does any one remember the limt?
did anybody go to the limt but can't remember!!!

I went to the Limit once, but never again. I was too scared!
When people have to drink out of plastic glasses then you have to worry.

I went in once or twice as a youth.
I remember a few dodgy characters but never experienced any bother.

Went in a few times in the late seventies but preferred Crazy Daizy and Top Rank.

The best years of my youth were spent in The Limit.Brilliant brilliant music,we used to go mad to Killing Joke, Spear Of Destiny,Joy Division etc.
Cheap drink & a collection of wierd & wonderful people.
Happy days.:lol:

the limit shut down the week i came to sheffield:(

I know lots of people who were regulars and remember it fondly - mind you, they're all pretty mad!

I am typing this reply right on the ground were the Limit stood.
I now work in the building on that very sight.

spacehopper, I'm pretty sure it was the end of october 1990 - it's taken some working out though, my memories of those days are shot!

Used to go there in the early 80s but remember taking some friends from work there in later years. When we entered we thought it was empty but then realised that everybody, and I mean everybody, was dressed in black and they just blended into the black decor.

The bouncer in the early days was scary. He used to wear one black leather glove and gripped a short iron bar. Don't remember there ever being trouble at the door.

We were selling Limit T shirts at the Classic rock bar recently. Can get some more if anyone is interested. See me or Sass at the meet on 2nd Oct.

Great place and I have written about it in other posts.

How hard the Bouncers were etc, different to your modern day DB
Plastic Glasses
Which Bands seen there
Getting thrown out the back into Trippet Lane

oh and remember the last track of the evening, Eagles


All alone at the end of the of the evening
And the bright lights have faded to blue

Blah
Blah
Blah

So put me on a highway
And show me a sign
And take it to the limit one more time

Take it to the limit
Take it to the limit
Take it to the limit one more time


Happy days

The Revillos, Victor Drago band, Secret Affair, Phil Rambo band, Devo D-E-V-O. And a Francis Rossi lookalike who used to fly down the stairs attack a few punks, get 7 bells knocked out of him, cause a near riot, get slung out of the door by Egor then repeat the act the week after. Yes, happy days. Take it to the limit one more time...

hi
i heard the dog and partridge shut down years ago ? all my mates used to go there for the 50`s night , previously we used to go to the 50`s night at the broughton inn on the cliffe .
is there any 50`s nights anywhere else in sheffield now ?

linda





Originally posted by Spacehopper
8) Nah Den Ace........

Originally posted on Sheffield in the 80s............

I started going to the Limit regular from about '87. The music was an eclectic mix of punk/indie/goth/house. I used to drink lager snakebites in plastic glasses - a totally unique taste - it got you where you wanted to go though! I had a flat-top at the time.......anybody else remember the "Psychobilly" craze? I remember coming home with bruises all over my body from slam-dancing/wrecking.

Going to the toilet was a journey and an aif! First, you had to walk past the OCS (Wednesday boys), who used to congregate just outside the toilets. (To be fair, they never bothered any of us. I only ever saw them battling when United or the skinheads came down!) There was always a dodgy black geezer selling drugs as you went in! The toilets were basically unisex - there would be couples copulating in the cubicles and there was a mirror in the lasses, so all the goths would go in there to do their hair!

I also remember sticking to the carpet, dry ice, the "Goth Box", anti-gravity hair and psychopathic bouncers - I too remember being thrown out the back door, a maze which led onto Trippet Lane!

The Hallamshire on West Street was my regular haunt and I also went to Take Two on Staniforth Road, "The Club With Two Brains" at Occasions, "Club With No Name" at The Palais, 50s night at The Dog and Partridge (on 'cliffe) and The Leadmill.

Great days! They broke my heart when they closed the Limit. I went on the closing night. When was that.......89/90/91? I remember a bloke called John filmed it - has anybody seen it?

Regards,

Spacehopper.

ya never too old to rock n roll ......

would anyone like to share some of their memories from the limit + has anyone got any unwanted photos?

The Limit had the stickiest carpet in the world, if I remember rightly!

Hello People, does anybody have pictures of the old peace gardens circa late 80's early 90's or the outside of the Limit club just before it closed? If so I'd be very grateful if they could provide me with scanned copies.
Cheers,

Dom

I went on one of the last nights to the limit, think it was late December 1990.
A couple of resident Sheffield DJ's Astrix & Space were playing.

Yep it's all true about the place , plastic glasses,flashing lights and loud,loud music of course. One girl in our vast circle of friends thought it was way beneath her, what a relief that was when the rest of us realised we were normal after all.

You should talk to Xtro

- he talks about it in his quote


(or whatever you call the bit which the intelligent ones put at the bottom of their postings.... one day I may find the time :) )

Me - I grew up in Nottingham, so don't know anything about The Limit i'm afraid.

saw some good bands there saw this really good scouse band called spider he said tounge in cheek sheffield ur the worst audience in the world lol saw the mamas boys there and the endid 2 it was weird all the crowd sat on the floor cross legged very bizzare lol:thumbsup:

Fantastic days!The Limit,Take 2 Club and Rebels!
End of an era, and all closed down within a few years of each other.Used to be a bit of a pyschobilly during the late 80's and always ridden Lambretta scooters.My last one was a dayglo orange furry one(1960 vintage). Nowadays,in my mid 30's; I tend to be a regular in the Classic Rock Bar. This place is an absolute god-send for alternative people like us!
If you want to see a pic of me,check out tonites Star paper (page 29 at the bottom) I am the ginger on the right hand side.

I'll always remember it as the place we went when they wouldn't let us in anywhere else. I remember the floor at the opposite end of the room to the stage always seemed to be swimming in spilt beer.

Originally posted by Sam Miguel
I'll always remember it as the place we went when they wouldn't let us in anywhere else. I remember the floor at the opposite end of the room to the stage always seemed to be swimming in spilt beer.

i agree. always remember it as a real dive and very dark inside with a horrible sticky carpet (probably sick or blood or both). much preferred the Crazy Daisy.

Limit T shirts on sale at the Classic Rock Bar early March....

Hello there peeps,Jaytee again. I just wonderd if anyone ever remmembers 'The Limit Club' on west street. Any memories you can remmember there. They use do have some gret acts on,now and then.

I can remember some great nights in the limit. There were some unusual people, always different looks, goth, punk and whatever you pleased to wear. I remember going in fishnets, legging tights over them, pointed ankle boots and a skin tight skirt worn as a boob tube dress, along with loads of bangles and jewellery. My Mum saw me go out in a big coat and had no idea what was underneath, I may well have been too young to drink!! Fun times.

