Days of yore: the old Vancouver clubs

[uncleg]

Frank Baker's! That one was around for ages, I mean, it was the 'go to' place in the fifties. My parents went there.

In the ladies washroom was a statue of a naked man with a fig leaf over his penis. The fig leaf was on hinges. If you were to lift the fig leaf up a bell would sound in the cabaret and the woman could expect to be greeted by many "knowing" smiles as she exited the bathroom

I wonder what happened to the Tiffany Lamps when they tore that place down? It was still a cabaret in the 80s albeit 'glamour rock'

Went into the new place he opened up later up on Cambie......

 

[juscause]

Casablanca Nightclub in New West. Ladies night was on Wednesday's.

 

[uncleg]

I forgot about the Oompapa in the warf north foot of Main st that place was insane, they had on stage chugalug contests. I saw a guy barf on another guys back that was washing his hands at the sink in the men's can, he wound up washing his shirt too LOL!

It was a fun place. I remember one night just after we opened we had to toss a drunk. We headed him for the nearest doors, which were along the back wall. He hit that door, they popped open and he disappeared. Seems the walkway that went down the sides of the building didn't go all the way around. The doors we tossed him out of used to open to the ships. Good thing the tide was in and he apparently knew how to swim.

 

[PlayfulAlex]

The Four Seasons had a club called Annabelle's. I also remember a place on Georgia called the Loose Caboose.

Oh, reminiscing...my heart...such memories of Annabelle's

Remember The Richmond Inn and Matches?

 

[mimi]

yeah, Matches! Small dance floor.

What was the name of that club in Richmond...mmm....big club, in the eighties...jeez, I remember it was near the center of town LOL......I am trying to drive there in my mind and I get lost somewhere around the Aquatic center....wait...it was off Westminster and Alderbridge. good bands, big dance floor

 

[Luvda_silicone_crinkle]

kits in new west

 

[uncleg]

Kits @ Broadway & Granville............

 

[mimi]

Casey's.....in Richmond off Alderbridge way.

I found some thread dedicated to Old Vancouver clubs and located it.

Man, the internet is good for some things eh?

 

[ilikegurlz]

Actually...I think these guys are better...and they were in the same time period...

Maybe Mimi remembers seeing them live sometime...I do...


Trooper...Raise a Little Hell!

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Or Maybe Prism...Spaceship Superstar...LOL...my fave line...
"It's Just One Step for Rock and Roll, but Too Much for Just One Man"...love it!!!!!

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BUT MY NUMERO UNO FAVE IS...DOUG AND THE SLUGS...local band...played at my Highschool...

Too Bad...1980...

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Makin' it Work...1980...

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Chinatown Calculation...1980...My Personal Fave...

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I was about 14 years old...just bought a guitar... was sooo proud to master the Boogie-Woogie Blues Riff that runs throught the song...in JUST 1 DAY!!!... (a big day for adolescent me!!!)

No live vid on this one...Studio Version is prob the best anyway...

 

[PlayfulAlex]

For a very short time, there was a small club, maybe just an after-hours, that was located somewhere on Beatty St. I think it might have been an art gallery during the day, and they played R&B, funk, and soul music at night. I think it was owned or run by a cool black guy. I remember that they sold chicken and rice, late at night, for about $5.

Anyone remember this one?

 

[uncleg]

For a very short time, there was a small club, maybe just an after-hours, that was located somewhere on Beatty St. I think it might have been an art gallery during the day, and they played R&B, funk, and soul music at night. I think it was owned or run by a cool black guy. I remember that they sold chicken and rice, late at night, for about $5.

Anyone remember this one?

Wasn't it something to do with the Press Club ? It was just down the street from the Armoury across from where the Skytrain Station is now.

 

[PlayfulAlex]

My memory's a little fuzzy about the exact location. I just remember the art (mostly black art and black artists?), the music, the food, and the men!

 

[mimi]

Trooper!!! They played at my highschool...yeah!

And another band with a dweeby name, and they wore tights, kinda embarrassing (I think they stuffed themselves Ha Ha!)

The lead singer sang Hot Child in the City....

 

[PlayfulAlex]

Trooper!!! They played at my highschool...yeah!

And another band with a dweeby name, and they wore tights, kinda embarrassing (I think they stuffed themselves Ha Ha!)

The lead singer sang Hot Child in the City....

Nick Gilder? Sweeney Todd?

 

[vancity_cowboy]

The lead singer sang Hot Child in the City....

sounds like your theme song mimi...

 

[mimi]

Yeah, Sweeney Todd!

My theme song was "money, money, money" Abba LOL

I have a stack of 45s with band names that are all but forgotten now: 49th parallel for one.

 

[princeofdarkness]

WOW, this is insane. Thanks for all the great memories.

Am I the only one that remembers Outlaws on West Georgia Street? A couple of my buddies back then were Bouncers there and I so loved the "no line" star treatment followed by the no cover charge. It's the simple things in life that made a difference.

 

[mimi]

Outlaws! How could I forget? They had the best dance floor in Vancouver and awesome Hallowe'en parties, the floor covered in wet leaves.

Before it was Outlaws it was the Izzy right? The strip club. And there were life size cut outs of sexy gals in costume standing on the sidewalk or somewhere. My sister and I would crane our heads to look as we drove to Stanley Park LOL

 

[DavidMR]

You know, there are still great memories to be had at The Commodore. Like the Orpheum next door, it's a real serious part of Vancouver's musical scene, past, present and future.

 

[uncleg]

The Collectors http://shadwell.tripod.com/collectr.html who went on to become Chilliwack played at our high school, they rocked big time even way back then. I also remember the Seeds of Time who went on to become Prizm, we had some great bands in those days! I also liked goin to Hogan's Alley on Main for some great blues Long John Baldry performed in there with the Vacquaro's good times!

The Collectors, remember their first recording "Looking at Baby".........they played it the first time at public venue The Torch, a club on Howe, across from the Holiday Inn. Later became the Tropicana, strip club.

Outlaws! How could I forget? They had the best dance floor in Vancouver and awesome Hallowe'en parties, the floor covered in wet leaves.

Before it was Outlaws it was the Izzy right? The strip club. And there were life size cut outs of sexy gals in costume standing on the sidewalk or somewhere. My sister and I would crane our heads to look as we drove to Stanley Park LOL

Before it was Outlaws, it was Izzy's, a strip club but only after Izzy Walters died and Betty and Jack took over the operation. Izzy ran it as a Supper Club same as The Cave. The owner of Pal's, a Hornby club bought it, converted it to Outlaws but never opened the doors. Baceda, made him an offer to lucrative to refuse and he sold it to him. I'd mention his name, but he's still alive and he's my daughters Godfather.