Reply With QuoteOriginally Written by westernplumber
How awful.:icon_sad: Where & when did this happen? I used to live in North Staffs & was often at the various incarnations of the gay club in the late 80s/early 90s.
Acetate [Level 1]
I usually only go to the Tunnel bar at Legends during a special do, eg Mardi Gras/Pride etc, when it's packed to bursting and the drinks are cheap!
Cruz still does it for me on the nights when DJ Almighty Donald is on the decks, all hi-nrg mixes of old and new stuff, though more modern stuff than old!
Excalibur, Mates and The Club are all names for the same place under different owners; after Colin Murphy was murdered it's back in gay ownership though they have a disparate mix of straight and gay DJ's which makes the music rather hit and miss and the clientele very mixed str8/gay/student.i knew Roy very well from 1988 to 1992 or so when he dj'd in Excalibur (owned by Bob (passed a good few years ago now) and Ray) in Stoke On Trent, or Hanley to be more precise. His then partner Chris ran the record shop in the club for him. After that he moved to Mates
Double Platinum Record [Level 9]
How awful.:icon_sad: Where & when did this happen? I used to live in North Staffs & was often at the various incarnations of the gay club in the late 80s/early 90s.
...ya gotta beat the street......
Acetate [Level 1]
It must be around 1996! Colin was from Manchester (Salford?) I think, one night he was followed home and mugged in his driveway, he died of his injuries and the story was on the front pages of the local paper the Sentinel. ('12 jobs under threat as city nightspot boss dies')...or something like that. Only a few months before, the paper had run a paragraph on the imminent closure of the venue due to lack of customers. Ironic.How awful.:icon_sad: Where & when did this happen
This was when the aforementioned club was called 'Mates'; after a short period under lease the place was bought by a gay entrepreneur from Yorkshire who'd made his money running a landscaped caravan park in Thirsk. He renamed it 'The Club', installed his Park Manager and boyfriend to manage the place and invested a much-needed large amount in renovating the place, (Colin had run the place on a shoestring); and the place got busier and busier, having Saturday PA's from people like Deuce, Steps, Pete Burns and Jane MacDonald. It's under the same ownership today and the original manager ('Ruby') is now his business partner, they also own the nearby gay pub 'the three tuns' and there's a discrete & secure walkway between the two venues.
Since becoming 'The Club' they've had various DJ's both good and bad; including resident gay couples Mike and Rob ('Berta'), Alan & Andy, Pussy & Rick, and various comeday-go day people from within and outside of the scene.
Like many places, footfall numbers are on the wain at the moment and the place operates a 'cheap' or 'free' bar with a larger initial entry fee to ensure reasonable turnout.
http://www.theclub-stoke.co.uk
P.S. No I dont work there! But I've been around the block in Stoke ;-)
Advance Promo Copy [Level 3]
I used to live in Stoke from 1985 to 1996 and lived around the corner from "the Club", the gay club in Stoke has had a number of names over the years, even a couple of locations but it was always known as the club, which I always found quite endearing. I had a lot of very fond memories of my time there and the people I knew and the music that was played.
Its good to know it is still going, I still have a few friends there but none that go out clubbing these days. I went once about 8 or 9 years ago and didn't seem to know anyone there, people had moved on (some to Manchester). The walkway between the two was something new to me, I only ever knew that walk from the bar to the club, which was no distance.
I can't remember the names of people there other than I recall Ruby, who used to be the glass collector many years ago before the transformation into drag queen/manager.
toto
Double Platinum Record [Level 9]
Yes, for a couple of years it was located in Glass Street (the old Roxy roller disco if I remember correctly!) in Hanley before it went back to the old 'Robateaux' location (Hill Street?). My main memory of the Glass Street club was the only time I ever went clubbing in drag (hard to believe I know!) when I went as Lily Savage (big at the time) on New Years eve & I remember throwing up due to drinking so much as I was so nervous!(I'm not proud of it.:icon_confused:) I preferred the Hill Street location, especially when it first opened in the late 80s with Cissy & Belinda in the little bar upstairs. (that Belinda had all the gossip on everyone!
)
...ya gotta beat the street......