Can you remember everyone used to end up sitting on the floor all round the edges, or anywhere for that matter. Your feet used to stick to the floor when trying to dance, or was that move and jolt as oddly as you could. At least the pint pots used to bounce. Although there must have been glass pots once, I can remember a fight breaking out and glasses getting smashed.

Careful chezlyn, your Dads reading this!

I spent most of my life in that club - sticky floor and **** beer - good days tho...

sticky floor?....they also had very sticky women!!!!

Limit was the first club I ever went to. I was 15 and went with my 14 year old mate. Both mad goths, we looked years older than we were so got in easily. I vaguely remember dancing on a stage, waving my arms around like a demented chicken!!! It was sooooooo cool going to school te next week and telling everyone we'd been to The Limit!

my mum went crazy and sent my brother out to look for me!!!

Probably ended up grounded too!!!

There's more replies about the Limit in the History/ex-pats link.

Practically lived in the place for a few years until I left the UK to go travelling.

Top place, its in my sig :)

i have really fond memories of the limit, it was a great place to go, yes i remember the bouncers, the music and the bands, plastic glasses,goths and on saturday nights was the night when rockers were allowed in without too much of a do!

I used to spend far too much time in there.

Leave work, round the corner to the Moorfoot, up to the Wap and then on to the Limit at closing time. Repeat as necessary...

Darn Sarf at the moment but hoping to return soon.

on many i saturday morning i woke with a bad hangover from the night before after spending too much time in the limit drinking barley wine, for some unknown reason, the best cure for it was going out and doing it again on the saturday night.... thoes were the days i suppose

Yeh I went still have my blue limit flyer for student and nurses night on a tuesday...ahhhh

The club with two brains was good too - then we all moved onto the palais on a tues night...ahh

Nearest we get now is the casbah which is a good night...

I used to go to the limit 88-close...so I may know some of you...

I must admit me and my mates were regulars..

The limit shut on 19 january 1991,I didn't go on the last night(sat)but went in on the night before.
Woke up hungover the next day and missed the coach to Man City(Utd were playing there)
The poster who said the last night was filmed is correct,an old girlfiend of mine bought it coz she was in it! Also all the barrels where emptyed on the last night!!
Whoever said there was no trouble in the limit ,can't have gone there that often,when some leeds fans payed a visit in June 83,there was pandamoniam,this was the only time the Limit got closed down,in the mid to late 80's Blades and Owls fans used to fight in there all the time.
Remember javis cocker and the drummer out off pulp getting abused by the casuals who used to stand in the corner(near the toilets)I seem to remember them picking on Goths as well.

OOh the Limit!!! Fond memories of my feet sticking to the floor.

Ah the Limit. A fantastic place.

We used to do pre-pub crwal up West street (The Hallamshire in particular, singing Smiths songs and the rest at the jukebox), before going in to The Limit.

Some great choons :- Aztec camera, The The, Killing Joke, Joy Division, Pogues (moshing gone mad), Smiths, Lloyd Cole, The Jam, Punk, Iggy Pop, and loads more. Almost non-stop on the dance floor. Plastic glasses ? So what ? The worst thing was people nicking your pint if you left it anywhere. Does that still happen in clubs ? I also went on the last night but felt dissapointed as I think it had lost a lot of it's charisma by then and it was looking rundown. Tickets were over priced for a last night and the music was trying to please too many people. it lost it's identity in the end so probably a good thing it closed when it did. It was the dawn of 'The Leadmill !!!' The new indie club kings !

Does anyone also remember going to George IV across from Kelvin Flats for the 'Bizzare' club ? Live indie bands featured upstairs of what was normally a C&W pub ?

Also Bands at The Red Lion in Heeley or 'Stars on Sunday' night which featured bands on at the Crucible ?

oh those were the days, we used to sneak out at night to go to the Limit, met loads of groovy people,, danced to all the alternative stuff, drank pints of lager and black then sat on the floor at the end of the nigh trying not to be sick!used to also go to the Hallamshire first, then on to greasy veras for life saving butties....
did anyone ever go to the Washington when Bill and Barbarah were there, all those tea pots, they used to feed us at the end of the night before we crashed at someones at Townhead Street.

Was that the place on West Street that had the horrible concrete steps down to it? If so, I remember hitting those steps really hard one New Year's eve after having serious quantities of that "drugged" German Lager they used to serve.. Or am I thinking of somewhere else?

Mark
http://www.fromparadisetohell.com

I seem to remember we used to call it the "Slime Pit"..

FWIW

Mark.

I saw many, many bands at the Limit in the early 80s ; from The Future [a mixture of later Human League and Clock DVA personnel dressed in white boiler suits] to the B52's. I also recall [as a Blade] the club was regarded by Owls as "their" territory. The young gentlemen who held such vulgar ideas were persuaded otherwise, as I recall...
Trouncer,
yes, I remember the nights at the George 4TH with great affection. I played there myself, as well as watched ClockDVA, I'm So Hollow [Rod Leigh was a mate of mine and later collaborator in Workforce], Artery etc. The dj was "Disco John", and everybody who was connected to Sheffield music seemed to go. Martian Russian of NMX fanzine [the then bible of the local indie scene] was always there, taking photos of the bands on stage. I remember the night the Naked Pygmy Voles [an experimental, "noise" band] supported Clock DVA . I have never seen so many punters crammed into the top room of a pub in my life. The atmosphere was great, and I don't recall a single bad incident. Very, very happy days . Thanks for reminding me!

saw THE ENID there in 83 the entire audience me included sat cross legged on the mucky limit floor only to stand up when they did a barmstorming version of wild thing:loopy: :loopy: :loopy:

also saw the following at the limit

MAMAS BOYS
DILLINGER
SPYDER

Best Punk venue in sheffield at the time - had some great nights there - sticky floor, plastic pots, cheap bottles of wine - never saw much trouble just good atmosphere and music. Never considered to be a football territory thing ? Timo has some sad Blade distorted memory. Never much of a bover boy as I can remember was you Timo ?

Once saw the Skids do 7 encores there...... Into the valley

halcyon days !

Up the Owls

RexT,
Did I claim to be a "bovver boy", RexT? Anyway, you only knew me as a child. I was awarded a first Dan black belt in Shukokai Karate in the early eighties, and I've Lau Gar qualifications too, so I don't think I am a weed either. Not that it matters one jot anyway to mature men who have moved on from the school playground, eh "Toosh"? Re the Limit, my memory serves me correctly. The Owls contingent viewed the club as "their" territory, and were often challenged and beaten [if anyone ever "wins" in such a situation] by the BBC contingent, some of whom I knew, and one of whom I worked with/ was friends with. Who cares now, anyway. All I'll say to you is, don't confuse people in 2004 with the people you vaguely knew back in the 70s. People can develop, both physically and intellectually way beyond your expectations...

