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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to not give a monkey's about "the death of the nightclub"?

201 replies

FithColumnist · 13/08/2015 21:13

Apparently, more than half of the country’s nightclubs have closed in the past 10 years. Reasons cited so far (sensibly) include extended opening hours in pubs, more rigorous application of noise pollution laws, the smoking ban and differing financial circumstances.

Back in the 90's and early 00's, a nightclub was the only place you could get a drink after 11, so like the rest of them I dutifully went out in suit trousers, "casual" shirt and work shoes every Friday night on the off-chance that my friends and I might fancy another beer after last orders and didn't want to be turned away by skinhead Neanderthals after queueing for an hour because of "no jeans" or "no runners". AIBU to thank the gods that those days are long gone, and I can now sit with my mates in our favourite pub, paying reasonable prices for drinks, not sweating and not having to shout over shit house music until 1 am if we so choose?

OP posts:
SpaghettiMeatballs · 15/08/2015 18:37

I loved clubbing. I studied in Birmingham for a while late 90's so loving the mentions of Snobs, DNA, Bobbis etc. I liked The Academy too.

DH and I are old and sad now with 2 very young DCs. We like to occassionally reminiss about the Ibiza days.

So pleased I got to experience it.

Notgoodwithwords · 15/08/2015 18:45

I think if the clubs were a bit classier like they were back in my day... Early 90's then they'd be more successful!!..

My local ones used to have a strict over 21's policy & no jeans or trainers etc.. They started going down the pan with very lax door men letting underage people in & drinks far too cheap so everyone just gets hammered!! The music was so much better then too.

I wish I was still young & care free so I could go to them once in a while!!

TigerTrumpet · 15/08/2015 18:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CloserToFiftyThanTwenty · 15/08/2015 18:51

I never went to a nightclub for a chat with my mates, though, so struggling to make ourselves heard over the music wasn't an issue Sad

I loved clubbing - dancing all night long, meeting interesting people (and some "too interesting" people...), fantastic music, DJs... I'm really sad that that is disappearing

CloserToFiftyThanTwenty · 15/08/2015 18:52

Sad face was supposed to be on my 2nd paragraph!

FundamentalistQuaker · 15/08/2015 22:25

Don't worry, they will disappear as the current youth do their thing. Then, when we are all in our 70s, some smart kid will reinvent them and we will all get interviewed for the Sunday supplements about 'historic clubbing'.

Lucy61 · 15/08/2015 22:28

Feeling very nostalgic now. I loved clubbing 'back in the day'. I lived in London and the night life was great. Some of my favourite clubs closed in the early 2000s e.g. The Cross in Kings Cross & The Hanover Grand. I think it's just a shift in culture.

I much prefer a pub or a good restaurant now.

MrsSippy · 15/08/2015 22:38

Awww!! Brum clubbing late 70s early 80s, the best was Powerhouse becoming ZigZag for an alternate night on a Wednesday (or was it Thursday??) I used to make my own 'gowns' with things I found on the rag market or Oasis and I once saw the amazing Divine, supported by Gay John and the Doggets!!

I also used to go to Edwards, Steptoes, and if I was with a more normal crowd of mates, Pagoda Park and Millionairres

Those were the days, but I couldn't even be bothered to go to the pub at the end of the road tonight!!

Sparklingbrook · 15/08/2015 22:40

Did you go to the Rum Runner MrsS? Gay John was one of the dancers in the Planet Earth video IIRC.

Oasis was a spectacular shop is it still there?

MrsSippy · 15/08/2015 22:45

I bloody did Sparkling, and Nightingales with my GBF once or twice.

Oasis is still there, but not as amazing as it was, I bought a vicars cassock in there once and wore it clubbing once I had 'doctored' it!

bettyberry · 15/08/2015 22:47

Nope. Not at all. All my terrible exes; I met them in nightclubs so good riddance. However I'm now wondering where all the dodgy men like my exes will go when they want to pull. Is this why tinder is so bad? Hmm

Last time I went to a club was for my 22nd birthday. I was bored witless and oh god.. the chat up lines and the shouting and still not being able to hear people clearly and the sticky floor AND the stench because oh boy, smoking is bad, but smoke really did cover a lot of sins!

Sparklingbrook · 15/08/2015 22:47

I had a lovely grey shirt from Oasis, it was fab. Went great with my grey baggy trousers and pixie boots. Grin

bettyberry · 15/08/2015 22:50

MrsSippy I noticed on a visit it had really gone down hill and I spent way too much time in costers Blush

MrsSippy · 15/08/2015 22:52

Grin sparkling

MrsSippy · 15/08/2015 22:54

betty it used to be individual and people doing their own thing, making a load of shite and flogging it Grin, it's as generic as everywhere else now Sad

bettyberry · 15/08/2015 22:58

It really is MrsSippy still wondering why I'm moving back up there in the bear furture! :O

crispandfruity · 15/08/2015 22:59

Can't believe that the brum contingent haven't mentioned the hummingbird. I can still hear the bass sounds that teased us while we were queuing. And I can almost feel the sticky carpet.

And yes to all nighters at random locations off the motorway network.

Those were the days.

Sparklingbrook · 15/08/2015 23:01

Was The Hummingbird before my time? I remember when The Dome was The Night Out but I must have been about 5. Grin

bettyberry · 15/08/2015 23:06

FOAM PARTIES. Another reason I am glad clubs are going. It was just an easy way to hide the vomit.

Give me a pub with a bloody good jukebox and a decent ale. Gawd The south has rubbed off on me Hmm

MrsSippy · 15/08/2015 23:08

Yeah, my Mom and Dad used to go to the Night Out when I was a kid (are you about my age cough 50 cough sparkling?)

MrsSippy · 15/08/2015 23:10

I've never been to a foam party betty, but I have very vivid memories of purple pyramids!! Grin Grin

Sparklingbrook · 15/08/2015 23:11

Approximately 6 years behind you MrsS. Grin

bettyberry · 15/08/2015 23:17

You are in luck! I went to one and it was horrendous. Gawd damn birthdays. I Did a big stint of my clubbing in the English Riviera too (yo-yo'd between midlands and there from around 2000ish)

£12 all you can drink at one club. Open until 1am then head to rileys to play pool until dawn then home to sleep!

I think working in clubs for a while changed my view of them. Not so great sober Shock

crispandfruity · 15/08/2015 23:21

Hummingbird was in dale end - late 80's/early 90's. We'd go there after a few drinks at the pot of beer!

pomegranatesandfilms · 15/08/2015 23:37

Hello fellow Brummie clubbers of the 80s and 90s! Grin Yes loved the Pot of Beer and The Pen and Wig! Snobs Wednesdays and Edwards.Birmingham really had it all back then you could dance away to Disco, go cheesy at Bobbys or The Dome/Ritzy and the best alternative clubs.The gay clubs were great when the other clubs closed. Grin I loved going to Ronnie Scotts too - sadly closed a long time ago.

I loved how you had to pretend that all the clubs were boring and spent half the time slouched around saying how rubbish it all was!!