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Birmingham Nightclubs of the Past - Memories

  • Thread starter Thread starter mazbeth
  • Start date Start date
Does anyone remember a club that was close to the junction of New Street and Corporation Street, where the ramp to the Shopping Centre and New Street Station now is. In those days the ramp wasn't there and there was a pretty seedy below-ground pub that they turned into a club. A friend of mine went to the opening night and an incident happened that involved a very friendly lady and a decorative wheel barrow. I won't go into the detail, but the incident sporned the expression "been on the barrow tonight?" amongst those that heard the tale.
 
Bobbygee, The Tavern in The town was very near the location you mention. It was in a cellar under some New St shops and was destroyed in the Pub Bombings.
 
Urm of course not Patty I just past by.... uhum I do remember it opening though:blush: And before anyone says have you got a barra it wasn't me!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Hi Stitcher. I've just been on a Birmingham Post forum on Brum pubs. There is someone on there that says that the Gilded Cage was on top of Yates Wine Lodge. So I don't think that that was the place.
 
Gilded cage was definitely under the ramp, think it became the Christian bookshop, I seem to remeber it late 70's early 80's, opposite was Atkinson’s bar which was like a real ale bar, back room of the midland hotel, just up the road was another pub done out to look like a railway carriage from the outside.
 
Thanks dwilly I thought I was going senile!:( no comments please!:D I remember where it was because my friend worked on the switchboard at The Midland Hotel and I remember Atkinsons Bar as well although I couldn't recall the name.
 
dwilly said:
Gilded cage was definitely under the ramp, think it became the Christian bookshop, I seem to remeber it late 70's early 80's, opposite was Atkinson’s bar which was like a real ale bar, back room of the midland hotel, just up the road was another pub done out to look like a railway carriage from the outside.
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there was a pub Gilded Cage where the christian bookshop circa,however, to the left of it, in the corner under the ramp next to the toilets there was a pub that was under the ground.
 
I remember going to La Dolce vita ,rum runner bloomers all in the 80s brill time to go clubbing.
Who remembers when the lacarno started the all night raves in the 80s
 
the locarno oooooh, what memories in me drainpipe trousers and me draped pink coat, an socks ter match , boppin to elvis
 
Re: Birmingham Nighclubs of the Past- Memories

SuBee said:
The Locarno was my fave..............

Dolca Vita - saw Shawaddywaddy there live

The Dome...............I was on the dance floor the night the press took the picture of the opening of The Dome (loved The Night out Too)

Bloomers

Barbarellas - loved all the different rooms with the genres of music

Top rank

Rainbow Suite
Ooooooooooooooh..............those were the days
Click to expand...
Barbarellas had 'Date a chic' 'take two' but i can't remember the other rooms name.
 
Bobbygee said:
Hi Stitcher. I've just been on a Birmingham Post forum on Brum pubs. There is someone on there that says that the Gilded Cage was on top of Yates Wine Lodge. So I don't think that that was the place.
Click to expand...
The Gilded cage was opposite the iron horse whch was shaped like a railway coach. If you walked down the side of the ramp and followed the road round, the cage was on the left, the horse on the right.
 
In an earlier post on this thread, someone mentioned the GOLDEN GLOVES at Camp Hill, my friend worked the door there. They also mentioned the STRIP CLUB next door. What a dump that was. The stripper ony moved whilst the juke box was playing. When the music stopped she would pull a beer crate from behind the curtain, sit down and wait for someone to put money in the juke box and she would carry on with her act.
 
I remember top rank, on a thursday night used to call it self "kinetic circus" I saw Led Zeppellin there play stairway to heaven one of the first times on their world tour,the place was devoid of furniture,you sat on the carpet,absolutley brill only cost me 60p for the ticket.
 
Hi all brummies,

love reading your reminiscences.

i've been living here for a few years now and have heard about a DJ called Shaun Williams, his name uttered in reverential tones! I'm intrigued but can't seem to find out much about him. Apparently he played at the legendary Rum Runner in early 80's but altho loads on web about the club no reference to him. I hear monday nights there were unlike any before or since.

Can anyone fill me in?

Cheers
adopted brummie
 
The guy to ask is Dave Morgan who played with ELO but also played at the Rum Runner in the 70s/80s probably with Magnum.