Yeah !

Got the reaction I expected !

Seems like you've grown up and developed then.

Broken any Bricks with your head recently ?

RexT, if you came on here with the really mature [you must be pushing 44 years of age] intention of causing trouble, then I suggest that it is actually you who has failed to evolve. As for "breaking bricks with my head"; I find that there is little call for this sort of thing in University life. It would certainly alarm the students, who are such fragile, rare and beautiful spirits like yourself. By the way, there are two v's in "bovver". Hope you don't mind me pointing out the lapses in grammatical construction in your posting; they are meant in good faith. What exactly has RexT achieved in life? With your "good looks" [as you referred to them, in a previous thread], and wonderfully erudite way of expressing yourself, not to mention the air of gravitas and sophistication that comes across in your postings, you will doubtless occupy a position of high status in society.Go on, Big Man we are waiting...

Mod: RexT & Timo... please take this to PM rather than boring us all on the open forum. Thank you.

I'll get my coat....

Tony

No worries man ...... It's cool !

Originally posted by Tony
Mod: RexT & Timo... please take this to PM rather than boring us all on the open forum. Thank you.


Awww.

I was enjoying the "freindly banter" ;-)

I've not seen a good slanging match for a while.

Mod: I admit - it has been a while ;) Anyway, normal service seems to have been resumed. Cheers! :thumbsup:

TIMO : Thanks for the commets on The George IV. Bought back many memories. I remember seeing The Stunt Kites there on there last gig (at the time) and the speaker stacks were almost ready to topple due to the creaky floor boards. Used to see various member s of the Cab's and other in the audience. Also remember seeing Clock DVA hanging around.

Saw 'They must be Russian' a few times as I did 'Artery', 'Defective Turtles', 'The Naughtiest School Girl was a Monitor', 'Disease', 'TV Product', 'Naked Pigmy Voles', 'De Tian', and 'Vice Versa' (before becoming ABC).

You should get (or borrow) the DVD 'Made in Sheffield'. Has a lot of mmories of that scene as well as bits about The Limit.

Sorry to disappoint those who enjoy a scrap, but RexT and I are pals again.
Trouncer, ta for the reply. They were good days weren't they? I am , partly, responsible for NPV, which was an absolute hoot. I recall conditions of near riot at some gigs! Later on, Workforce [industrial funk/ experimental] were also fun to be in, and we did Peel twice, which was nice.... Richard and Mal were always in the audience, as were Adi and the late Jud of Clock DVA. I recall gigs at The Marples, Hallamshire, Abbeydale Hotel etc too. By the way, I have a copy of the dvd you mention-there's a follow up soon I believe.

So you were a NPV ? Do you still dabble with music ? I do. The creativeness of music never goes away although it's just for myself as a hobby. Multi-tracking stuff and mainly guitar based. Still great fun although it seems the older you get, the less time you seem to have to endulge !

Trouncer,
No, because I'm too busy lecturing and writing. However, Martin Archer of the early line-up is now one of the foremost free-jazz/experimental musicians in the UK. Martin has his own label, Discus, and is often featured in Wire magazine for the avant-garde. I lost interest after doing records and two Peel Sessions with Workforce, and have never gone back to it. I haven't played for years, and it would take a while to get back into the flow. Besides which, I get a bigger buzz from what I'm doing now.

drugs,drugs, and more drugs............................party, party, party!!!

The Limit,
stories here..

http://www.rocknroll.f9.co.uk/pubs/limit.htm

Originally posted by MrHelicopter
The Limit had the stickiest carpet in the world, if I remember rightly!

It certainly did, the second stickiest carpet was in the Wapentake.

The Limit was the place we went when we were either too drunk, too badly dressed - or both, to get in anywhere else.

I was under 18 by the time it closed, but it sounds fab! What was the atmosphere like? I'm visualising it might have been like the downstairs of the Wap?

K x

Originally posted by Sam Miguel
It certainly did, the second stickiest carpet was in the Wapentake.
Carpet? Wap?
Well I have been dragged into the ladies a few times and there was a carpet in there. Rest of place was industrial standard dull orangey-brown lino.. Covered in goo..

Before that disgusting orange/brown textured lino stuff went down in the wap the place was indeed carpeted, not that you could tell what the patterning had been. It was black very black and almost tar like in most places and it was probably the ingrained filth on it that meant fag ends dropped on it didn't burn holes in it. At the foot of the stairs as you came in through the double doors if you looked very carefully at the bit of floor protected behind the open doors I think you could see the carpet had been multi coloured on a dark green background.
JUst brieflt the Limit was very dark, a very very low ceiling , condensation coming off it in bucket loads and didn't seem to have any redeeming features at all but it was a popular place for some of the weirdest dressed people I've ever seen.

It sounds like I missed a real treat! :D

K x

it had nice plastic pint pots and the bar was always swimming in beer................................oh happy days:D
You`d think that somewhere as popular would spur someone else to open something similar (lives in hope)

Saw a Sheffield band "Rolling Thunder" which drew in about 30 people. When the headlining act came on "Big Joe and The Alamo" most of the punters left leaving about 4 of us, one of whom turned out to be the band's manager.
They were an absolutely brilliant rock band and still gave 100%.
What a waste but an interesting evening!

Didn't The Buccaneer have a sticky floor as well? They had plastic glasses too and everyone used to rub up against each other and touch each other up.

You had no choice. There was literally no space left.

If there was surge, you finished up having intimate realtionships with people you didn't even fancy.

Didn't The Limit sell what was known by many punters as 'loony lager'?

Was the brand Holstein, or somthing German-sounding like that.

It was the sort of place you only went to when you'd had a few too many.

The carpets were disgusting but I always found the atmosphere okay.

Saw Teardrop Explodes, The Beat and The Alarm there.

What would be Sheffield's equivalent of The Limit these days?

Originally posted by dishwasher
Didn't The Limit sell what was known by many punters as 'loony lager'?

Was the brand Holstein, or somthing German-sounding like that.

It was the sort of place you only went to when you'd had a few too many.

The carpets were disgusting but I always found the atmosphere okay.

Saw Teardrop Explodes, The Beat and The Alarm there.

What would be Sheffield's equivalent of The Limit these days?

