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The Venue - Douglas Hotel


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Over the years the memory has been getting a bit hazier and most of the collected paraphanalia has been thrown out by an over zealous wife.

Back in the day I was going to the Venue every weekend, regardless of who played. I saw some superb gigs and I saw some absolute crap ones.

Does anybody know of anywhere on the net that lists the bands that played in this esteemed place ?

cheers

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Like you watched some awesome gigs and a whole load o shite as well,played there a good few times too, supporting little angels,quireboys dogs d"amour etc, brings back memories o the sticky carpet at the bar....class!

i used to have year lists of what was coming on there,will check the loft,but like you ,wife may have beaten me to it!

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Aye sticky carpet but light enough to see it

I saw Black, Hambi and the dance, Skeletal family, Divine, Gil Scott Heron, Segue, The 30 footers, Misty in Roots,The Pixies, The Fall, amongst many others at The Venue. The promoter was Duncan Hendry who also put on gigs by Uncle Bobs radioactive Peanuts in various hotels and clubs -The Northern Hotel, some place on Union St, and The Station - whoo hoo The Meteors,and also Rockys doon by Pitoddrie - Positive Noise and Jonathan Richman, and heaps of stuff in The Music Hall - och aye the 1980s and 1990s were nae that bad.

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I remember some of those which Biz mentions, plus..

Jimmy Cliff, Happy Mondays, James, Throwing Muses, 23 Skidoo, Husker Du, Virginia Astley, Terry & Gerry, The Monochrome Set, Shop Assistants, Wolfgang Press, Frazier Chorus, Television Personalities, Peter Green, The Godfathers, Felt, Microdisney, the Wishing Stones, Boothill Foottappers, Camper Van Beethoven (presume you saw this!)....but I saw loads more, too!

I remember the Jesus & Mary Chain doing an extremely short but electrifying set...I think that was at the Venue?

The Smiths played at Fusion in 84....wasn't it?

Plus the boy with the kilt, helmet covering face etc whose name escapes me this morning. Jamie???

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hahahah

Jessie Rae. He had a single out then didn't he? jesus!

Jesus and Mary chain must have been way way over capacity!

God, to think, we were all in the same room at most of these gigs and probably most weekends. Was there two, three nights a week and met my wife, a pairing of a Psychobilly and a Goth. Oh them wer't days...

My missus has heaps of photos from the Venue. Nostalgia gold they are. I may post one of me and my hair someday.

Next time I see Duncan I'll if he has a scrap book

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king kurt

guana batz

Theatre Of Hate

intua nua

wonderstuff

king

simply red

devine

mission

balaam and the angel

hothouse flowers

fairgroung attraction

bluebells

hipsway

shamen

housemartens

fine young cannibals

Half Man Half Biscuit

I will say that some of these were on in the background whilst we got pissed and waited for Benny to hit the decks again.

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hahahah

Jessie Rae. He had a single out then didn't he? jesus!

Jesus and Mary chain must have been way way over capacity!

God, to think, we were all in the same room at most of these gigs and probably most weekends. Was there two, three nights a week and met my wife, a pairing of a Psychobilly and a Goth. Oh them wer't days...

My missus has heaps of photos from the Venue. Nostalgia gold they are. I may post one of me and my hair someday.

Next time I see Duncan I'll if he has a scrap book

I can't imagine Mrs Twojoe as a goth! (Unless she was the psychobilly & you were the goth?)?(

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Hank Wangford

Hank Wangford...Wahey... great name... HE DID THE tV SHOW a TO z OF COUNTRY AND wESTERN ,I ken... I shouldnae write like this ... but it keeps the anoraks and stalkers happy... aye onyway...I digress... WAHOO... he is a gynaecologist in real life... I'm nae, but I'll hae a good look

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I always tried to grab one of the little photocopied fliers that were stuck up around the place as a memento of the gig and to compensate for sometimes waking up in the morning and wondering just where the hell I had been the previous night!

I remember feeling quite intimidated the first time I ever went to the place, queing up outside in shore lane convinced that everybody was plotting some evil and sadistic death for me, but after a few visits I realised that it must just have been some kind of squint the regulars adopted to compensate for the dark interior and dull lighting!

So many people that I remember by face and used to chat to most weekends but names.................. ha! I can't remember the bands, give me a break !!

Many memories have been reawakened by the bands mentioned, King Kurt with their spinning wheel, Jesus and Mary Chain with their 5 minutes of feedback and then walking off (was that midweek ? Seems to ring a bell for some reason)

I don't think these were mentioned but New model Army, Swamptrash, Wedding Present, Transvision Vamp (I still have those close up photos I took of Wendy James that night somewhere) and for some reason I distinctly remember going to see Dumpys Rusty Nuts

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Just to add a few that I recall..........

Altered Images (Clare Grogan up close & personal :love:!!!)

Comsat Angels

The Sound

Age of Chance

Theatre of Hate

The Blow Monkeys

Love & Money

Orange Juice

PWEI (but that might have been at Fusion/Ritzy ???)

and many more that I've forgotten.........

Top 3 gigs there for me were;

Wonderstuff/Pixies/JAMC

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Crikey!

So many memories - My liver just took an involuntary spasm at the very thought of the place! :D

The bouncers regularly knocking lumps out of each other after closing time was also one of the other memories of the place! As well as the occupants of one of the flats overlooking the lane, hurling down empty bottles on the folk leaving!

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