Majestic, Clayton Street

The Sixties dancehall boom kicked off in Newcastle at the Majestic, featuring lunchtime sessions for those who couldn't suppress the urge to twist and jive through the day. The biggest crowds were on Saturday nights, when the dancefloor at The Maj was a whirl of frocks and petticoats, as women were maneuvered around the dance floor by men dressed in thirty-bob suits from Jackson the Tailor across the road. Live music was provided by the likes of The Who and the Small Faces, and The Beatles wrote 'She Loves You' in a hotel after a show there.

The Maj didn't sell alcohol so the crowds had dried up by 1967 and it became part of the Gala leisure chain, where the only full houses were on the Bingo cards. In 2005 the building was bought by the Academy Music Group and reverted to a music venue, with club nights upstairs and regular gigs in the main room, which have featured acts and artistes such as Blur, Amy Winehouse, Adele and Katy Perry.