I would have said The Casbah until they stopped having bands on. But even then it would be equivalent and not replacement.

i only went in the limit once or twice (i was only quite young i think, im 35 now :P)
i do remember the sticky carpet mind, and it was very dark, dark corners, and goths all over

I know that some of you don't read many previous posts, but if you want to find out, or add anything to the Limit history, this is the place.

http://www.rocknroll.f9.co.uk/pubs/limit.htm

Originally posted by melthebell
i only went in the limit once or twice (i was only quite young i think, im 35 now :P)
i do remember the sticky carpet mind, and it was very dark, dark corners, and goths all over I too only went in once!
I'd been drinking before I went out with my mate Bev, we'd been on the Baby duck (remember that crap perry stuff??) waddled into the limit toilets and tripped over a passed out girl and fell straight into her vomit!
Memories.... like the corners of my mind.......

I remember rumours going round that the beer pipes were never cleaned in The Limit and that if you drank anything on draught you were guaranteed a bad head and guts. I've always wondered if that idea was floated by the management to get people to shell out on expensive bottled stuff. The carpet was so filthy with generations of spilt drinks it seemed to be saturated in crude oil. There used to be a big black guy who would periodically stride around chanting "Black hash, sensei, black hash" like a stoner street vendor. Fantastic place, pity it can't be recreated as an antidote to the slick glamour places that have completely taken over where you get shot for looking at somebody funny.

was the 'stoner street vendor' you refer to a fella called 'bobbo'? He must have been late fifties, early sixties, often so smashed himself his glasses would be hanging all over his face - he used to hang out in the Leadmill as well and if you bought him a bottle of pills he would share his spliff with you!! Great character - always wondered what became of him.

There is a chapter about the Limit in 'Flying With The Owls Crime Squad' which was recently released, and is actually written by me!!!!

Hi ontario owl, i take it you are dougie,s mate then. I work with him and Doug Snr occasionally when he comes back from spain.

by the way, am half way through book, it's great.

Ah i remember it well.
Sticky carpet, knee deep in yellow water in the toilets, but a crakin pint of magnet and it was cheap!
The goths used to hang out in the top corner and on a Saturday we used to go mental when New Order's bizzare love triangle came on and danced on the small stage.

A freind and i went religously twice a week and i was there on the last night.

We danced the night away and drank like demons until they ran out of draft beer and the cans were a rip off so we left about 11:30 and sold the tickets to students on West Street for the same price i paid for them!

Great memories. They've never been able to recreate that place but i dont think i would want them too. Now a thirty something i quite like my dingey dives to come with clean bogs and a fair selection of hard spirits. Good times though.

Cheers Tots. Aye I am Dougie's mate...glad you liked the book mate. I wish I could have got more stories about the Limit in than I did. Somebody should write a book just about that place.

My other half practically lived in the limit during the 80's so i have heard plenty of stories from him. Some not as gorey as the ones in the book though (the bloke with glass in his nose and head - ouch).

My first clubbing experience - the limit - I was far too young to be in there, but nobody cared, met my first boyfriend in there. Still have pass for thursday nights if anyone interested...thursday was 'goff nite' (whats a goff, I wondered). still harbour a secret yearning for clubs with sticky carpets, smell of sick in corners, don't tell anyone

Hey lugosi can help you more than piccies I,ve got the video of the last night of the place. anyone else interested in buying a copy!

I've also got Limit tshirts to be had if anyone is interested!

gzboo,

i was at the closing night (bit of a rip off as i remember!) would be interested in a copy and the t-shirts, can you provide more details?

cheers.

My first visit to The Limit was in 1979 - I was THIRTEEN YEARS OLD! I don't know how I got in but my brother took me to see John Cooper Clarke there. It stank of stale beer, I didn't understand a thing J.C.C was on about only that he used a lot of swear words and I laughed because everyone else did, I drank half a pint of Stella and felt blind drunk, perhaps the reason I couldn't walk properly because of the sticky carpet though!

I loved The Limit after that and went as often as possible. It wasn't like other nightclubs. I hated the poncy pick-up joints like what ever the Top Rank was called after it was no longer the Top Rank, I remember it as Roxy's (Poxy Roxy's, argh!) but I think it was called something else in between.

There was something about the Stella in The Limit Club too. It made you drunk much faster than anywhere else but it wasn't a normal kind of drunk, I'm sure they put chemical alcohol in brown carbonated water!

Towards the end the Limit went down hill completely. It might have always lacked in the decor department but It had a relaxed atmosphere, then all of a sudden it was full of violence and became an unsafe place to go - unless you wanted someone to stick a broken bottle in your face. I think the fights were the main reason it closed down, they couldn't run a business with only a handful of customers who wanted to kill each other!

i used to call in fridays/saturdays,started off in the albert,down to the wop then up the limit, luckiest night ever i got a weekend with the lovely ann, the blonde barmaid at the limit, fantastic days, if it was a bit slack i used to go down to the crazy daisy then double back to the limit.

remember the chippie just below where you got about eight chips in a tray?and there was a little genel that led down to trippet lane,it only had one old street lamp on it,so if you were lucky you could.........................................:cla p: :clap:

Tulip went off Ye Limitte when they raised the price of grog to two groats.

Gularscute knows nothing about it. I bet g. doesn't even know what a nightclub is, probably thinks The Leadmill was somewhere they made lead.

Does anyone remember The Limit? - a downstairs nightclub at the bottom of West Street, dingy hole but great night out and incredibly cheap drinks! I used to go all the time between 1986 and 1988.....

that's when i went!

there's quite a big limit thread on here, with a website link...

http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?s=&postid=546797#post546797

above should take you to the limit thread, page three has limit website post:)

Not half

see here http://www.rocknroll.force9.co.uk/pubs/limit.htm

Originally posted by WhiteRabbit
Does anyone remember The Limit? - a downstairs nightclub at the bottom of West Street, dingy hole but great night out and incredibly cheap drinks! I used to go all the time between 1986 and 1988..... yep we all did,and now we spend all our time on here :D oh them were the days:thumbsup:

I bet I used to bump into you all at some point and mumble incoherently! I seem to remember that everyone used to talk to each other as though we all knew each other really well...I used to park myself in the 'Goth Box' an elevated bit beside the DJ box

I was a regular and was gutted to hear that Pink Floyd played there under a different name and i missed them.
Did anyone go on that night and can you remember what name they used?

Am I missing something?

I went once and once only around 89-90.

I stuck to the carpets. I saw big burly guys walking around taking money off little guys. You dare not look straight forward for fear of catching someones' eye, which invariably meant you were going to be stabbed. You looked straight up, or down at the carpet. The toilets were just used for rolling joints.

Wasn't the limit one of the first clubs to introduce plastic cups? Any reason for that? MMmmm.

Originally posted by ceevee
Am I missing something?

