Liverpool's Arts Club purchased by Californian owners of Cream

Foals frontman Yannis Philippakis crowdsurfs at the Arts Club

The American owners of a number of British venues and festivals, as well as Liverpool superclub Cream have taken over ownership of Seel Street’s Arts Club, Getintothis’ Patrick Clarke has the details.

California live events giants Live Nation Entertainment have acquired the Manchester-based company that owns a number of venues across the U.K., including Liverpool’s Arts Club.

The Arts Club was bought in 2013 by MAMA & Company, who have subsequently been acquired by Live Nation in this new deal.

The Seel Street venue has already seen a number of name-changes in its musical history and was formerly known as The Barfly, The Masque and East Village Arts Club, and was historically the Royal Institute of Arts & Science.

Live Nation already own famous Liverpool superclub Cream, which is currently seeing upheavals of its own, ticket website Ticketmaster, and festivals such as Lovebox, Global Gathering and The Great Escape. Under the new deal they will now take charge of nationally renowned sites such as the Camden Barfly, Manchester Ritz and Birmingham Institute, as well as the Arts Club.

Under its many names the Arts Club has played host to a number of acts over the years, most recently including the likes of Martha Reeves & the Vandellas, Mike Skinner, Adam Ant, Duke Special and The Selecter, as well as playing host to this year’s X&Y Festival.

It’s also been a favourite spot for raucous low-scale gigs for some of Britain’s biggest artists, with Paul Weller playing to a packed crowd at the small venue last August and Smiths legend Johnny Marr following suit earlier this year.

Those on the cards for shows at the site over the coming months include The Polyphonic Spree, Black Rivers, Dodgy and The Bohicas, as well as homegrown outfits like Etches, Sugarking and Louis Berry.

A gallery of some of Getintothis‘ best snaps from the Arts Club‘s biggest and best gigs can be found below.