Comments on: Memories of the Mardi Gras

By: ellen

ellen — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 00:54:44 +0000

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

By: pete

pete — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 08:46:29 +0000

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

By: john oppy

john oppy — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:03:23 +0000

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

By: Les S

Les S — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 19:19:05 +0000

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.

By: Len Smith

Len Smith — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 10:38:55 +0000

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.

By: john oppy

john oppy — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 17:20:35 +0000

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

By: mrs stax

mrs stax — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 22:19:41 +0000

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.

By: Mr M

Mr M — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:35:22 +0000

Lindisfarne and Thin Lizzy - before they came famous.

Weren’t Thin Lizzy headlining on the very last night before it closed?

By: Gerard F

Gerard F — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 11:52:26 +0000

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.

By: Barry

Barry — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 16:00:46 +0000

Oh forgot to say the Real Thing original name was
“Vocal Perfection”, I actually backed them a few time in their very early days.