The new owners of Newcastle city centre bar and live music hub Hoochie Coochie have revealed it will be renamed Pilgrim from January as they have recruited high profile names to help with its relaunch.
International marketing consultant Michael Lavery, tech entrepreneur Mike O’Brien and software company founder Paul Dyson are among the team that took over the lease of the popular venue earlier this year. Now they have enlisted TV chef Si King to create a new daytime food offering, and Tyneside graphic artist Peter Manning – better known as Prefab 77 – to put the finishing touches to the exterior and the interior of the Pilgrim Street property.
Mr Lavery, who is also a musician and investor, said: “I’m a North East guy but a lot of my professional work in the last couple of decades has been on a national and international level. As my own business (award-winning consulting firm Brand & Reputation) was growing, I was keen to find projects for investment that would anchor me back in the region with my family and reconnect me to the North East business and cultural community.
“I invested in a marketing strategy training company alongside some other angel investors and, at a meeting of the investors board, I shared my excitement about an opportunity to buy Hoochie Coochie — my favourite music venue in the city. It’s a place where my own band, Groovetrain, has played over a dozen times in the last decade and, despite performing on some big festival and venue stages across the UK, there was always a sense of magic for us about performing there.
“There’s an intimacy and a connection with the audience which is really powerful and its legacy — as a champion for diversity in music and in the community — as a home for Grammy-winning artists and the very best in emerging local talent is guaranteed.”
Mr Lavery is taking up the role of managing director of Pilgrim and he will lead the programming of the venue, drawing on his musical and cultural network as well as using his branding and marketing expertise.
He added: “But all three of us have built and led effective global teams and we absolutely subscribe to the view that if we want to be successful then we appoint the people who can do things that we can’t. We’re blessed to have inherited a strong team that we’re developing and investing in but we’re also fortunate to be joined by some real big hitters.”
The remodelling of Pilgrim involves the artistic work of Prefab 77, a former art director for fashion firms Calvin Klein and Donna Karan in New York, who is now returned to his native North East. His stylings will help relaunch the venue in its location at the heart of the Pilgrim Quarter regeneration zone which is soon to be home to the new Gotham Hotel and STACK venue in the restored Worswick Chambers building.
The Pilgrim team also includes hospitality leader James Stuart, who Mr Lavery describes as a significant player in the global industry having held director roles including at The Bowery and The Jane hotels in New York. He added: “James has been a brilliant sounding board and a mentor to our staff and he’s someone who’s really helped us to refine our offer when it comes to thinking carefully about the drinks that we serve and the customer experience we can deliver.”
Mr Lavery added: “Our vision for Pilgrim is built on the spirit of partnership and building community. Later in 2025, we’ll be open for lunches — maybe with a jazz pianist — serving great coffee, great wines, and some light food. We’ve also identified a market for after-work drinks and cocktails with a sprinkling of live music and a very cool playlist.
“Pilgrim will be a music venue and a place for music lovers first and foremost but we’ll also be a sanctuary where busy professionals, artists, and visitors can chat and unwind. As we embark on our journey with Pilgrim, we’re confident we can take Hoochie Coochie to an even higher level.”
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