If you haven’t heard of the Mardi Gras on Bold Street then you probably aren’t into music and didn’t live in Liverpool in the late eighties or nineties. The Mardi Gras is synonymous with the dance and club scene and was a Bold Street, and Liverpool favorite. Club Promoters Jason and Mark Jones managed the Mardi in its heyday, and recently talked to Laura Yates about the club, its history and some of their favorite nights. Laura interviews Jason and Mark in a series of episodes covering everything from the history of the club to the night the Stone Roses played. You can watch all of the episodes on Google Video. A selection has also been added to the Bold Street Video Podcast. Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes.
Blimey! The Mardi Gras. That brings back memories. Many a good night had there with chippy tea afterwards on none other than Bold Street. Great to hear about it again…
I remember one night when the electricity went off in the mardi and everyone kept dancing for what seemed like a few minutes, but apparently was half an hour. Good times.
I used to work at the mardi it was one of the best jobs i ever had! Watched some of the vids on Google-brought back happy memories!
Memories ! For a period in the late 80’s early 90’s I more or less lived in the Mardi every week.
Happy days - The Starsky and Hutch theme still makes me smile !!
For me The Mardi was all about the mid 60’s, Tamla nights, local soul bands such as The Chants, The Shuffler Sound with Bobby & Willy, Steve Aldo, The Fix, The Buzzels the list goes on & on. Who could forget the all nighters, the no stop dancing, Ah! memories.
Oh the mardi gras …. what a great venue. Memorable gigs: Primal Scream, Jonathan Richman, the redoubtable Benny Profane too but that was as a support - can’t remember who for … or was that NYE Cafe Berlin.
Anyway great memories bringing back the taste of lager and black and curry and chips and beer on someone else’s lips …
What a club! I saw Arthur Conley (Sweet Soul Music) live on the Mardi, I would love to know who the musicians were backing him, mainly because I think I read somewhere that these artistes used to use local musicians. I also saw Colonel Bagshots Incredible Bucket Band (to give them their full title) on the Mardi, and became a lifetime fan even to this day. Also The Real Thing, before they became Real Thing. (Cant remember what they were called back then. Great days indeed.
does anyone remember the mardi before jason and mark? i worked there from 1988- 1990 - hugh as DJ, toby richard and Lemo on the door - some of the best nights ever back in the day….
I went to the Mardi in the late sixties early seventies when they had all the great U.S. soul acts Edwin Starr, Jimmy Ruffin, Ben E King and countless others mainly on Friday and Saturdays the acts would then do a session at the Victoriana,The Real Thing then were called Vocal Perfection they were great nights, I am surprised there has never been a Mardi Gras revival night similar to the Wigan Casino, Twisted Wheel, The Torch,Blackpool Mecca, Im sure it would be a success. Great DJs with all the latest imports ie Billy Butler and great ads in the Liverpool Echo when there were many clubs being advertised each week, Beachcomber,Babaloo,Odd Spot,All Fours,Hotsy Totsy,and more i cant remember.Yes they were great nights.
Theres a few pics Inside The Mardis on my site in the Chris Shaw section at http://www.Liverpooldays.com
More to come..Taaaaaaaaaa
Merry Chrimbo
GF….
This was a cool club. I worked there 87-89 and the other bar staff used to take the mick out of my fiorucci sweat shirt and pods. Scally!
Yes I fondly rememebr the Mardi well, I was in several of the bands that played there including Washington Soul Band and The Perfumed Garden. So fond memories indeed, particularly when we were support band for Sharron tandy and Fluer De lys, Kippington Lodge and the foundations. The Mardi was a great place shame those day are gone.
Oh forgot to say the Real Thing original name was
“Vocal Perfection”, I actually backed them a few time in their very early days.
You might be interested Barry in Tony Bolland’s book..”Plug Inn… the forgotten years”..
This a link to it on my website…
http://liverpooldays.com/photo/index.php
The New Bill Harry book might also interest you…lots about the Black music scene in Liverpool.Steve Aldo etc.
