Dead good venues

Supplied: Virtual Reality Project
Client: XR Stories

An immersive VR experience celebrating the cultural legacy of grassroots music venues, Dead Good Venues brings the much-missed Duchess in Leeds back to life in fully explorable virtual reality.
Commissioned to honour independent music spaces past and present, this prototype allows users to navigate a rich, interactive environment at their own pace: uncovering stories, artefacts, and archival media collected from those who knew the venue best.
The experience features:

• Scanned memorabilia from gig-goers and owners
• Interviews with promoters, musicians, and fans
• Photo and video galleries capturing the venue's history
• Digital recreations of posters, zines, and gig artwork
• A motion-captured performance in a reconstructed Duchess stage

More than a documentary, it’s a living archive, a tribute to the venues that shaped music culture and a reminder of what’s at stake if they’re allowed to disappear.
Funded by XR Stories.
Explore more at the dedicated project website.
Special thanks to John Keenan, Patsy Matheson, Denis Copeland, Tony Woolgar, Paul Cockroft, James Hindle, Andrew Bannerman-Bayles, Mark Stokes, Mike Farmer, Ed Crisp, Delicious Clam, and Honk.