3 Princess Square,
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 8ER
Website

I was there during the dark days, bands no longer booked, beer running out and it was deader than Dimebag.

Trillians, is an institution, a basement bar for the rock fraternity in Newcastle, and it has been my starting or end point for many mythical nights out.

Why? Because with Trills you know exactly what to expect.

Yes, I was there during the dark old days, bands no longer booked, beer running out and it was deader than Dimebag.

The inevitable happened and it closed and being cynical – I thought that was it – But I was wrong.

An online campaign to bring Trillians back from the dead gathered steam and it was re-opened under new management, and I believe it’s now a free house, under the watchful eye of Barbara Blair and Dave Hill – and have restored Trillians back to its former glory.

The decline of Trills was slow (like these two) and  painful, and you don’t appreciate how bad it was until you drink in there now. 

Located in Princes Square, down a flight of stairs, into a dark cavernous pub, with all the trappings you would expect from an unapologetically ROCK \m/music bar. On the left-hand side is the stage with seating either side, and on the right you have a long bar with two raised seating areas on either side.

The toilets are situated along a corridor beneath the stairs.

The beer selection seems to be constantly increasing, in the old days, it was Newcastle Brown, Guinness, Fosters etc. Now they have real ale on draft and a wide selection of cans and bottles from local breweries. It seems – to me at least-  that they announce new drinks every week.

But where Trillians really excels is as a music venue. Pretty much every night there are free gigs. They also run theme days which complement the big gigs at the Arena, such as the popular warm-up for the recent Iron Maiden gig. 

Of course, I have gripes about it- the most significant is that some bands think they are playing Donnington and amp everything up to 11, and because the bar is long and rectangular the sound just bounces off the back wall, and the gig can feel a bit like white noise torture.

Yes, it’s a rock bar and although the music may not be to everyone’s taste, the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly.

Worth popping into, just to see the legendary bar. I imagine you will end up staying for a pint and inadvertently fall out of there at closing.

For:
– Live music
–  Good selection of  Craft Cans and Bottles 

Against
– Rock bars are not to everyone’s taste.
–  The draft can sometimes be a little ropey.
–  Not a place for a quiet chat when a gig is on.