Thekla turns 40: Celebrations at iconic Bristol venue

She sailed up the River Avon into Bristol - a rusting trading vessel owned by a pair of creative eccentrics.

Now, 40 years later, Thekla is a cornerstone of the city's cultural scene, having gone through multiple identities.

As the venue celebrates its ruby anniversary, those who've made her hull their home share their memories.

"We had this crazy assortment of people that just sort of gravitated to us and and became part of it," says Sydney Longfellow, who helped sail the ship into Bristol Docks in 1984, aged 20.

"When we first arrived and we sailed under the Clifton Suspension Bridge... that moment of arrival was like nothing I've ever done in my life, and it was just magical," she said.

Thekla was built in 1958 and spent almost two decades as a coastal trading vessel.

However, in the 1970s it was left abandoned for years, half submerged in a Sunderland dock until American novelist Ki Longfellow-Stanshall and her husband, musician Vivian Stanshall, brought it to Bristol, opening it as the Old Profanity Showboat in 1984.

The ship hosted live music, as well as theatre and comedy.

"Such unlikely people would come and participate in things that I don't think they ever expected to do, like doing an improv play at lunchtime over a pint," said Sydney, Ki's daughter.

The venue will mark its milestone with a five-day programme of events from 1 May, including an exhibition and the launch of a new book containing lesser-known stories about the ship.

"It's a great achievement for any business to get to a 40-year mark, but in this industry and in this current climate it's something we're especially proud of," says Alex Black, Thekla's general manager of more than a decade.

"There's very few venues around the country - even the world - where you can enjoy live music or a club night on a boat," he added.

Sydney, now living in California, went on to work in a variety of roles onboard the Old Profanity, including chef, bouncer, bartender and performer.

She describes her time with the ship as "an amazing creative time, full of crazy adventures".

"There was something about that period that was deeply significant to my family," she added.

Sydney remembers Ogden, the ship's cat, would often steal the limelight.

"We did a version of Lady Chatterley's lover where he appeared right during the key love scene. The whole audience erupted in laughter."

Sydney said her mother opening The Old Profanity "was definitely one of the most powerful things that she had done in her life".

"She would dream about the ship. I dream about it sometimes."

The Old Profanity closed in 1986, and the ship was run as a 'rent-a-nightclub' in the 1990s and 2000s before being taken over by independent national promoter DHP Family, who still run the venue, in 2006.

The 1990s saw hundreds of DJs pass through, with Radio Caroline even using the ship to broadcast from in 1996 and 1997.

Steve Satan worked as a DJ and engineer for the pirate radio station in the North Sea until he and his colleague Ian Palmer found themselves in Bristol wanting to run a radio station.

"We approached the Thekla and they welcomed us with open arms," he said.

The crew did two one-month broadcasts (legally), hiring DJs - including Emma B, who went on to present on Radio 1 - and a then-unknown Stephen Merchant.

"I may be the only person ever to have sacked Stephen Merchant. It was all in jest - I reinstated him the next day," said Steve.

He said their broadcasts "had such an impact" that he and Ian "didn't pay to go to a gig for years".

And of course, are you even a Bristol institution if you don't have a Banksy?

The anonymous Bristol street artist painted one of his earliest works in his home city on the ship's hull.

During renovation work in 2014, the image of the Grim Reaper in a boat was removed to preserve it in the M-Shed museum.

It lives in the Mud Dock area of Bristol's Floating Harbour

It measures 52.77m (173.2ft) from Bow to Stern and 8.82m (28.11ft) from Port to Starboard

Its capacity is 400 people in its main room and 600 across both floors

It opened as a nightclub in 1984, but its history goes back a lot further

So many artists! Stormzy, Lewis Capaldi, Ellie Goulding, The Pretenders, Idles and Calvin Harris to name a few...

Providing a stage for some of Bristol's most legendary performers, like Massive Attack, Roni Size and Portishead, Thekla became a place where any artist has to play at least once.

"My favourite thing about working here is definitely the live music," said Alex.

One of his highlights is The Pretenders playing on Thekla last year as part of Independent Venue Week, which he says was a "huge show" unlikely to be repeated.

From 1-5 May, some of Thekla's favourite talent from the past four decades will return to the stage, including Bristol dance producers and former club night residents from 2011, My Nu Leng, alongside regular guests Kahn & Neek, who also hosted their own "Bandalu" club events on the boat.

Also among the line-up are Bristol's Beatles Dub Club & Friends, Strangers singer Kenya Grace, punk-rock duo Soft Play and space-rockers Henge.

Former cleaner, Kim Lintern, who began working at Thekla in 1993, remembers the manager at the time, Charlie, living in the cabins.

"He started dating his girlfriend, and they absolutely loved doing the Tango," she said.

"One day, I came down to the dancefloor to start the cleaning and there was Charlie and his girlfriend doing the Tango amongst all the cigarette butts and empty beer cans."

Alex added: "The vessel's 40th anniversary also comes at a pivotal time for independent music venues, acting as a space for growth for emerging artists and inspiration to grassroots venues that are faced with rising operational costs.

"We've seen recently with the closure of Moles in Bath just how easy it is for a well-established gig venue to go under, so it's not something we take for granted, but it is nice to step back and smell the roses."

Mark Davyd, CEO of the Music Venue Trust, said: "Thekla is a special venue with an extraordinary history. The weight of its quirky, almost mythical, origins story is only matched by the astonishing programme of artists that have taken the stage in its 40 years."

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