Dave and his wife Mandy have bought a church,yes I did say church!--just Google Dave Morgan and you will come up with his contact details.

The other guy to ask about the Runner in the 70s and 80s is the electrician and DJ Tommy Farr real name Garth Bishop--you can find him running
PIT STOP MARQUEES at Hurley near Kingsbury.

JP
 
bobsummers said:
Just found a very interesting site that is closely related to this thread from a groups perspective. :1019:
https://www.unsignedcity.com/forums/index.php
Click to expand...

Hi Bob,

Thanks for the mention.
I am an Administrator of Unsigned City,
and would like to thank yourself and all the members here,
for this fascinating and absorbing thread.

I was professionally and socially involved with the 60's club scene,
and at the moment I am researching as many clubs as possible,
from a musicians point of view over on our Board.

The posts on this thread have proved to be
most valuable in compiling this research.

We at Unsigned City are currently formulating
threads on various clubs here at

https://www.unsignedcity.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=30

Brum and Midlands- Halls Of Fame

Any members are welcome to join in there.

My special thanks to the Administrators
of the Birmingham History Forum.
 
Bloomers was in the Swan shopping centre (previously called the tivoli). I was regular at the Swan disco late 70,s early 80,s. other discos in the area at the bulls head cov rd. the hobmoor. the yew tree in the rio grande suite mostly for rockers. any go to the Aero club down a country lane by Elmdon airport. also the boundary warwick rd and wait for it............the GARRYOWEN.
 
Anyone remember the Bel Air Club in Castle Bromwich. Formerly known as the Rob Roy Club. Near the old Castle Cinema.
 
ethanedwards said:
Hi Bob,

Thanks for the mention.
I am an Administrator of Unsigned City,
and would like to yourself and all the members here,
for this fascinating and absorbing thread.

I was professionally and socially involved with the 60's club scene,
and at the moment I am researching as many clubs as possible,
from a musicians point of view over on our Board.

The posts on this thread have proved to be
most valuable in compiling this research.

We at Unsigned City are currently formulating
threads on various clubs here at

https://www.unsignedcity.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?fid=42

Brum and Midlands- Halls Of Fame

Any members are welcome to join in there.

My special thanks to the Administrators
of the Birmingham History Forum.
Click to expand...

My cousin has been playing the clubs since the late 60's and is still doing it. His group is called Rio they are playing tonight at the Gate Sutton and often play at The Boot.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I don't but I will see my cousin next Sunday so I will ask him and get back to you. Wendy.
 
Ethan
its a strange thing that not many people carried cameras in the 60's, and photos of the era inside the Brum clubs are very rare photos indeed. What other sort of 60's club photos are you after? Groups of fans and club goers, Buildings, Posters?
 
bobsummers said:
Ethan
its a strange thing that not many people carried cameras in the 60's, and photos of the era inside the Brum clubs are very rare photos indeed. What other sort of 60's club photos are you after? Groups of fans and club goers, Buildings, Posters?
Click to expand...
Bob, you're right about that,
What I'd have given to have had a digital camera,
back in those days!!
By the way my name is Keith.

I've now drawn a blank on the internet,
so anything would be valuable.
I will of course credit the source on my site,
with the relevant copyrights, attached.

Wendy,

Thanks for getting back to me.
Any information is welcome.
 
she had a mouth so wide that when she smiled she got lipstick on her ears and she was the only girl I've ever met with one eyebrow..


I remember that girl !! She always used to make me think of Perry Barr underpass for some reason. A mate of mine married her and then disappeared - I shudder to think where to. I also remember Brum's best ever nightspot that nobody's mentioned yet - the Opposite Lock, where too many scotch and canada drys meant you got very wet in the cut if you weren't careful. A bit further afield (but I think owned by the same guy) was the Steering Wheel club in Green Lane Walsall where after a hard night's work in the mid-60s, most of Walsall's taxi drivers (I was one) would repair until the birds started to sing, along with at least half of Walsall's then CID. They had a resident trio called the Tigris Sound from Wolverhampton who were dead ringers for the Peddlars (remember them?). Oh those happy days before the breathalyser!!
 
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