Advance Promo Copy [Level 3]
Now you made me laugh out loud there, I remember Cissy and Belinda, Cissy was on the door and Belinda behind that bar telling stories. I loved the Hill Street location, it was a great big venue with great sound and lighting. Such a shame that it ended. I have to ask, did you do the bus to Wolverhampton that ran for a while?Yes, for a couple of years it was located in Glass Street (the old Roxy roller disco if I remember correctly!) in Hanley before it went back to the old 'Robateaux' location (Hill Street?). My main memory of the Glass Street club was the only time I ever went clubbing in drag (hard to believe I know!) when I went as Lily Savage (big at the time) on New Years eve & I remember throwing up due to drinking so much as I was so nervous!
toto
Double Platinum Record [Level 9]
Never took the bus but if I did go to Gavans I usually drove down or a friend drove then we could leave when we wanted.
...ya gotta beat the street......
Advance Promo Copy [Level 3]
it was fun and it meant I could have a drink.Never took the bus but if I did go to Gavans I usually drove down or a friend drove then we could leave when we wanted.
What was the name of the guy who was behind the till for years as you entered the Club? He worked during the day with a friend of mine but he was miserable on that till.
toto
Double Platinum Record [Level 9]
Now you're asking! I've wiped him out of my memory for some reason.
...ya gotta beat the street......
Acetate [Level 1]
The Club (which is its official name since about 1996) is located on Hillcrest Street. (aka Bierkeller, Excalibur mk2, Mates). The Glass Street venue was a gay night held at straight venue Twenties.
Double Platinum Record [Level 9]
That's it - Hillcrest Street, thanks. (I only lived in N.Staffs for over 30 years, you'd think I'd remember!
...ya gotta beat the street......
Advance Promo Copy [Level 3]
I remember that place, the first club I got taken to when I was 16, the DJ had the Patrick Cowley mix of I Feel Love (before it was commercially released) and was willing to give me a tape if I met him (even I knew what was involved if I did met him _ I later found out he was a real "chicken hawk").Now you're asking! I've wiped him out of my memory for some reason.
Rod was a lovely guy, I knew him VERY well and such fond memories!
toto
Double Platinum Record [Level 9]
OMG, I first heard that expreesion at that place! On my first visit, someone came up to me & said 'youre a fresh piece of chicken' & I wondered what the hell he was on about. (I wish I was that innocent again!
...ya gotta beat the street......
Acetate [Level 1]
Hi all.
New member here.What a great site this seems to be, so many people who enjoy HI-NRG, a rare thing these days.
I too used to go to the Archway, what a club, and what great tunes were played.I can remember the first track i heard in there..Angie Gold...Eat you all up....thought i was heaven:icon_razz:
Acetate [Level 1]
I wonder whatever happened to Angie Gold of 'Eat You Up' fame?
Maybe she guest stars in these huge 80's parties they have in places like Russia?!
Welcome to the forum, I'm only an ocassional poster, but I' sure you'll get some more welcomes!
Double Platinum Record [Level 9]
Ian Levine recently remade 'Eat You Up' with Angie Gold & they did this very cheap-looking video to go with it. Seems a bit pointless to me, how could you improve on the original?:icon_confused: Ms.Gold looks & sounds good though!
Here's the original - much better! To quote a youtuber, 'pass the poppers!':
...ya gotta beat the street......
Acetate [Level 1]
Urrgghh!!
That remake is both horrible and pointless.
The original has far much more power and what I would call 'atmosphere'.
I think Ian Levine did a load of remakes a couple of years back, but I have to say his productions were always my least favouirte Hi NRG tracks back in the dya, so I never sought out his new ones.
Going slightly off topic....
I was reading an old article at the barbers the other day saying how Italo disco had become trendy again(I think the article was from last year) so will we ever see a return to the HI NRG days???
Test Pressing [Level 2]
I also wonder what happened to 'Avril A', she of "Paris is for lovers" fame? She used to do cabaret for 'her boys' (as she used to refer to us) in 'Stuffed Olives' and other places around Manchester in the early 80's. I also remember that she even did the short lived 'Gong show' with "Paris..." and I remember that Barbara Windsor gonged her off!. Anyone remember our Avril and the wonderful split skirt with the tuppences sown in, so it would flare out as she span round?!! What are you doing now Av? xx
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