Brudenell Social Club
Live Music
Entertainment
Social
Drinking
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Located in the heart of Hyde Park, Leeds, the Brudenell Social Club stands as a beloved institution within the city's vibrant music scene. It's almost a guarantee that if you're a student based around Hyde Park, you've probably spent a few good nights chatting to friends under the warmth of their outdoor heating or maybe you’ve gone to one of their gigs.

Known for their outstanding gigs and great selection of craft beer, Brudenell has earned a reputation as a hub of inclusivity and independent music.

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Outside of the pub. Shows the front entrance with a black name banner stating The Royal Park in golden lettering. There are signs outside the pub.

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Image credit: Alistair Thew via Google photos

Dimly lit bar at Wharf Chambers. There are rows of bottles with fairy lights underneath. On the left there is a fridge with a transparent door.

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The interior of an old church with yellow, white, and orange lanterns. There are colourful streamers coming from the top.

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Brightly lit bar with blurred figures passing. The wall behind the bar is painted red while the rest of the tiles are white. The back wall is lined by bottles.

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Brudenell Social Club officially moved from a members club into a completely publicly open social enterprise in 2007.

Previously starting as a private members club for working men, Brudenell quickly moved into the music scene after the new licensees took over in 1992. The Clark management turned the space into how we know it today, a place for unforgettable gigs in an intimate setting and for a good few pints with friends.

To find out more about Brudenell's working men's club origins, click the doorway with the games sign above in the 3D model.

With an influx of students into Hyde Park in the early 90s, it made sense to cater towards the fresh and young community. Brudenell then adopted an additional purpose, a close-to-home casual drinking spot for students.

2011
An shot of the outside of Brudenell Social Club. 4 benches line the building and there are lots of people sat on them drinking pints of beer.
Credit: Sam Saunders, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
2024
At the same angle as the above image, this image shows the outside of Brudenell but empty. On the right is the building's sign and entrance door and on the left shows a large poster covering the wall stating the list of gigs for the month of may

The cute dog in the middle of Brudenell Social Club's iconic logo is actually the owner's dog!

The current owner/general manager/licensee of Brudenell is Nathan Clark. An extremely involved and driven individual, Brudenell's continuing success and popularity can be attributed to his dedication; he also puts on roughly 75% of the shows himself!

His parents Malcolm and Patricia Clark were the previous owners who turned the venue into the music hotspot as we know it today after the license fell into their hands in 1992. Once his father stepped away due to illness in 2004, Nathan Clark took on the job.

Brudenell's iconic logo illustrates Clark’s King Charles Spaniel who can regularly be seen pottering around the venue.

Brudenell Social Club's poster outside the venue highlighting their upcoming gigs.
This is a landscape image that shows the large poster that sits outside the venue. In the centre is their logo with an illustrated King Charles Spaniel. On other side of the logo are the montsh April and May. The gigs for those months are shown underneath.

Brudenell Social Club actually started as a working men's club in 1913.

Brudenell Social Club was originally called "Brudenell Social and Recreational Club".

Brudenell - came from James Thomas Brudenell, the Earl of Cardigan who owned Kirkstall monastery. Looking around Hyde Park, you'll notice that a lot of the roads also are named Brudenell which will be of the same origin!

Social and recreational club - Social and recreational club -This part of the name illustrated Brudenell's purpose when it was a men's private club. The space was specifically for working-class men to interact in an independent space.

Working men’s clubs were recreational and educational public spaces, popular in the North and Midlands. These were exclusively for working-class men to congregate where class divides were non-existent creating a more supportive environment and were physically characterised by two main rooms:

  • Vault: A casual social space that usually contains a bar, pool tables, and a TV for sports entertainment. In Brudenell Social Club, if you go through the door right of the bar, you'll enter the second part of their old vault
  • Concert and entertainment room: A performance room where the audience can sit and watch live entertainment. This is where Brudenell holds their gigs today.

Fun fact: Women were only allowed into the club after its brick reopening in 1978.

Brudenell Social Club in 2024 after their recent renovation.
The inside of the main bar room in Brudenell. It is completely empty. On the right is the actual bar with dark brown wood panelling and lots of bottles lining the wall. On the left, there is a mirror.
This is a close up of the bar. In the foreground, there are 2 large taps with 5 beer/cider on each. Next to these taps are 3 singular 1-beer taps. The back wall is lined with posters about alcohol deals as well as spirit bottles.
This simply shows the top half of a doorway into their pool room. On either side are two large mirrors that reflect the seating opposite. Above the door is a wooden sign that says games room.
The UK's only surviving working men's club in Holbeck, Leeds.
This is an image of the Holbeck working men's club. It is taken from across the road and what is seen is a white building with windows lining the right side.
Credit: Holbeck Moor Working Men's Club - off Jenkinson Close by Betty Longbottom, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
This image shows the sign outside holbeck working men's club. It states originally established in 1871, these purpose-built premises officially opened on easter monday 1878. Built at a cost of £1172, the club included rooms for refreshment, billiards and bagatelle and a lecture hall for 300 people. No other working men's club has been in continous operation for so long.
Credit: Lajmmoore, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Brudenell Social Club is famous for having previously hosted secret gigs for extremely popular bands.

In 2004, Brudenell welcomed Franz Ferdinand who played under the pseudonym "The Black Hands". On another occasion, the Kaiser Chiefs joined the stage in 2005. If you look at Nathan Clark's (owner) Flickr archives, you'll see a collection of images from the Kaiser Chiefs gig!

With a grassroots origin and community central to their ethos, Brudenell is known to deliver the best mix of "up-and-coming bands, hip or soon-to-be-influential names and the acts that first inspired them, from punk to hip-hop." - The Guardian

For upcoming bands or artists from Yorkshire, performing at Brudenell has essentially become a right of passage into the music world.

  • Grimes
  • Tom Jones
  • The Cribs
  • Tom Tom Club
  • Ben Howard
2003: Normal Man gig
In a low lit performance room there are 4 members of a band playing music. in the centre of the frame is the bassist who is leant back. On either side are the drummer and singer, finally in the back is another electric guitar.
Credit: Sam Saunders CC BY-SA 2.0 via Flickr
2007: A lively Brudenell crowd
In a dimly lit room, there is a large crowd of people waiting for a gig to commence.
Credit: Sam Saunders CC BY-SA 2.0 via Flickr
2005
A picture of 3 band members. one singing and playing the guitar, another on the drums, and the last playing an electric guitar.
Credit: Russell James Smith CC BY 2.0 via Flickr
2007: Poltergroom gig
Two band members are playing the electric guitar/bass while a crowd of people stand behind. Theright player is wearing a pointed witch hat covering his whole face.
Credit: Sam Saunders CC BY-SA 2.0 via Flickr
2015: Ought gig
A group of 4 band members are playing a gig amongst a smoky room that has been lit purple and blue.
Credit: nikgreen CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 via Flickr