, there is a Dolby Atmos and community studio.
Danny Clare, who has been consulting on the refurb and future plans, said: “The Pioneer Club exists to empower youth, through commercial activities on site, funds will be raised to support our academies and education, and give young people opportunities that wouldn’t otherwise be available to them.
“The response from visitors to the new look and assets has been phenomenal, and – once it stops raining for a couple of days – the outside will be unrecognisable, and a place people really want to spend time. The refurb has been entirely volunteer-led, with skaters, parents, neighbours, and even the occasional famous rock star helping out, the passion and support shown has been incredible.
“Visitors on the day included families of all types, local charities, musicians, councillors, local businesses; all offering their support in different ways.
“We want to make the Pioneer Club truly accessible, and a centre for community engagement. We’ll be launching a supporters scheme imminently which will provide members with benefits including exclusive events, early booking privileges, discounts on day time space bookings, and most importantly the opportunity to shape and contribute toward youth programs.”
Upcoming events include Starlite and Campbell kicking off their UK tour this Friday, and a grand opening with a Rudimental DJ set on Saturday October 7. They have also announced two MOBO Unsung events, The Blackbirds 50th anniversary, and iconic local event Common People coming up, tickets all available at https://tickets.pioneerclub.co.uk/
“We’ll be holding a bigger and better Christmas open day during December, and look forward to welcoming many more new faces along to see further upgrades and initiatives,” Danny added.
