H.G. Wells Centre, Woking

Built in ’94, the first live music gig we have found to date at the H.G. Wells Centre in Woking – which included Planets – is Womb’s final gig, sometime in ’95. The centre saw Steeleye Span roll through the venue on 13 March ’97. Later that year, around 600 people, from as far afield as Germany, caught a sneak preview of Robbie Williams’ debut solo album Life Thru A Lens on 27 September ’97, at a show organised by a member of Orphic Soop. He was also responsible for Portishead appearing at the Woking venue on 31 October ’97.

In ’98, Barney Jeavons’ Splatch! kicked off a short residency on 8 May ’98 with Salamanda, Enertia, Satellite Beach, and Redwood. Jeavons book The Jellys, Jolt, Jetpak, but ruined the streak of J’s with, the now three-piece, Mindwire on Splatch!’s 17 July ’98 bill too. Splatch! put Freekspert, Samurai Seven, Inter, and Floor in front of a sizable crowd on 18 September ’98. Just over a month later Stoney Sleep, Forth Quartet, and Kilter took to the stage on 30 October ’98, There was a memorable Christmas Best of Splatch event on 18 December that year that featured the ‘by popular demand’ the return of Redwood, Jetpak, Kilter, and Enertia. Then, the next year, on 12 February ’99, Splatch! hosted Kane and Winner and a recall for Stoney Sleep and Floor at the Wells. Heatwave also appeared there at some point.

On 9 November 2013, Vic Falsetta organized a charity concert featuring The Jam‘s original lead guitarist Steve Brookes at the H.G. Wells, who was joined by Paul Weller, with support by Return of Thanks. The concert and auction raised £4,350 for Woking & Sam Beare Hospices. The next month, Woking’s Epworth Choir performed two Family Christmas Carol Concerts to audiences at the Wells on 14 December 2013.

In 2019 it was announced that Woking’s HG Wells Centre could be demolished and replaced with 27-storey tower block.

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