A NEW music venue in Wrexham has got the ball rock n rollin' for live events.
Heart Rock Live, based at Eagles Meadow, opened its doors in August and has gone down a treat with local revellers.
The venue's Guns N Roses Experience pilot event on August 27 was a resounding success - with a crowd of 200 people attending.
Steven Mills, director of Heart Rock Ltd, said: "One of many highlights of the night was 'cometh the hour, cometh the axeman'.
"At the time The Guns N Roses Experience needed the next best Slash to their own, so 16-year-old Wrexham rocker Andrew Roberts answered their call and brought down the house with his fingers bleeding lead guitar on Nightrain.
"The king isn't dead, but he does have a worthy successor in the form of this aspiring guitar maestro."
Since then, the venue has hosted a range range of events and gigs, including from a Green Day tribute band.
Steven said: "The funds raised from our pilot event paid for Rob Cairns, winner of Stars In Their Eyes as Marc Bolan of T-Rex, to perform his fantastic one man tribute to the glam rock hits of the 70's in The Meifod and Vicarage Care Home in Rhosllanerchrugog.
"It was a profoundly memorable and moving occasion, received with great enthusiasm by the residents and universal acclaim by staff for the enjoyment and benefit of their residents.
"The principle of a community interest company (CIC) is to offer conscientious members of the community the option to spend their money with those who will responsibly direct its funds to support specific sectors that are underfunded and sections of people who are vulnerable, sectors and sections of people we love and care about."
All profits Heart Rock Live makes are reinvested into activities to provide frontline workers with pandemic relief and live music for care and nursing homes, and hospices in Wrexham county.
Steven added: "We are proud that on our opening night we gave 50 free tickets to frontline workers, that could have been sold, and to have started bringing miles of smiles to care residents who've been isolated for 18 months."
In recent weeks, the venue has been closed due to Steven's partner, Debra, having been seriously ill. But thankfully, Debra's health has improved and Heart Rock Live is reopening its doors from tomorrow (Wednesday).
Initially, it will open as a coffee shop, which will be open 10am to 3pm on Wednesday to Sunday. It will reopen for live music on November 12 with The Fleetwood Mac Songbook.
For tickets visit www.facebook.com/golivegivelove/events.
Events scheduled for the coming months include a Christmas panto, and a host of tribute acts - ranging from ACDC to Queen.
Steven said: "One poignant aspect of our capability to run these events is through a donation of a PA system to Heart Rock Live by the parents of Derek Hannaby, a musician who tragically passed away two years ago from cancer at the tender age of 43.
"We were moved beyond words by the fact that they want what he used to express his love of music, to continue bringing the joy of the music to more people."
He added: "Our targets are to give frontline workers 5,000 free tickets to bring them good times when they have been suffering from unprecedented stress, depression and PTSD caused by working through Covid-19.
"And to deliver 500 hours of free live music in cash strapped care homes, where leisure and recreation budgets will be reduced or eliminated to cope with financial strains of the pandemic, at a time when these are most needed."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here