I went once and once only around 89-90.

I stuck to the carpets. I saw big burly guys walking around taking money off little guys. You dare not look straight forward for fear of catching someones' eye, which invariably meant you were going to be stabbed. You looked straight up, or down at the carpet. The toilets were just used for rolling joints.

Wasn't the limit one of the first clubs to introduce plastic cups? Any reason for that? MMmmm.

Are you kidding? The tacky carpet and general dinginess were all part of what made it so great at the Limit...

I used to work there '88-89 as well - certainly was an experience...I have memories of working the Stella bar & having bottles chucked at me - maybe plastic cups were a good idea!!

Limit on Thursday night as I remember it & the Leadmill on Friday... :):loopy:

i only ever went once,i put my beer down for a second(big mistake)turned round ands it had gone,thanks to the beer thief!
still good fun tho!

I'm hoping that my fellow Sheffielders will help me in my search for anecdotes/memories/stories about their times (prob life changing if you're anything like me) at this sooooo missed club. The Limit - always in our hearts.

Am hoping to put together some literary masterpiece that'll do justice to the whole Limit experience. Giving it a well deserved accolade in our city's history.

Finally, after years of apathy, I'm going to put some effort into making a record for the future generations (my kids) so they know it WAS real, not just some figment of my imagination.

Am counting on you.

Me - LIMIT (1982 - 1985)
Hubby - LIMIT (1985 - the very last minute of the very last night 1991) had to be thrown out - ha ha

Mod: Several threads regarding The Limit merged; please stick to the one thread!

What about the pie and chip shop next door to The Limit managed by a guy called Phil I think from Middlesborough? I used to pop out all the time mid-way through the night for a quick pier and chips before going back in again, for some reason The Limit always gave me the munchies!!!

I remember several members of The Mission in there one night at the height of their 'fame' and one goth girl getting really friendly with Wayne Hussey. About 4 years later I was coming round from anaesthetic in a Sheffield operating theatre's recovery room and she was the nurse stroking my head and asking if I was all right - totally bizarre!!

Originally posted by WhiteRabbit
What about the pie and chip shop next door to The Limit managed by a guy called Phil I think from Middlesborough? I used to pop out all the time mid-way through the night for a quick pier and chips before going back in again, for some reason The Limit always gave me the munchies!!!

Fat Phil as he was known, now works on the buses for first.
Seen him doing the 51 route.

He also had a burger stall outside the city hall at the weekends for quite a while after the Chippy and Limit closed.

Yeah what a club. Wonder if the limit was the first place in sheff to have the plastic glasses? Sure there are those that are in dept to the person with the insight to introduce them!. I'm not saying that the limit was rough but it was prone to the odd punch up once in a while. Fond memories I have of the Limit in the eighties

I must've been brought up old fashioned!....in the eighties I liked to get togged up in me suit and nip to Cairo's or Kikis or Sinatras.
The Limit was where people went in their day clothes...
:suspect:

tell me more plz when does itr reopen ? party pixies remember limit this was so much needed !

Originally posted by creaghan
Yeah what a club. Wonder if the limit was the first place in sheff to have the plastic glasses? Sure there are those that are in dept to the person with the insight to introduce them!. I'm not saying that the limit was rough but it was prone to the odd punch up once in a while. Fond memories I have of the Limit in the eighties
I think the Bucaneer was the first back in the 70s but not certain about it. It could have been earlier.

Hello all, The limit club on west street was my fav destination on friday/ sat nights and i never used to miss monday nights aswell.
:)
The dj was a chap i knew from my school days paul unwin ,as i knew other people that went to tapton comp such as jed .
the groups i saw there were later to become famous, remember the U2 gig when their first album "Boy" came out during the gig i remenber the bassist breaking a guitar string :)
Other groups were UB 40, OMD, B52`s, depeche mode,as well as Paul young who always came when the groups didnt turn up :)
used to bump into Human league members and cab voltaire,along with ABC , mostly at the gigs i`ve just mentioned.
The club opened around 1978 and i went there until 1986.
I`ve heard Kevin webster is reopening another club with the same name as the site is no longer in existance, thanks supertram :)
Happy days for me
The thing i remember is 10 pence for your coats please :) at the bottom of the steps when handing your coat in.
regards to all past folks who went there from Beezer
:thumbsup:

Didnt the limit change into "THE Geisha BAR"?

Quote "Didnt the limit change into "THE Geisha BAR"?"

NO

What did change into "THE Geisha BAR"?" then?:confused:

Crazy Daisy --> Geisha Bar --> Legends --> at this point I had no interest and so couldn't say if there are any further resurrections. In fact I'm not sure if it's dead or alive. Hubby born & bred says its where Blacks keep their hiking boots but then it's always difficult to know whether he's being serious - on a Sunday.

does anyone when it will be rewpening ? pleez let me know as ive got loads of people asking me ! hope they do it black again , the excitments killing me !

50's nights in Sheffield...... Yes there are but not very often, I generally find out when from Alan who works in Oxfam on Ecclesall Rd, he's one of the old crowd.

If you did The Dog, did you do The Bull & Woolpack in Doncaster ! people dangling out of the last trains windows ?

I used to work at the Limit collecting glass" and sometimes behindthe bar.Plastic glass"s were a godsend in that place.Only problem when it was full people would drop them on the floor.Great place never had any problems there .Deffinetly alot of wierdos though customers and staff alike.

All this talk of the limit and old night clubs is very relevent to me and the "clubs we have lost" section of the Rockreunited website.

Rock Reunited - Place for Rock Memories of Sheffield (http://www.rockreunited.co.uk)

There is a very active page there remembering the limit which has had contributions sent in by 35 different people so far.

What I really want is a picture of the place though.

nobody it seems, ever took a picture of the building or it's sign. Do you have one? Please let me know

i think i have a pretty poor picture of that area after the limit shut.... i will send it you if the limit's on it!

:)

Is there any way to post pics up on the forum?

post them at photobucket.com, then copy and paste the link rather than the photo :)

Hi guys! Jus to say this is great reading all your comments as it was my dad who owned the limit years ago and is re opening it now! I hope u will all be attending our opening launch on Nov 25th! Everyone is welcome, especially the old limit crowd! cya holly x x x

really? where?? WHERE??!! :)

25th of Nov
The old club uropa
eyre street
xxx

i will write it in RED on my calendar!

:thumbsup:

Great news about the opening of The Limit. Hope to get down there, even if not for the opening night !

...but does anyone know what the music policy will be ? Will it be 80's indie ? Current indie ? what ????

