Teacups with tea still at the bottom, unfinished pints on the side of the bar, and an influx of pigeons that had taken shelter in their newfound home.
This is what Nick Pettit, Director of Estates but previously Head of Projects under the Lincoln College Group, was welcomed with when he first set foot in The Drill.
Nick stated: “It was so sad to see; it looked like a fire alarm or something like that had happened, and they were never allowed back into the building.”
Much to the dismay of the pigeons, he took the project on and turned it around to make it what it is now.
It has been three years since that moment, and it is fair to say that the business has flipped onto its feet, especially since it recently won the Music Venue Trust’s ‘Outstanding Contribution to Grassroots Music’ award last month.
However, the journey to getting there certainly has not been an easy one. The Drill, originally The Drill Hall, started out as a multi-purpose venue that was most known by locals for its pantomimes and live wrestling shows.
In March of 2020, the city council voted to stop its annual grant, and it was closed. The Lincoln College Group saved the venue from permanent closure and refurbished and reopened it in late 2021.
Nick and the team knew they had a big project ahead of them to make it a success. He claimed: “The building hadn’t been operated in for six months, it needed some serious TLC.
“It took us 4 or 5 months just to make a list of what needed to be done. We had to ensure the building was watertight, most importantly, so it was safe and acceptable. Then we spent thousands of pounds getting rid of all the mess left behind by the pigeons and putting up pigeon netting. That’s when the full reconstruction could begin.”
The success wasn’t instant and certainly not planned.
Amelia Ryan, Project Manager under the Lincoln College Group, didn’t expect it at all. “It was never intended for us to make revenue or profit at The Drill,” said the 34-year-old.
When the building was taken over, it was intended as another space that Lincoln College students could use to gain work experience, but, according to Amelia, “The events we were holding were too big for just students to be working, so it had to become a place with paid employees that students could train alongside”.
With the events becoming more rewarding for the venue over time, it was clear that they had found what it was they needed to continue doing. Music.
When speaking with Nick, he recognised this: “I think when we originally took it over, we tried to replicate what had already historically been done.
“But the music scene is ever evolving, and we needed to market it in a way that allowed us to generate a new reputation.” So that is what they did.
Despite reopening with a series of pantomimes, The Drill is now marketed less towards theatre and more towards live music and musical events such as club and karaoke nights.
With The Drill welcoming acts such as The Hunna, The Libertines and The Rills to their venue in 2024, it’s fair to say the venue has started to make a name for itself as a place where independent artists can come and perform.
With acts like these, The Drill could help put Lincoln on the map so that new visitors can come and enjoy live events.
Thomas Kitchen, a senior lecturer and programme leader for Events Management and International Tourism at the University of Lincoln, believes that “the way The Drill continues to market the venue could be really beneficial for the future of Lincoln”.
He said: “Inevitably, The Drill’s success will have a positive effect on tourism as we know from postcode data that live music in Lincoln tends to attract people from the outside.”
Now that they’ve found their niche, they can connect to a broader catchment. He added: “There’s a new understanding of the purpose of the building.
“The built identity there will bring them clarity, and more clarity means they’re going to be able to do better and promote to hit the right audience.”
By welcoming more and more independent acts to the venue and thus welcoming more people to Lincoln, it is clear why The Drill is now winning awards for its contributions to music.
Its success is beneficial for all.
From an abandoned pigeon-riddled hall to a rising music venue bringing people from all around to enjoy what Lincoln has to offer, it’s understandable how The Drill has made progress in its success since being taken over three years ago.
The big events being held mean the students still have a great place to practice, as the Lincoln College Group achieved, and the success is just an added positive.
It’s a good job they got rid of the pigeons.