FANS of Blackburn’s last heavy metal pub are backing a campaign to reopen the live music venue.

Save The Napier has already assembled a 50-strong group of regulars who are interested in working together to secure the pub’s future.

Their choices include taking on a tenancy, buying the building or working with a new owner or tenant for the future of the pub.

Regular Katie Mercer, 27, said: “The first time I went in the Napier I was a student who’d nipped in at lunchtime.

“They had the biggest jukebox I’d ever seen and America’s Ventura Highway was blaring out.

“I loved the place from that moment and felt like I’d found a home in the town centre — and I had.”

Craig Fox, 45, worked behind the bar, went on a couple of trips to Wembley to watch Rovers on coaches leaving the pub and played with Exceedingly Good Cakes, the resident Napier band.

He said: “I started going in probably ‘88. Steve had just taken it over and we advised him to get a better jukebox and get some rock music on.

“The band I was in practised in the cellar for a good few years and held gigs on a regular basis in both bars.”

Campaigner Alex Martindale has, over the years, worked at the Limbrick-based venue on the door, behind the bar, as a sound engineer, quizmaster, musician and an event promoter.

He said: “I’ve had many good times in the Napier — I’ve seen some amazing gigs there, from Tyla of the Dogs D’Amour to local bands such as Boredom and The Exorsisters.

“I met Kerry, my partner of 17 years, in the Napier and a host of lifelong friends. It’s a home from home.

“Although its blend of rock music and friendly local atmosphere is fairly rare, I’ve been to pubs that have the Napier vibe: Le Pub in Newport, Trillians in Newcastle and the Banshee Labyrinth in Edinburgh.

“The Sanctuary in Burnley is pretty close but we’re running out of specialist rock venues.”

David Green, 47, added: “I had been frequenting the Napier since I was about 20, especially after the Vulcan closed its doors.

“Good friends, good music, good fun and a real sense of community spirit is what the Napier was always about. Everyone was there for each other through life’s highs and lows, and everyone was always welcome.”

The group has already met representatives from Thwaites, where discussions centred on reopening the Napier as a pub.

Alex added: “Now we’re constituted, we’re a legal entity, this means we can petition the council on planning matters and negotiate with companies such as Thwaites.”