THE Brewery Tap, in Oulton Broad, marked the end of an era this week as Stuart Perry ended his leasehold of the popular music venue.For three years the local sound engineer has helped to revitalise the venue, attracting national bands to the area, while giving young upcoming local talent a chance to hone their skills on stage.

THE Brewery Tap, in Oulton Broad, marked the end of an era this week as Stuart Perry ended his leasehold of the popular music venue.

For three years the local sound engineer has helped to revitalise the venue, attracting national bands to the area, while giving young upcoming local talent a chance to hone their skills on stage.

When Stuart took on the venue it was already well known for promoting local bands but was in need of some fresh ideas. He brought in his own PA and lighting system, while he also made numerous improvements to the building's sound-proofing.

This helped to build a strong reputation for The Brewery Tap as it welcomed some of the finest local bands and top national tribute acts to its stage.

Among his personal highlights of his time in charge has been the opportunity to mix sound for some very talented local bands and see them grow and progress over the years. He was also honoured to be able to witness the first performances of the bands Not Clever, Jokari and D-Tox Junkies.

The Charity All-Day events have been some of the venue's most popular gigs as they have shown off the region's musical talent, while raising money for charity and in memoriam of Jordan Smith and Karen.

Singling out a few bands for special praise, Stuart spoke highly of close friends Six Degrees of Separation, as well as The Buster James Band, Juicy Lucy and tribute acts Breathe, Lose Your Illusion, Led Zep Too and Los Endos.

However, his favourite weekend came in July 2007 when the reformed Bash Streets Kids played on the Friday night, before his wedding reception the following night.

Over the last three years the venue has committed to helping younger members develop in the music scene and has hosted two very successful Battle of the Bands competitions, sponsored by Morlings and The Journal. The competition gave bands a rare chance to play in a professional environment and Depth and Drown the City proved worthy winners, with Untold twice finishing runner-up.

'This year we also gave one young musician, Luke Peek, the opportunity to organise a two day festival himself. Luke and his friends did an amazing job and all worked very hard, attracting a number of new bands and old favourites to play over a very well attended weekend,' said Jo Perry.

Thanking Morlings, The Journal, the bar staff, in particular Mike and Anna, sound engineer Al and devoted customers Carl and Tim for their support over the years, Stuart bowed out on New Year's Eve with a free party.

Now that his leasehold has come to an end he is hoping that someone else will take on the challenge of making their mark on the local music scene.