Biography
Allen Street Rock Club occupied a former motorcycle shop at 32 Allen Street in central Christchurch, opened as a live music venue in the post-earthquake rebuild era. The interior was designed by Dean Johnstone — a set designer with credits on Sir Peter Jackson productions including King Kong — who drew on materials recycled from demolished Christchurch buildings to create an atmosphere evoking a Chicago blues club. Features included a dedicated green room, chill-out areas, a quality sound and lighting rig with a professional in-house engineer, and a brick wall where visiting bands were invited to write their names.
The venue hosted a mix of international touring acts and local headliners during its short run. Documented shows include Everclear (May 2015), Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Kitty, Daisy and Lewis, The Feelers, Head Like a Hole, Midnight, and the Misfits. The club appears to have closed in early 2016, with the space subsequently operating as The Cotton Club (a New York-inspired cocktail lounge and nightclub, from January 2016), then Deja Vu Nightclub and VIP Lounge (from May 2017), and later LUSH (from September 2019).
Details
Also known as: Allen Street Rock Club
Location: 32 Allen Street, Central Christchurch
Christchurch Central, Christchurch 8011, New Zealand
Current Status: No longer a live music venue; operating as LUSH (from September 2019)
Active as a live music venue: c. 2014 – early 2016
History
- c. 2014: Former motorcycle shop at 32 Allen Street converted into Allen Street Rock Club; interior designed by Dean Johnstone using materials recycled from demolished Christchurch buildings.
- December 2014: Earliest documented show (Luger Boa, 19 December 2014).
- May 2015: Everclear perform at the venue.
- December 2015: Misfits perform (3 December 2015) — among the last documented shows.
- January 2016: Space reopens as The Cotton Club, a New York-themed cocktail lounge and nightclub (co-owners Alan Samson Ltd and Hamish Wright).
- 19 May 2017: Grand opening of Deja Vu Nightclub and VIP Lounge.
- September 2019: Reopens as LUSH.