90’s Manchester Nostalgia, Madferit!

[griftalo]

I thought since we are derailing the guest thread, I’d begin a thread dedicated to the reminiscing on the distant sunny/grimy/gang ridden days of Manchester in the 90’s/00’s
Bring on your tales of Manto’s, snogging Corrie stars, brushing elbows with Madchester bands, Cheetham hill bargains, the tib st hoodie shop etcetera

Does anyone remember the big Pyjama party? It involved a few clubs you could wander between? It was a once off as fair as I know, and I spent all day before trying to source some second hand striped traditional blue and white mens pjs to wear - I found some!
---
I found some nice pictures of dry bar and can’t seem to add them

 

[Nonah]

Hooray! I never snogged a Corrie star but I saw John Simm in Poptastic once.

 

[griftalo]

Hooray! I never snogged a Corrie star but I saw John Simm in Poptastic once.

Oh my god! I’d forgotten all about Poptastic! I think 87% of what I did back then is lost, some recoverable on prompting

 

[Nonah]

Oh my god! I’d forgotten all about Poptastic! I think 87% of what I did back then is lost, some recoverable on prompting

It was such a bloody good night out.
---
Also Tiger Lounge.

 

[Vinbisha]

Mint!
Was Poptastic the one with the shag tags?

 

[Nonah]

Mint!
Was Poptastic the one with the shag tags?

Yes. I never once got tagged

 

[griftalo]

I snogged someone in there, this has unlocked an extremely cringe memory yadda yadda…his room was plastered in pictures of River Phoenix and H from Steps

 

[Vinbisha]

Yes. I never once got tagged

I would never look, I was too scared there would either be a tag or there wouldn't.
Schrödinger's Shag Tag.

 

[griftalo]

I would never look, I was too scared there would either be a tag or there wouldn't.
Schrödinger's Shag Tag.

I don’t remember the system, how did it work? I think I only went in there twice.

 

[Nonah]

I don’t remember the system, how did it work? I think I only went in there twice.

You got a sticker with a number on and if someone fancied you they’d tag on on the board. I think?

 

[griftalo]

You got a sticker with a number on and if someone fancied you they’d tag on on the board. I think?

I don’t think anyone gave me any stickers to do that! Was that on every night? I’m baffled

 

[Hollaaa]

If it wasn't 42s, 5th Ave or the Ritz, I wasn't doing it. MMU union or the Hacienda on a Tuesday at a push.

 

[Nonah]

I don’t think anyone gave me any stickers to do that! Was that on every night? I’m baffled

Gawd now you’re asking! I was going there between 1998 & 2000 I think if that helps. Can’t for the life of me remember what night of the week though

 

[Itchy of Itchington]

AHH the Ritz dance yer docs off on a Monday.I spent a lot of time there from 1996 onwards. But only in school holidays mind. As soon as I started Uni I spent all my Monday nights in there but complained about the schoolies. A night in there was basically spent all your time getting moved on from sitting on the floor in the tunnel, wander round the balcony looking for a sofa that didn't have a couple dry humping on it and then when your favourite song played leg it to the bouncy dance floor. I went to see a band in about 2008 (maybe CSS) and it was so different as the tunnel was gone. Plus smoking ban. And the floor was no longer quite so sticky.
Fridays were Rock world all nighters. Usually chemically assisted once I no longer had a boyfriend in Blackley but my mum thought I was staying at my mate's house. Part of me wishes I'd gone to the reunion of the mid to late 90s crowd but I am still scared to see my ex despite it being 25 year since I dumped him!

I went to Uni in Manchester as well and spent a significant amount of time at the star and garter with too much eyeliner on.
The only place to smell worse after the smoking ban I think. But god I loved it. I'm mid 40s now and just the thought of being out and dancing past 10pm makes me tired.

 

[HotesTilaire]

If it wasn't 42s, 5th Ave or the Ritz, I wasn't doing it. MMU union or the Hacienda on a Tuesday at a push.

Hacienda Tuesdays! They were a bit meh? Glad I went so I can show off about it, but it was on its last legs.

Once walked home up the road from the Queen of Tarts with toyah off corrie.

Never knowing when Eid is then getting stuck on a bus forever whilst a million cars drive round beeping!

 

[Itchy of Itchington]

Queen of Tarts. I saw Peter Kay there in 1998, he was doing aunties dancing to sister sledge at a wedding and obviously bleeping garlic bread. About 10 years later I remember cycling past there while slightly errr herbalised and being really irritated that Peter Kay was still making a living off the same jokes. Who knew in 2024 it would still be the same. Fallowfield has changed enormously but Peter Kay is still stuck back there. I think it was either cheap or free to get in with a SnapFax. Which was just as well because the SnapFax fucked my bank cards during Freshers Week.

 

[HotesTilaire]

I saw one of his first gigs at the Buzz about 1996?

 

[Hollaaa]

I liked Tuesdays at the Haç because they never got raided. Nothing worse than paying your fiver in to get turfed out an hour later.

I was one of those schoolies in the Ritz on a Monday and Wednesday, but in 94/95. I'd tell my parents I was in the pub, at a gig or round a mate's house and get a taxi home at midnight. Split 3 ways with friends it was cheaper than a chomp out of your clippercard.

 

[Vinbisha]

Ah the Star and Garter and the biannual outcry that it's going to get bulldozed.
I loved it in there, I'm partial to a pub that looks like the clock stopped in 1935.
Only went to Hac once and it wasn't for me. Broken glass everywhere and a weird atmosphere. But it was toward the end so I missed the heyday.

 

[Hollaaa]

I remember going to the Star and Garter around 2007 and bumping into some of the regulars from an indie night I used to go to in Glasgow. It was like a glitch in the matrix.