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Preston’s lost music venue that played host to The 1975, Courteeners, and Kasabian
It’s been almost a decade since one of Lancashire’s most iconic music venues announced it would be closing its doors for the final time as a live music hotspot.
Situated in Preston City Centre, 53 Degrees had been a cornerstone of entertainment in the area since 2005. The venue still proudly stands on the campus of the University of Central Lancashire on Fylde Road, In its heyday, it was run by UCLan’s Student Union.
It cost £6.5 million to build and was host to a variety of artists, including many household names. However, fans were left devastated in 2014 as the venue announced it would be shutting its doors in its current format for the final time as a mainstay of the indie and alternative scene.
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Since its nearly been a decade since the closure was announced – nine years ago this week, to be precise – we’ve decided to take a look back at one of Lancashire’s most iconic music venue and the biggest names they hosted in their heyday. How many did you attend?
1. The 1975, 2013
Back in 2013, indie band The 1975 were in Preston playing to fans, right before their debut album rocketed the Manchester quintet to success. Since then, they’ve seen unparalleled success, with number one records and popularity in America.
The band’s latest album, Being Funny in a Foreign Language, was released in October 2022 and has achieved worldwide success. It debuted at the top of the charts in the UK, Scotland, Ireland and Australia and the top seven on the US Billboard 200.
2. Dizzee Rascal, 2008
Number two is a bit more of a blast from the past, as Dizzee Rascal performed at the venue back in 2008. Taking to the main stage, the grime artist was performing on the back of his success with his third album, Maths + English.
A Mercury Prize winner, Dizzee Rascal later released Tongue n’ Cheek that propelled him into stardom with hit singles such as Bonkers and Shout. In 2020, the rapper announced his seventh studio album, E3 AF which peaked at number 13 in the UK albums chart.
3. The Courteeners, 2008
In the same year Dizzee Rascal performed, The Courteeners also took to the stage in Preston to perform their hits. The venue marked the band’s first opener for their first ever UK headline tour, so it’s a memorable place for the musicians.
Since their appearance, they’ve gained worldwide success, with their triumphant debut album, St Jude and slots at Glastonbury, as well as shows in USA. This weekend, they will be headlining Manchester’s Heaton Park festival to a sold out show of some 40,000 fans.
4. Blossoms, 2014
From Stockport, Blossoms performed at 53 Degrees just before it closed its doors and a year after the band were formed. Two years later, they were on the BBC’s Sound of New Music list in 2016, where they finished in fourth place.
They also had their debut album nominated for a Mercury Music prize in 2017 and were also nominated for British Breakthrough Act at the Brit Awards. During their stint in Preston, they were playing as support acts for Inspiral Carpets at the venue’s final concert.
5. Frank Turner, 2010
A big name on the list, Bahrain-born Frank Turner performed in Preston back in 2010, just before he supported Green Day. It was also before he played Reading and Leeds festivals in 2016 for a record-breaking 10th consecutive year as the festival’s special guest.
To date, Frank Turner has released nine solo albums, four rarities compilation albums and one “best of” album. His most recent, FTHC was released last year and reached number one in the UK albums chart.
6. Enter Shikari, 2010
Enter Shikari are a British rock band that formed in 1999 and have been active in the UK music industry ever since. Their debut album, Take to the Skies, was released in 2007 and reached number four in the charts.
It was more recently, in April 2023 that their latest album, A Kiss for the Whole World, gave the band their first ever number one album. In 2019, the band reminisced about their time in Preston with a throwback video of their performance at 53 Degrees which they shared on their Twitter.
7. Kasabian, 2009
Another rock band, Kasabian were formed in Leicester in 1997. In 2010 and 2014, Kasabian won the Q Awards for “Best Act in the World Today” and have achieved worldwide acclaim. The band have gone through several changes, with guitarist Chris Karloff leaving in 2006, who was replaced by Jay Mehler.
Jay then left in 2013 to join Liam Gallagher’s Beady Eye and was replaced by Tim Carter. Lead vocalist Tom Meighan left in 2010 and was replaced by existing member Sergio Pizzorno who stepped up to be the full-time lead vocalist. Looking at their setlist from their performance in 2009, the band played hits such as Fire, Underdog and Club Foot.
8. Biffy Clyro, 2008
Scottish rock band Biffy Clyro performed in Preston back in 2008, during the time they were enjoying much success. In 2007 they released their fourth album Puzzle, which included more mainstream songs and peaked at number two in the charts.
The album then went platinum in 2012, selling over 300,000 copies. It was after performing at 53 Degrees that the band released hits such as Many of Horror, Mountains and Bubbles.
9. Miles Kane, 2014
Miles Kane performed at 53 Degrees in its final year. Performing solo, the musician was the co-frontman of the Last Shadow Puppers and the former frontman of the Rascals, before they broke up in 2009.
The Rascals also performed in Preston, so it wasn’t Miles Kane’s first trip to the venue. His debut album was released in 2011 titled Colour of the Trap, followed by Don’t Forget Who You Are in 2013. His latest solo album was released last year called Change the Show.
10. The Lancashire Hotpots, 2009
The Lancashire Hotpots are a classic in this county and had to be mentioned on a list about an infamous music venue in Lancashire. They are a folk band that was formed in St Helens in 2006, making use of the Lancashire dialect.
They performed in 2009 in the same week that Rage Against the Machine took the Christmas number one slot, so the band did a little tribute to them. The Lancashire Hotpots then returned to 53 Degrees on Saturday, December 6 in the same year, making sure they played to many crowds in the iconic venue.
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