A PRESTON music venue which once played host to some of the country's best known pop bands including Oasis and Pulp is re-opening.

After scouring the North West, bosses at one of the country's leading live music venues have chosen the area's newest city to open a second club next weekend.

Organisers of Leeds-based Cockpit snubbed venues in Blackburn and Wigan in favour of Aqueduct Mill, in Aqueduct Street, and are set to re-open the club under its original name -- the Mill.

The club's new director Des McElroy says Preston was the obvious choice.

Mr McElroy said: "Preston's a university town, and it's England's newest city. Geographically it's pretty good in terms of road network and I think it's on the up.

"There's a good feel about Preston and I'm sure the city status is helping that along." In the early nineties the club, then called the Mill, attracted some of the biggest names in music, while they were still fledgling bands.

Oasis brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher and Pulp's Jarvis Cocker have all sung their classic tunes in the huge converted building off Fylde Road.

The Mill then became Club Sugar and later the Marquee before folding about a year ago. These days it is used by about 40 local bands for rehearsals.

But the Mill's director hopes the Preston venue will mirror the success of the Leeds club where world famous rock group Coldplay were launched.

He said: "There will be no doubt that we will have bands here that will become that large in the future. That is our expertise and we have had many years in Leeds developing it."

Manchester music legend Shaun Ryder is launching the club with a DJ session on Saturday, September 20. For tickets ring Action Records on 01772 884772.