[Archived] Blackburn Nightlife

[Sysagent]

I used to love going around Blackburn in the 80's onwards, but it all came to a halt when the Town Center just became filled with Coke & Steroid heads (mid 90's onwards), it was better in the early 90's late 80's when everyone was on Pills all loved up...

I remember Gary Higson doing back to back ten hour mixes of Frankie Goes To Hollywood up at the Cav on Thursday nights, was truly a great time during that era.

Then Acid House hit the town with the Thursdays at Ce La Vies downstairs, then of course there was the Sett End and all the Warehouse parties, when this all stopped I remember the scene heading over the Hill to Burnley at Angels, then we all grew up a bit and headed into the Big Smoke (Manchester).

Halcyon days indeed, these days I would be lucky to head into Snuffy once a month.

[JC4LAB]

Anyone remember the "Barbery coast" line of pubs..A survival course of a pub crawl..

[K-Hod]

I agree with Hughesy, I'm 26 and the decline compared to when I first went into town is unreal.

Closed-

Marley's on Church St

Toffs

Cubes

Borough

Bentley's

Blakey's (at night)

Gibees

Barlife

Cav

Club Trop

Ditto, I'm 26 also. I went to college in Blackburn and circa that time I was only ever out in Blackburn. Jumpin Jaks on a Wednesday was key- though I did prefer the cellar bar/c'est la vie over the weekends (I was of more a rock persuasion at the time!). There is nowhere to go now at all- liquid is out of the equation for me- over-priced, awful and I just loathe that gaff!

I went out there on Saturday in fact for the first time in a while and it wasn't good! Barzooka has died a death, the Postal Order was quite busy but other than that there was nothing!

Accrington really is a better night out and that is alarming!

Burnley is one of the best nights out around here, Preston is way over-rated IMO, but Manchester is tough to beat!

Never never land

C'est La Vie

Khaz Bar

Mr G's

That's just in the last 5/6 years!

[BrownieFC]

Dont think I've seen Bolton mentioned on here yet its a good night out very lively I often go when in the UK.

[speeeeeeedie]

I used to love going out in Blackburn, my era was circa 1993 to 2004, with 1993 to 2000 being the better part of it. I've not been anywhere near really since then. There were plenty of bars, plenty of people, and lots going on. I never saw any trouble.

My favourite night was the Car Wash at Peps on a Wednesday. You couldn't move.

[MCMC1875]

I can remember seeing A Guy Called Gerald and The Inspiral Carpets at The Elizabethan Suite (above C'est La Vie). Happy days.

[dazmaz]

Bar life has also gone.

[MCMC1875]

Salford/Penny St/Eanam had The Waterloo (Daniels), Uncle Tom's Cabin, Coconut Grove, The Packet House, Eanam Wharf and the one facing Morrison's?

[thenodrog]

Salford/Penny St/Eanam had The Waterloo (Daniels), Uncle Tom's Cabin, Coconut Grove, The Packet House, Eanam Wharf and the one facing Morrison's?

Early teens spent at Lyons and Stax and I can just about rem going to the Cav as a teenager in the 70's when they still had gambling and were able through that revenue to attract top showbiz acts. However the pub scene was all around the outskirts in those days with Tanners, Lodi, Alex and Clog and Billycock being the in places with some lesser input from the Rugby club,the Old Blacks and with Mye 2 and Monday nights at the Beechwood worth a mention too. Went out every single night in those days and the pubs were always mad busy Thurs to Sunday and lively for the rest of the week.

Zanzibar in the early 80's brought the punters in from the pubs on the outskirts and heralded the very best years of Blackburn nightlife imo. Easiest place to pull a bird ever.

Happy days....

[ABBEY]

Bar life has also gone.

Met the mrs in there 4 1/2 years ago!

[Ewood Spark]

Early teens spent at Lyons and Stax and I can just about rem going to the Cav as a teenager in the 70's when they still had gambling and were able through that revenue to attract top showbiz acts. However the pub scene was all around the outskirts in those days with Tanners, Lodi, Alex and Clog and Billycock being the in places with some lesser input from the Rugby club,the Old Blacks and with Mye 2 and Monday nights at the Beechwood worth a mention too. Went out every single night in those days and the pubs were always mad busy Thurs to Sunday and lively for the rest of the week.

