Paul Jackson, the proprietor of the New Adelphi Club in Hull, has died at the age of 71. His intimate alternative music venue became renowned beyond its local area for hosting bands such as Pulp, Radiohead, Oasis, the Stone Roses, and Supergrass before they achieved fame.
Housed in a ramshackle former terrace house that had previously served as a working men's club, the Adelphi was taken over by Paul in 1984. Under his stewardship, it became home to an eclectic range of acts from around the world, hosting thousands of bands over the next four decades.
Paul was willing to give anyone an opportunity, and many people benefited from his quiet belief in their talent. Among the bands that appeared at the club before hitting the limelight were local group the Housemartins and the American band Green Day.
The Adelphi was saved from collapse many times by musicians who dug deep and by loyal regulars, including one who climbed onto the roof to patch leaks with polythene. A generous spirit, Paul was there for people, and they were there for him. He would never have claimed to have done it alone.
Early Life and Career
Paul was born in Townsend Maternity Hospital, Cottingham Road, Hull, to Frank and Joan Jackson. He loved sport and music, learning the piano to entertain his mother with renditions of Elvis songs. She became the Adelphi cleaner, a job not for the faint-hearted.
After leaving Marist College Grammar School, he worked as a shipping clerk at Fenners in Hull for 13 years before deciding to close the door on mundanity by taking on the Adelphi. Despite having no formal experience of running a club, he was granted a license to sell intoxicating liquor and began living above the premises, where his flat was soon buried in demos from bands.
Those who climbed the stairs found Paul taking his days slowly, drinking coffee, before emerging in the evening to position himself behind the bar, usually wearing jeans and a T-shirt, with a cap holding back his frizzy hair.
Personality and Legacy
For a man who ran one of the most heralded music venues in the UK, he was remarkably downbeat and often looked gloomy, especially in the dark winter months when he tended to suffer from depression. Nonetheless, he had a great driving spirit that got himself and his club through all sorts of tangles.
In later life, he lived with diabetes and had the lower half of his left leg amputated in 2023, necessitating a move to a bungalow. The Adelphi community looked after him, and on the day of his death, many people made a pilgrimage to the club to pay tribute.
He is survived by his sister, Rose.
