TWO Hexham men are behind the launch of the biggest super club to open in the North-East in the last decade.

The directors behind The Lofts are Rob Seaman and John Dance, of Vertem Asset Management, both of Hexham, and Marty Smith, who has over 30 years experience in the music industry and key local knowledge of the region's nightlife scene.

The 1,500 capacity venue, which has three separate rooms, a sound system from L-Acoustic and an immersive light and visual show, will open August bank holiday weekend on Newcastle's Newgate street and will be headlined by BBC Radio 1 legend Pete Tong.

Horse Meat Disco will also open the venue on Friday 27 with support from Charlie Hedges, Mighty Mouse and Natasha Kitty Katt. Local resident DJs John Dance, Jonny Burn and Kev Cannon will be on support duties all weekend.

Rob, whose wife is also from Hexham, brings a wealth of experience, having worked in the Balearic Islands since the early 90s as director of Cafe Mambo and a stint at Pacha. A move to Mallorca then saw him working as VIP director for Ibiza Rocks before launching BH Mallorca.

He said: "Our aim is to build on the excellent reputation Newcastle already has and raise its profile still further.

"We are booking international artists from different genres and can mix up the styles on the same night in the different rooms.

"We will have something to offer everyone at The Lofts and look forward to welcoming music fans not just from the local area but from throughout the UK."