No indie! Its gonna be mainly funky house at weekends mixed with a bit of r n b and in the week we will prob have some usual student nite music ie old classics etc! tryng to organise some live music tho! tryin my best! x

Originally posted by chri5
I went on one of the last nights to the limit, think it was late December 1990.
A couple of resident Sheffield DJ's Astrix & Space were playing.

Astrix is now sheffield dj and international selling house producer chris duckenfield (swag)

Originally posted by HJdollbaby
a bit of r n b and in the week

Excellent. are you going to have some R N B bands soon. This would be excellent, Frank White is still knocking around and Do$ch are a local R n B band too. :clap:

Originally posted by HJdollbaby
No indie! Its gonna be mainly funky house at weekends mixed with a bit of r n b and in the week we will prob have some usual student nite music ie old classics etc! tryng to organise some live music tho! tryin my best! x

Hi I went on the opening night and the week after can't believe the place is exactly the same as Uropa nothing has changed! Best days of my life were in Uropa and it was quite emotional for me being in there. Not the same music though which was disappointing and the place was rather empty. I see your dad owns the place. Any chance of an old skool reunion now and again? It would certainly pull people in and Sheffield could do with 90's night as we already have 70's and 80's. It would be so good to walk in the place and hear all my fave 90's tunes!

Havce they not refurbished it? Painted it at least?

Originally posted by goldenfleece
Havce they not refurbished it? Painted it at least? The layout is exactly the same and even the same carpet! They have obviously cleaned it up though as I remember sticking to it! Those funky picture frames have gone from the walls and it looks like its just been painted. Bring back Uropa I say!

To be honest i dnt hav much input apart from nagging!!!!!!lol! I think a 90s nite wud b a great idea and any ideas are up for discussion at the moment!!!!! Il get bk to u! x x x x x x

Originally posted by HJdollbaby
To be honest i dnt hav much input apart from nagging!!!!!!lol! I think a 90s nite wud b a great idea and any ideas are up for discussion at the moment!!!!! Il get bk to u! x x x x x x Please do get back to me would love to do an old skool night again! Brings back so many memories. Cheers!

i used to go to the limit. it was the best.the new one is way below.

Met my other half in the Limit - today is our 23rd wedding anniversary ! That place has a lot to answer for !

Met my other half in the Limit - today is our 23rd wedding anniversary ! That place has a lot to answer for !

oh dear












happy anniversary :)

In spite of probably seeming far too old from some of the other posts, I used to go there with my sister and her friends whenever I came back to Sheffield, she is 11 years younger than me, so great nights :-)
By the way do any of you remember Tracy Evans, she was a regular.

I used to love the Limit in the mid to late 70s, I used to go in and get utterly bombed and quietly puke onto the floor, thats probably why it was so sticky. It was the age of the punk so basically everybody puked and by 1.30 am we all looked like an ornamental fountain with the puke spurting and the coloured lights illuminating it to the sound of The Stranglers and Sex Pistols.
If I had a penny for every time I had to be carried, dead drunk up those stairs by a huge bouncer Id...well Id have 4p.

arrr the memories........:cool:

arrr the memories........:cool:
arrrrrrr?
you a pirate?
shouldnt that be aahhhh? :P

First went to the limepit in 78/79 when they put on matinee performances for bands such as The Skids, 999...
Around 1983/4/5 the limepit was our second home...lots of stories

Used to go in the early 80's on a Monday night - student night - think it was about 50p to get in !

Fond memories, I was the first girl who walked in there with a flat top and a tattoo, or so I've been told. Never been in a better club since, we weren't all slappers, just knew how to have a good time. If you don't believe it ask the guy why I laid out who wouldn't keep his hand to himself when I was dancing!
Told him to pack it in, was dancing to the Cramps but he was up himself!

went to the limit late 70's early 80's and saw some fab bands there Simple Minds,Specials and B52's. Danced to punk, Goth, mod and electro infact owt that they played.Does anyone remember dancing on the stage and always coming of with your nuckles bleeding as the roof was that low you always ended up punching it in the excitement. The tables infront of the stage were always a good sliding point for some people to get off the stage.People falling asleep in the speakers. and always getting chips when you came out at the chippy next door. Some of the more individual people also used to go to the Sin Bin at turnups. Lots of happy memories.

I remember the 'Hip Hop' afternoons held on Saturdays during the eighties! Wicked!!

The LIMIT what a place. I saw many a band especially "The Beat" " Selector Secret AFFAIR " "The Skids" "Gang of Four". Great place it was heaven and Hell on earth. The boucers where alright sometimes!!!!!!!

went to the limit late 70's early 80's and saw some fab bands there Simple Minds,Specials and B52's. Danced to punk, Goth, mod and electro infact owt that they played.Does anyone remember dancing on the stage and always coming of with your nuckles bleeding as the roof was that low you always ended up punching it in the excitement. The tables infront of the stage were always a good sliding point for some people to get off the stage.People falling asleep in the speakers. and always getting chips when you came out at the chippy next door. Some of the more individual people also used to go to the Sin Bin at turnups. Lots of happy memories.

You are " SPOT ON " !!!! The Specials at the limit was awesome much better than when they palyed the rank in the " two tone" concert. Happy days.

Do not forget walking on plastic glasses and getting your drinks from the small bar at the end near the entrance instead of queing up at the long bar.

And everyone ended up on the stage with them (Specials) yes the plastic glasses, the sodden carpet,the trying to get back up the stairs when your drunk, the chips and then running to get the last bus home. happy days

And everyone ended up on the stage with them (Specials) yes the plastic glasses, the sodden carpet,the trying to get back up the stairs when your drunk, the chips and then running to get the last bus home. happy days

Thats the one!!! If you made the last bus it was a real success otherwise it was the long walk with the memories still vibrating in your head. You promised yourself the following morning never to do it again or until your financial position allowed.

what about when you went up West street first. in the Saddle(full of rockers), the West street hotel(Full of mods, students and with the table footy in), the Hallamshire(Full of goths and punks) and the the Mailcoach. what about all the crap on the bottom of your trousers from the loppy floor in the limit and if you ever fell over that was it you came out black .Yes if you did miss the last bus it was a long walk home, twice as long if you were a bit wobbly.

I don't want to sound like an old fogey but when I think back to the Limit I realise that todays nightclubs have lost something. They seem to be either sterile, corporate, soulless places where even the most alternative patrons look like fashion victims or scarey places where you have to dodge bullets.

I realise that everybody is supposed to think things were better in 'their day' but I've never been under the illusion that I grew up in a golden age.

I think the old Earl was the closest modern equivalent to places like The Limit and Club With Two Brains in spirit if not in music.