Lindisfarne and Thin Lizzy - before they came famous.
Weren’t Thin Lizzy headlining on the very last night before it closed?
the mardi most people are remembering on this site is the one that was in mount pleasant. Never new there was one in Bold Street, unless im missing something. In the early days it was a great soul venue, and Billy Butler and Chris Wharton d jd together. What a place and what memories.
I remember the mardi gras very well, I worked for at the mardi gras for a few years as a doorman what a place had some great times there met so many famous people all the famous jazz bands of the day,including ella fitzgerald,loise armstrong count bassey, duke ellington, oscar peterson, kenny ball, aka bilk, most bands of the day like swinging blue jeans the escorts beatles etc etc.As a doorman there, I remember some young kid trying to get in and spoke with an irish accent but would not let him in because he was only 17 and had a flash car his name george best,of cause I let all the liverpool and everton players in.I go down mount pleasant and all those great times come flooding back.The mardi gras was owned by Jim Ireland and Stan Roberts who I think split up about 1966 Jim Ireland then went on to open the Beachcomber club and the Babaloo I also worked in the beachy till august 1969 then got married and left the clubs behind
Sir.
Who will ever forget Sunday night at the Mardi during the sixties.
Jazz night, all the top bands, and singers including George Melly with Mick Mulligan’s band.
Micks Drummer ( cannot remember his name )when he played a solo everything stopped…. pure magic.
Hi! to all those that went to the Mardi in the mid 60’s. It was a real soul club back then, with many American soul & ska artists appearing almost every week and as Pete Sexton says they shared their session with the Vic. They were usually supported by local soul bands such as The Chants, The Shuffler Sound and Steve Aldo, who all use to appear on their own at the Mardi as well. The Mardi was a one of the main mod clubs back then, it’s strange how the Liverpool mod scene really gets mentioned, only that from the city at the other end of the Lancs. I can remember Liverpool at the time being dominated by soul music and mod fashions. Yes it was a great time back then, here’s to memories.
Oh Pete, here’s a few more clubs to add to your list, Uglys, The Iron Door, The Pyramid, Chauffeurs, Pickwicks (more like The Grafton though), The Pink Parrot, The Cabin (The Bin) plus many more.
back in the sixties I remember going the Blue Angel with Jim Ireland to a Spanish night I wont go in for the reason why he had this Spanish night there where all sorts celebs of the day like the blue jeans, Peter Noone out of hermans hermits that girl who sang about her dead boy friend TERRY,on stage down stairs in the cellar Cilla`s mum Mrs White. The reason I am telling you this story is to find out if any one else went there that night ,THE NIGHT OF THE BULLFIGHT!!! when I tell the tale of that night I get some funny looks,but I remember ALAN WILLIAMS ushering us down stairs and he looked quite smart when he came down white shirt etc then he open the fire door and in walked or should I say waddled a full grown BULLOCK COVERED IN SH*T which had people scrambling to get out of the way and Alan Williams up the other end of the cellar waving a red towel the bull looked quite confused but waddled passed Alan W and in the process brushed against Alan W white shirt and cover him in sh*t and when he turned round it covered the other side as well and as he stood to take bow all the sh*t just sort curled of him and flopped on to the what I great night
Mrs Stax…
About half way down Bold Street was the new Mardi. It was a cool club owned by Lenny MacMillan. Loads of theme nights… acid house, cheesy holiday disco, hip hop and street soul, basically full of Liverpool’s night people of the late 80s. Ian McNabb from the Icicle Works, no-mark bands (hello Rain!) the cast of Brookie…great times…
Pete
what about the Chris Karma’s road show - what a fab band - they played the Mardi all the time and the Babaloo, the Victoriana etc.. the drummer played with others like the Fix and more……. Where’s the pics of the Mardi then? Can’t find them…what a place - I used to go from 1968 to about 1970 with me mates Dem and Kathleen
I watched Muddy Waters at the Mardi Gras around the late 1950s. I recently visited Liverpool but couldn’t find the building. Is it still there? I also played music at a Spinners folk club at a reataurant in London Road (Sampson and Barlows - I think). Does anyone remember that?
