Set up by Ade Sleigh and his dad Stan, Pentagon was a recording studio and rehearsal room from the mid 80’s to mid 90s. Located on the corner of Victoria Road and Thomas Street.

With a red light in one corner local bands would sit and jam, it was the place you found out about other bands, meeting on the stairs. Joanna, a 90’s indie band created their own world within the rehearsal rooms later to be managed by fellow local Dave Pichilingi of Modern Sky and Sound City, who himself had recorded the single ‘Simple Words’ at Pentagon with his band Wake Up Afrika, before the creation of 35 Summers.

Halfway to Eddies singer, Barry Yarwood, was like ‘The Chairman of the Club’.

The 70’s Warrington based, country rock band Poacher recorded there, and Rick Astley is alleged to have recorded there but the jury is still out on that!  Many bands were formed at Pentagon; most went on to gig ‘Upstairs At Players’ just down the road.

Players on Waterloo Road was owned by Ronnie Martindale, downstairs was a pool hall, and the music nights started after The Derby Arms had become a ‘modern pub and the scene shifted to a new location. Mostly organised by members of Great And Lady Soul, it circulated a free newsletter called ‘Get on up!’ printed by Keith Roberts.

Players gave bands like The Snakeskins a place to play and created a showcase for visiting record companies, always using a PA from the now hugely successful international company Ad Lib with red walls and a cosy solid feeling it was said to not be the same when the nights moved downstairs where it was all crome and mirrors.

This whole area was a cultural quarter in the 80’s and 90s with North Records, selling clothes, vinyl and boasting a vegan cafe situated above the P & A Motorcycles just opposite Pentagon Studios. And the legendary 90’s club Storeys that had different floors catering for different music tastes and hosting live music gigs with bands such as The New Fast Automatic Daffodils and Dr. Phibes and the House of Wax Equations.