Yeah..you never saw fashion victims in the Limit:hihi:

I know...I was one of them.....at least I didnt have a Bono mullet

I remember seeing The Alex Harvey Band there. Came onto stage over an hour late (p***ed as usual), carrying a can of 'Kestrel' Lager in one hand and a pair of Ladies 60-denier tan-coloured tights in the other. He then pulled one of the legs of the tights over his head and drank the lager through them.

Priceless. And 'Sensational' !!!

remember it well Dire straits played there once when unknown,but my fave band was one called The Deaf Aids who should have been big. shame they disappeared or did they re-incarnate as something else does anyone know ?

I had many happy times in the Limit in the late 70s. Was there for the opening night and if I remember correctly, I think the band that was on was Bitter Suite.

remember it well Dire straits played there once when unknown,but my fave band was one called The Deaf Aids who should have been big. shame they disappeared or did they re-incarnate as something else does anyone know ?Yes the Deaf aids were a Sheffield band, i used to know two of them. They once supported the Human League at the lyceum and changed their name to Bambakino. When they were the Deaf Aids they used to sell their badges up West Street. I don't think they exist any more, The band i mean not the members.

Yeah..you never saw fashion victims in the Limit:hihi:

I know...I was one of them.....at least I didnt have a Bono mullet

Heh, heh!

All wit and jollity aside, my point was of course that fashion victims are now the norm, there seems to be nowhere left for people who disdain the idea of a ready supplied image.

Heh, heh!

All wit and jollity aside, my point was of course that fashion victims are now the norm, there seems to be nowhere left for people who disdain the idea of a ready supplied image.

Concur there was a healthy DIY ethic to the patrons of the limepit (mullets aside)

Remember if you went down to Cairo's or the Roxy there were fashion victims a plenty during that era, all dancing to Sheena Easton:hihi:

"My baby works from nine to five, he.........."

Indeed there were, I was coaxed there once and it was a hellish experience. It seems as though the spirit of Giro Cacks and The Poxy has now taken over Sheffield...

Indeed there were, I was coaxed there once and it was a hellish experience. It seems as though the spirit of Giro Cacks and The Poxy has now taken over Sheffield...


Concur...went to the City Hall on Saturday for a night out. "You'll love it" they said, "its very 70's, early eighties music"

Sister Sledge, Boney M and Showaddywaddy........:help:

Although there was a ban in the Limit on all Pistol records.....I was once in there when they played Pretty Vacant and the place went bananas, suffice to say the bouncers were troubled that evening:D

Happy days....

At least you don't hear Gary Glitter at 70s nights any more...

Great to see people still talking about the best ( and most legendary) club we ever had in Sheffield. It holds a very special place for me as I met my wife there and we have been together ever since, (24 years!!)
On the opening night, the club was virtually empty, because someone big was playing at the City Hall (like Deep Purple or someone similar) and so the owners (George and Kevin) asked a mate of mine called Ian Williams to go and stand outside the City Hall and hand out flyers as people came out of the gig. So Ian and another lad did this and by the time they got back to the Limit the place was packed. The owners were so pleased that they gave Ian a special pass called "Limit for Life pass" and he got in free anytime he wanted from that night on. Ian went on to start up the first Human League fan club, but sadly died when he was still a young man.

I first went in the Limit when I was 15, a few months after it opened, to see a band called "Bethnall" from Bethnall Green in London, I loved the place and was hooked from that night on. I went every Saturday night from 1978 to about 1983 and, as others have mentioned on this web site, went in the pubs around West Street before ending up in the Limit at about 10.30 as the queue was building up. Bands I saw there included the B52's, the Skids (the DJ stopped playing "Into the Valley" because it always nearly caused a riot), The Specials, The Beat (me and the singer, Dave Wakeling, ended up dancing on stage with the Selector), Secret Affair, The Mekons, Gang of Four, Madness, The Barracudas, The Revillos (who arrived in a big pink american car! and Fay Fife loved the "caterpiller" coin op arcade machine at the back of the club!) The Lurkers, and many more. I went from wearing a leather bike jacket in my early days to wearing a Mod suit, and then just normal stuff, and always used to hang around the stage area with my mates (at 6ft2" I was one of the smallest! so if you remember a group of very tall lads it will have been us) I remember Mick McLean on the door, and Andy Dunraven and Louis, plus some lad called Ivan and a really evil looking bloke called (I think) Mick Cricher who ended up in prison for manslaughter. The main thing was, of course, the music, and even today, if I hear a certain record I will think to myself "Limit record"....these would include "I Got you" by Split Enz, "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell, "About the Weather" by Magazine, "Transmission" by Joy Division, "Furniture Music" by Red Noise, "Life In Tokyo" by Japan, "Boys Cry" by Original Mirrors (aka the Lightening Seeds), "Into the Valley" by the Skids, anything by the Jam, "Love Song" by The Damned, the DJ (Paul "Legs" Unwin) used to play "Sunday Papers" by Joe Jackson and say into the microphone "if this isn't number one next week I want to know why"...he said it every week but it never got to number one! But the one record that above all others, to me, is THE Limit record of all time is "Quiet Life" by Japan......I only have to hear the opening keyboards and I am once again back in the sweaty, dark, but totally fantastic, Limit Club!!!!

I went to the Casbah on Friday a few times when they had "Limit Nights" and saw loads of old Limit faces, we all recognized each other to sort of nod to and smile at without knowing any names.
I had a VIP pass for the new Limit and went once but it wasn't the same of course.

I also remember running through town to get to the late night 934 bus for the laugh-a-minute journey home!

Great to see people still talking about the best ( and most legendary) club we ever had in Sheffield. It holds a very special place for me as I met my wife there and we have been together ever since, (24 years!!)
On the opening night, the club was virtually empty, because someone big was playing at the City Hall (like Deep Purple or someone similar) and so the owners (George and Kevin) asked a mate of mine called Ian Williams to go and stand outside the City Hall and hand out flyers as people came out of the gig. So Ian and another lad did this and by the time they got back to the Limit the place was packed. The owners were so pleased that they gave Ian a special pass called "Limit for Life pass" and he got in free anytime he wanted from that night on. Ian went on to start up the first Human League fan club, but sadly died when he was still a young man.

