Gutted! This is all that’s left of one of York’s greatest music venues
Coldplay, Arctic Monkeys, Stereophonics, Editors, Kasabian, Laura Marling.
They all played here.
Not that they would recognise the original home of Fibbers, one of the great music venues of York’s long history.
The place that reverberated to countless sweaty, pogoing, mojoing live music gigs has been gutted, and this is all that’s left of those happy days.
Stonebow House, which also housed now-closed music venue The Duchess, is being refitted.
The building is being transformed into a gold-and-glass development, home to plush apartments and smart shops that are a million miles away from Fibbers in its original incarnation.
It lived here from its opening in 1992 till 2014. Today Fibbers is thriving in its new home on Toft Green.
Arse end of York
We can’t improve on the words of Fibbers supremo Tim Hornsby, originally posted on Facebook…
You’d have stood on the stage that was here, the pit in front or loitered at the back on the red leather sofas.
Or maybe you enjoyed the daytime windows and rolled your own fajitas twenty years before Old El Paso invented a kit; or slurped cappuccino (‘proper froffy coffee’) a decade or so before Starbucks and their like ‘invented’ coffee.
The only constant is change and things have to move on, no issues there. That hallowed and worshipped space is going to be a gym.
They’d better not call it Fibbers.
End of an era
His words were echoed by Fibbers gig goers.
“End of an era, I guess,” said Alexander King. “Fibbs wasn’t my first gig, but it was pretty close.
“A lot of good memories playing, singing and compereing on the various stages therein.”
“Heartbreaking, lots of fantastic bands and memories and the best cheesy chips in York many moons ago,” said Julia Johnson.
“I spent most of the 90s and 00s here. Saw evertthing from Kula shaker to Kasabian. Loved this place,” added Pauline Holmes.
Musicians queued up to join the tributes.
Andy Aitchison said: “Wow Tim! So many great defining times and memories, felt like we grew up in that space…
“Went from being crap to alright on our instruments… met loves, lost loves, found loves… learnt not to drink excessive amounts of pernod before going onstage… replaced it with Guinness.
“Post Fibbers house parties were such messy fun. Halcyon days indeed.”
“Globally legendary,” said Benjamin Francis Leftwich. “Thanks Tim. And Michelle’s fajitas are the best I’ve ever had.”
And as Matthew Hardy said: “Hottest stage EVER!”
Related YorkMix stories
Fibbers quits Stonebow House – starts new era in bigger venue
Stonebow House to be reborn in gold and glass under radical redevelopment plan
How it all began at Fibbers (and how the music venue got its name…)