Zanzibar in the early 80's brought the punters in from the pubs on the outskirts and heralded the very best years of Blackburn nightlife imo. Easiest place to pull a bird ever.

Happy days....

Now that's better .... Blackburn does indeed hold some good memories for you. By the way ...was Zanzibar 'The Merchants' in a previous life?

[sambo]

I just want Blackburn to be a good night out for people, sick of Burnley folk taking the ###### out of Blackburn

Surely a few bars here and there, with another club, would get the punters in? Why did it all even close?

[Seggie]

Id hazard a guess that a lot of the pubs closed due to rising costs with the brewery's, I know Thwaites make it very difficult for landlords to make a decent return on their businesses (Although I accept there isnt many of these sorts of establishments around the Town Centre).

Another factor is why would anyone want to open a town centre pub/bar/club in Blackburn? A town centre bar in most cases relies on people having 1 or 2 drinks then moving on to the next, in Blackburn that can't happen because there is nowhere else for the customers to go, in a normal marketplace this is a goldmine but when people are on a night out they want the variaty and the ability to move on to the next bar which is as bustling as the last.

Finally there have been too many high profile incidents of blatent uneccessary thuggery in the last few years in the town, who would want to risk putting money into something for it to be ruined by some idiots actions, I accept there will always be incidents in places like this but in Blackburn the way it is these days one incident could be catastrophic to the investment.

[dazmaz]

I just want Blackburn to be a good night out for people, sick of Burnley folk taking the ###### out of Blackburn

Surely a few bars here and there, with another club, would get the punters in? Why did it all even close?

Cheaper beer in a off license was a main contributor. Final blow dealt by the smoking ban

[thenodrog]

Now that's better .... Blackburn does indeed hold some good memories for you. By the way ...was Zanzibar 'The Merchants' in a previous life?

And thats the problem. Everything any good (apart from BRFC and of course that was only down to one man) thas gone and either not been replaced or replaced by something worse. Not all bad of course, on the plus side we have a take away on nearly every street corner and we never have to wait long for a taxi.

btw yes it was the Merchants. Well dodgy it was.

Cheaper beer in a off license was a main contributor. Final blow dealt by the smoking ban

Wrong dazmaz. Nothing to do with that at all. Cheap beer and the smoking ban is not restricted to Blackburn. Bolton, Preston, Clitheroe, Wigan etc all operate under the same conditions.

[Al]

Anyone remember the "Barbery coast" line of pubs..A survival course of a pub crawl..

Had my batchelor night on the Barbery. If I remember rightly!

[JC4LAB]

Early teens spent in Peepers which I Loved.A place like this is very much needed to keep todays youngsters out of Mischief..A nursery for the Vulcan is the best way to describe it.Anyone remember the Vulcan Jukebox and what was on it..?..

[ABBEY]

The vulcan WAS the best pub in the world ..EVER FACT the jukwbox was laden with SABBATH

[adopted scouser]

The vulcan WAS the best pub in the world ..EVER FACT the jukwbox was laden with SABBATH

And 'Whole Lotta Rosie' about every ten minutes

[ABBEY]

aye that is true too.

[BlueMonday]

I can remember seeing A Guy Called Gerald and The Inspiral Carpets at The Elizabethan Suite (above C'est La Vie). Happy days.

That was a great venue for a while. Saw 808 state there as well.

Anyone remeber The Top Hat. £2.50 to get in and £5 to get out !!

I live in Scotland now, but my heart sinks when I come down for a night out now.

Its a town without a soul. BwD council need their arses booted.

[MCMC1875]

That was a great venue for a while. Saw 808 state there as well.

Anyone remeber The Top Hat. £2.50 to get in and £5 to get out !!

I live in Scotland now, but my heart sinks when I come down for a night out now.

Its a town without a soul. BwD council need their arses booted.

The Flat Cap! Bizarre venue flattened for Barbara Castle Way.

[JAL]

The vulcan WAS the best pub in the world ..EVER FACT the jukwbox was laden with SABBATH

The Vulcan first town centre pub I ever went in (78) when it had the original vault, what a place full of character and characters.

[adopted scouser]

The Vulcan first town centre pub I ever went in (78) when it had the original vault, what a place full of character and characters.

Aggy's Den

[BlueMonday]

Also Flames, down by the fire station. It looked like a scene from the Mos Eisley bar in Star Wars!

Very strange.