I love the country blues and just completed a biography of Mississipi John Hurt check out my website for info.
Cheers
Phil
I just found from a Liverpool historic website that they pulled down the Mardi Gras to make way for a motorway that never got built. Shame. This was the MG in Mount Pleasant not the Bold Streeet one. I think I visited the club around 1957-58 not long after it opened. Does anyone know when Muddy Waters appeared there?
Dr Phil
Great times Brian Linford Manager,Alan (Kid) Tanner Door, & the inimitable Jimmy Leach- jazz,jazz,jazz & his lovely wife Rose who lived above the club in penthouse.I would come with my then wife Beryl & baby Suzanne in a carry cot,which she would take upstairs to sit with Rose (we would tell customers we were leaving baby in cloak room as you passed through to access flat above) very sixties!
We would party with Kenny Ball & Jazzmen,Bruce Turner & his jump band
Ralph,Ray,Les & Norman -Swingin bluegenes.
We were the Yogi Beers with Neil English (the Sink,Spot it to Me)
Could go on………………..
jonj
I played at the Mardi many many times with bands like, The TOP, suppoting Ben E King, the Drifters, and several US bands. Also played the Mardi as drummer with the Shuffler sound, great memories
of the Mardi
Hi Phil (SLEEPING PILL) how are you,lost touch with you in the 1980s. Shufflers give it away. Tried many times on the net to find you and here you are, dont believe it. Contact Ivan Stax on facebook would luv to hear from you. x
I am somewhat confused, the mardi gras was not on Bold st it was situated in Mount Pleasant nearly opposite the Shaftesbury hotel!
Anyway it held many happy memories for me, i remember seeing george melly, Clinton ford, the blue jeans, merseysippi jazz band. I remember they had a nice black fellow on the door and it I got there early i would have a dance with him before the crowds got there, he was a great dancer.
barbara
i would like to contact your contributor ‘JONJ’. jon is an old friend who i have lost contact. can you give him my email address.
many thanks.
the chants played the 99 club barrow in furness many times does any one have or know where i can get a video recording on them? rgards sam
I remember the Mardi well.Lived in Liverpool from 1989-6, but was and still am a frequent visitor.
Some truely excellent nights had there. The club seemed to attract a really good mix of people who had very different musical tastes but
Student night - Tuesday was always good value. Sympathy for the Devil was always the sign out tune.
Discofunk on a Wednesday around 1992 was superb.
G-Love - last Thursday of the month which then became Deep and Devastating at The Academt/Nation.
Hugh Bryder was superb.
Think I still have some of the posters/flyers for the nights up in the attic, so will have to dig them out.
Ellen
My dad Paul was in the Chris Karma Roadshow, I googled it to see if I could find any old posters or gig line ups to frame for my wall. Weird to think people watched my dad play music!
Jo
ellen/Jo
there were several incarnations of the Chris Carma Road Show all based round the drummer Bob Gibson from about 68 thru 72.
i was the lead singer 70/72…we played all the soul clubs in liverpool plus a couple outside like quaintways chester and wigan casino both in our own right and supporting the soul names like arthur conley ,edwin starr etc etc.
Got to say the mardi and vic were great but the whole soul scene in liverpool was excellent with reeces,the all fours etc as well!
two of the old Chris carma ( myself and nick the lead guitarist) play in a VERY similar band today for The Mersycats…we are called “memphis Nites” and are appearing at the albert dock family stage on sunday 28th august ( matthew street festival )..get down there!
roger
Lenny Rushton and myself organised a dance at the mardi gras on a open night.
