During its existence, the club staged concerts by performers including Louis Armstrong, Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones, Roy Orbison, Eartha Kitt, Morecambe and Wise, Gene Pitney, Neil Sedaka, Ken Dodd and Helen Shapiro.

[2] The club was designed and built by James and Betty Corrigan in early 1967 on top of a disused sewage site on Bradford Road in Batley.

The ground floor of the club was excavated so that on entering, the public would walk down to their tables which would be arranged in tiers, five in all, forming a horseshoe embracing the stage from the bottom up, thus giving the audience unobstructed views.

The ceilings were low, offering an intimate atmosphere, and the resident band was situated at the back of the stage rather than in a traditional orchestra pit so that the artistes could be closer to the audience.

The club held 1,750 people seated, with standing room for more, and it was this large capacity which facilitated low admission prices for major acts.

Corrigan revealed this figure to the press and later said this was a big mistake as it led other agents to believe that "Batley had very deep pockets" and would ask for bigger fees for their artists and subsequently cause problems for the club.

[9] During her stay in Batley, Kitt sampled tripe at the local market and joined the shoppers in a chorus of "On Ilkla Moor Baht 'at".

In 1974, Maurice Gibb of the Bee Gees met his future wife Yvonne Spenceley while he was playing at the club and she was working as a waitress.

[12] In 1977, the club hosted Katharine, Duchess of Kent, for a charity night to raise funds for the Queen's Silver Jubilee Appeal.

[15] In 2017, there was a campaign for civic recognition for the contribution that James Corrigan and Batley Variety Club made to the area.