A Coventry night spot which opened as a jazz club just two months ago has had to scrap its planned entertainment schedule.

The Venue in Lower Holyhead Road was hoping to host an array of live jazz acts but has been forced to change its plans due to lack of interest.

Owner Joe Heggarty believes that there are just not enough jazz enthusiasts in the city.

He said:

"We persisted with the jazz nights for six weeks and we had just 72 people through the door in that whole time which is just not enough to keep the place going.

"To be honest I am now wondering whether Coventry just isn’t ready for a jazz club yet, but it is disappointing because we were hoping to create a well known jazz venue."

However, The Venue has now readjusted its entertainment programme and now features DJ’s playing a mix of 70’s, 80’s and 90’s music and Heggarty admits it is already proving far more popular.

He said:

"On Friday and Saturday nights we have been packed since we changed over to the new music.

"We can hold 350 people here and we have been having to enforce one in, one out due to the volume of people which is absolutely great. I want people to know that the concept of the place is still the same – it is just the music that has changed.

"We are still aiming at the more mature customer and have a strictly over 21 policy on the door which will not be changing."

But jazz enthusiasts will be pleased to learn that The Venue is not turning its back on the music altogether.

Heggarty said:

"We are still hoping to do jazz nights every now and again, although I am not sure of the uptake as even the recent Jazz Festival in the city had very disappointing turn outs.

"We were a part of the festival and that was one of the things that strengthened my belief that Coventry was not ready for jazz."