We charged apound on the door and had all the top bands there , the blue jeans, mersey beats Aker bilk.etc
a fabulous night with twice as many people that were supposed to be there.
liverpool was a fabulous place to be then and still is .
Myself and Chris Wharton took over the running of the Mardi Gras in Mount Pleasant in 1969. We featured all the Top Soul acts from usa till the demand tailed off– the Final Blow came when only 300 turned up to see Al Green. We then redesigned the place–got in some students with liquid lights –put a screen over the stage showing cartoons and started booking rock bands.Nazareth and Thin Lizzy were regulars, We also booked Pink Fairies,status quo ,Slade,Stray.uriah Heap,Slease Band, Perfumed Garden.Klubbs,Curiossity Shop,Greasy Bear,Skid Row, Black Widow,Arrival ect ect.When we closed in 71 or 72,We moved to a venue in Bold Street which we called Back of the Moon with a similar policy. After that Mark and the lads told me they were opening it again and could they call it the Mardi Gras after our Mount Pleasant venue and I said OK–So thats the story of same name–two clubs,
Hi,
I played lead guitar with The Chris Carma Roadshow for about two years in the late 60s.
The group played on the Victoriana, Mardi, Babaloo Dines, Reece’s and many other venues.
The line up at the time-
Singer, Dave Talbot.
Drums- Bob Gibson.
Bass Guitar-Eddy
Lead Guitar –Gary Crawford.
Sax,- Terry Graham
Sax/Flute,- Tony
Organ,- Brian.
The atmosphere in the clubs was fantastic in the 60s. I remember the Victoriana club would be extremely hot and humid, the condensation would drip off the ceiling like rain making marks on your shirt, probably due to the number of people in the building and poor ventilation.
Great times.
Hi Every one
I played keyboards in The Washington Soul Band later to become selofane then Perfumed Garden.
Between the groups I was in, We did every club there was to do not only in Liverpool but all over the North west and many other regions around the UK.
For more info: on many of the late 60’s groups see my web site http://www.cavernafterhours.com/ we have hundreds of rare photo’s but still loads of room for hundreds more, if you have any please email them in.
Best times of my life at the Mardi Mount Pleasant, with Billy Butler in his matching hat and safari suit. I was underage actually only 15 at first, although I had a membership and think it was 3s 6d on Tues night. Ben e King, Mary Wells, James and Bobby Purify, Booker t and MGs,etc. Ben e King the most memorable. fantastic night couldnt afford to drink and underage had a glass water, if asked what was drinking used to say it was gin! I’d have been terrified if had have been. Only wish we’d taken camera, that many people there that night when you put your arms in the air to clap couldnt get them down again- feet lifted off floor moved with the crowd. Brilliant! Mary Wells was about 9 months pregnant and went following night to see her in the Vic which was smaller I think but not as good atmosphere as the mardi. Then had to get the 11.00 bus home or grounded for week.Before that some schools had dances with live bands and followed Shufflers Sound round everywhere. We also saw them at Reeces. what a peculiar place that was tea and cake shop by day and live bands at night! good times. Wish could see some photos.
Gillian to see some photo’s and send yours of the 60’s id you have see wwww.cavernafterhours.com/
Shufflers Sound now theres a blast from the past, should have made it but didnt, great band wrong time, what a soul band they were. Remember running to get the 10.30 bus in Brownlow Hill to get home for 11 the bewitching hour haha.
Hi Phil Howard,
Only just returned to the site and seen your name, your comments jogged the old grey cells.
I remember you on drums with The Top and with The Shufflers. I dont suppose you’ll remember me.
I use to knock around with a group of lads that became friendly with yourself, litle John and the rest of the The Top, we met when you played at a small club in Kensington, The La Bamba.
Many well known local bands use to appear there, if I’m right the name of the guy who booked the bands was Ted Lamb. It was also the place were we first met The Shufflers. We got to know Bobby, Willy,Ivor, Silver and Tony.
Where ever they played we were there, school dances, Litherland Town Hall, The Mardi, those were the days