Sheffield has no shortage of musical accolades, but do you know its heavy metal credentials?
They rank among the best in the country, if not the world.
While the rest of the country was reeling from punk, local boys Def Leppard were playing some of their first shows in the Wapentake rock bar under the city centre’s Grosvenor Hotel.
They also performed at the nearby Limit on the same bill as the Human League – there was begrudging respect – and at the Penthouse, the venue opened by Peter and Geoff Stringfellow in 1969.
Heavy metal DJs, the Bailey Brothers, ended up fronting MTV's first-ever rock show, invented the 'air guitar,' and even had David Bowie as one of their biggest fans.
The Killamarsh-based former miners had already done headline tours, had their own heavy metal chart in British rock mag Sounds and were a massive pull on the local scene.
Sheffield drummer Pete Gill teamed up with Son Of A Bitch, with the band re-emerging as Saxon; he ended up playing for Motorhead. He’d already made his name a decade earlier with the Glitter Band. He had a truly stellar career.
Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson was schooled here.
In later years, the city has produced everything from Bring Me The Horizon to 65 Days of Static. Oh, and we boasted amazing rock bars and clubs like Wapentake and Rebels.
Author Neil Anderson said: “Researching my book, 'Signing On For The Devil,' about the rise of the city's rock scene became a true labour of love!”
You can read all about it here: https://dirtystopouts.com/products/dirty-stop-outs-guide-to-1960s-sheffield-10th-anniversary-collectors-edition
2. Rebels
Inside Rebels nightclub, on Dixon Lane, Sheffield, which was one of the most popular rock clubs in the north of England in the 1980s and 1990s. Photo: Bill Stephenson Photo: Bill Stephenson
3. Heavy metal
Sheffield's heavy metal credentials rank among the best in the country, if not the world Photo: Neil Anderson
4. Rock scene
One of the photos from Neil Anderson's book Signing On For The Devil Photo: Neil Anderson