Forgotten Irish venues - and the good times you had.

I used to like the Music Centre alight. But I saw Einstürzende Neubauten there in 2004, and while it was an amazing gig, the stage wasn't big enough for all their custom instruments, so they had to cut down their set - which kind of made me resent it a bit. But I did see plenty of other great gigs there too.

I always liked the Tivoli Theatre. Saw loads of great bands there - Orbital, Beastie Boys, Pop Will Eat Itself, lots more. Spent the night of my 21st there at an Andrew Weatherall DJ set. Good times. The place got demolished and turned into a hotel.

Not a venue as such, but the beer garden in Fibber Magees, where I spend my entire formative years in the '90s, is due to be turned into a hotel soon too. 😪

God we're all so old. Goodtime Charlie's in Howth, I collected glasses there in the late 90s for a bit and then I was old enough to drink there, was great for picking up young wans, so many times we'd spend all our money on booze and have to walk for nearly 2 hours to get home though.

I still miss the Temple Theatre. Cracking venue!

The Zhivago and afterwards a lockin at The Kilimanjaro 🤗

McGonagles was great. I remember being right up the front for Therapy? there once. Amazing energy. Was up very near the front for Nomeansno there too.

The Hope Promotions gigs in the late 80s/early 90s were epic. Loads of them in Charlies on were on Sunday afternoons and all-ages - a great mix of punk, hardcore and indy bands from all around the world, supported by Irish bands. No alcohol, couple of quid at the door, all ages welcome. Plus some classics like Pitch Shifter in the Fox & Pheasant and the legendary Green Day gig in The Attic in 1991 in front of about 80 people (I was actually there).

Lots of great gigs in the Rock Garden - used to go into the Saturday afternoon ones in there a lot, local bands. I was in a band, and it was always our dream to play there but it never happened. Few mates bands use to play, and it was a great place to hang out.

Our band was offered support for minor Earache hardcore band Intense Degree, but the gig got cancelled. Only places we ever played was The Underground and The Earl Grattan. Smiley Bolger, who was a neighbour, dropped in to one of the Grattan gigs and gave us a mention on The Beat Box on RTE 2 the next day. That was the height of our success 🤣

Barnstormers was another great venue. Or rather, a crappy venue with great gigs. Nofx, GGFH, Alice Donut. Myself and my mate interviewed the drummer from Nofx outside it one night for a fanzine. Someone spilled some beer, and the looper got down and licked it right off the pavement. Great memories.

The Ormond Multimedia Centre too. It was mainly known for its clubs, but there were some cool gigs there too (Saw Nomeansno a few times). I worked in the exhibition space there for a summer, used to have to take down all the art before any gig or club, and put up all these brightly coloured neon canvasses in their place. Then after the event, put all the art back up. One of my favourite things about that place was they had Scrumpy Jack on tap.

I remember seeing Therapy? in McGonagles too. I know I was there a few other times but I can't remember who I saw.

The SFX was a great spot. A lot of my earlier gigs were there; The Sugarcubes, The Wedding Present, Nick Cave, Therapy? again, The Cramps, Fugazi, Eat Static.

The Rock Garden/Eamonn Doran's was another nice enough spot. For some reason, I can only remember seeing The Fatima Mansions there (probably more than once) but surely there were more...

I was at some good gigs in the Ambassador on Parnell Square too. Tricky, Sigur Rós, Death In Vegas, Belle & Sebastian, Asian Dub Foundation. Is that being used for anything these days? Well, pre-Covid I had the impression it might have had stuff like pantos there but I'm basing that on nothing much.

For most of my 4 years in college, I was commuting from Kildare so rarely stayed over, meaning I had to leg it for the last bus. Trickier to make the bus if the gig was further from Busáras/Ha'penny Bridge. I still managed to go to Fibber's a bit. I actually stayed in The Gate Hotel (part of Fibber's) about 4 years when I was going to a gig elsewhere, but the gig got cancelled last minute so I went to see a punk band from the Isle of Man in Fibber's0 instead. Crotch Lice! 😀

I was only in the Top Hat once (for Sonic Youth/Nirvana) but I really liked the set-up of the place. I was supposed to see the Jesus & Mary Chain there in October '89 but it didn't happen.

The Top Hat and SFX. Sorely missed. A quick shout out to the National Stadium on the SCR too.

I forgot The Olympic Ballroom..

The Hangar on Andrew’s Lane off Dame st. (Honourable mentions to the Twisted Pepper of Abbey st and District 8 of Tivoli theatre)

Had my first yoke there - quickly learned why it was otherwise aptly known as ecstasy.

Brilliant, vibrant times, dancing all night, opening up with friends and having great conversations with people I’d otherwise never speak to. Everything seemed possible and the world was pregnant with opportunity. Would love to hear what my 20 year old self would think when told he’d be a corporate shill sales manager at a global pharma company down the line. Would be some laugh.

While I’ve left that all behind me now I’ll never forget those nights - I firmly believe that they left me a much more tolerant and rounded person overall than I would’ve been otherwise.

Shocking that only one person here so far has mentioned The Baggot Inn. I enjoyed many a night there enjoying great Dublin bands. Never saw any of the big acts there like Bowie/Tin Machine (did see In Tua Nua launch their second album there.) Great vibe to the place. I still miss it. 😥

Used to go to The Underground on Dame Street as well (now a condom shop 🙄 )

@Gregor Samsa @RayCon what was the bands name for the Rock Garden gigs? I have photos from one or two of the afternoon gigs, only name I can remember is the Foreign Correspondents.

So many memories being jogged from places I haven't thought of in years....