I first went in the Limit when I was 15, a few months after it opened, to see a band called "Bethnall" from Bethnall Green in London, I loved the place and was hooked from that night on. I went every Saturday night from 1978 to about 1983 and, as others have mentioned on this web site, went in the pubs around West Street before ending up in the Limit at about 10.30 as the queue was building up. Bands I saw there included the B52's, the Skids (the DJ stopped playing "Into the Valley" because it always nearly caused a riot), The Specials, The Beat (me and the singer, Dave Wakeling, ended up dancing on stage with the Selector), Secret Affair, The Mekons, Gang of Four, Madness, The Barracudas, The Revillos (who arrived in a big pink american car! and Fay Fife loved the "caterpiller" coin op arcade machine at the back of the club!) The Lurkers, and many more. I went from wearing a leather bike jacket in my early days to wearing a Mod suit, and then just normal stuff, and always used to hang around the stage area with my mates (at 6ft2" I was one of the smallest! so if you remember a group of very tall lads it will have been us) I remember Mick McLean on the door, and Andy Dunraven and Louis, plus some lad called Ivan and a really evil looking bloke called (I think) Mick Cricher who ended up in prison for manslaughter. The main thing was, of course, the music, and even today, if I hear a certain record I will think to myself "Limit record"....these would include "I Got you" by Split Enz, "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell, "About the Weather" by Magazine, "Transmission" by Joy Division, "Furniture Music" by Red Noise, "Life In Tokyo" by Japan, "Boys Cry" by Original Mirrors (aka the Lightening Seeds), "Into the Valley" by the Skids, anything by the Jam, "Love Song" by The Damned, the DJ (Paul "Legs" Unwin) used to play "Sunday Papers" by Joe Jackson and say into the microphone "if this isn't number one next week I want to know why"...he said it every week but it never got to number one! But the one record that above all others, to me, is THE Limit record of all time is "Quiet Life" by Japan......I only have to hear the opening keyboards and I am once again back in the sweaty, dark, but totally fantastic, Limit Club!!!!

I went to the Casbah on Friday a few times when they had "Limit Nights" and saw loads of old Limit faces, we all recognized each other to sort of nod to and smile at without knowing any names.
I had a VIP pass for the new Limit and went once but it wasn't the same of course.

I also remember running through town to get to the late night 934 bus for the laugh-a-minute journey home!

Great post:thumbsup:

where in sheff were u , grappler, my guess is gleadless

did the 934 run up to graves park

used to be in the limit every week/end

grappler ! You absolutley amaze me. I think your post is the one most important post on here. The reason is because I felt a lot of passion in there and I related to a lot of what you said. Not necessarily the same songs but it only needed me to substitiuste other songs to see what you meant. For me it was, Aztec Camera, The Smiths, lloydd Cole, The The, Japan, The pogues, B52's, Joy Div, The Jam, Iggy, Bowie, Roxy, ABC, Human League, Soft Cell, Skids, Killing Joke, New Order, Specials, Madness, X-Ray Specs, Pistols, Clash, The Slits, Psychodelic furs, Talking Heads, Devo, The Regent, etc.(anyone think of anymore ?)

To tell you the truth. Give me me any of those bands in that night club atmosphere and it would make current day indie (Oasis, Blur etc,) look like nothing to me. But then I suppose it's an age thing. Everyone has there own era.

Comments ? I dare you !!

you aint allowed an atmosphere like limit no more it constitutes feeling as though you belong!i also went vip to the new limit hopin for a slight recreation at least but was treated to about five old songs an arctic monkeys which i didnt mind but most of our age must be pipe n slippered up cos only bout thirty or so faces there really.cant be recreated if the clientele aint there.they need to make a profit and if what they call music nowadays does it then as crap as it seems its gonna go that way

Great to see people still talking about the best ( and most legendary) club we ever had in Sheffield. It holds a very special place for me as I met my wife there and we have been together ever since, (24 years!!)
On the opening night, the club was virtually empty, because someone big was playing at the City Hall (like Deep Purple or someone similar) and so the owners (George and Kevin) asked a mate of mine called Ian Williams to go and stand outside the City Hall and hand out flyers as people came out of the gig. So Ian and another lad did this and by the time they got back to the Limit the place was packed. The owners were so pleased that they gave Ian a special pass called "Limit for Life pass" and he got in free anytime he wanted from that night on. Ian went on to start up the first Human League fan club, but sadly died when he was still a young man.

I first went in the Limit when I was 15, a few months after it opened, to see a band called "Bethnall" from Bethnall Green in London, I loved the place and was hooked from that night on. I went every Saturday night from 1978 to about 1983 and, as others have mentioned on this web site, went in the pubs around West Street before ending up in the Limit at about 10.30 as the queue was building up. Bands I saw there included the B52's, the Skids (the DJ stopped playing "Into the Valley" because it always nearly caused a riot), The Specials, The Beat (me and the singer, Dave Wakeling, ended up dancing on stage with the Selector), Secret Affair, The Mekons, Gang of Four, Madness, The Barracudas, The Revillos (who arrived in a big pink american car! and Fay Fife loved the "caterpiller" coin op arcade machine at the back of the club!) The Lurkers, and many more. I went from wearing a leather bike jacket in my early days to wearing a Mod suit, and then just normal stuff, and always used to hang around the stage area with my mates (at 6ft2" I was one of the smallest! so if you remember a group of very tall lads it will have been us) I remember Mick McLean on the door, and Andy Dunraven and Louis, plus some lad called Ivan and a really evil looking bloke called (I think) Mick Cricher who ended up in prison for manslaughter. The main thing was, of course, the music, and even today, if I hear a certain record I will think to myself "Limit record"....these would include "I Got you" by Split Enz, "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell, "About the Weather" by Magazine, "Transmission" by Joy Division, "Furniture Music" by Red Noise, "Life In Tokyo" by Japan, "Boys Cry" by Original Mirrors (aka the Lightening Seeds), "Into the Valley" by the Skids, anything by the Jam, "Love Song" by The Damned, the DJ (Paul "Legs" Unwin) used to play "Sunday Papers" by Joe Jackson and say into the microphone "if this isn't number one next week I want to know why"...he said it every week but it never got to number one! But the one record that above all others, to me, is THE Limit record of all time is "Quiet Life" by Japan......I only have to hear the opening keyboards and I am once again back in the sweaty, dark, but totally fantastic, Limit Club!!!!

I went to the Casbah on Friday a few times when they had "Limit Nights" and saw loads of old Limit faces, we all recognized each other to sort of nod to and smile at without knowing any names.
I had a VIP pass for the new Limit and went once but it wasn't the same of course.

I also remember running through town to get to the late night 934 bus for the laugh-a-minute journey home!

Yes top post and did bring back the memories

Great to see people still talking about the best ( and most legendary) club we ever had in Sheffield. It holds a very special place for me as I met my wife there and we have been together ever since, (24 years!!)
On the opening night, the club was virtually empty, because someone big was playing at the City Hall (like Deep Purple or someone similar) and so the owners (George and Kevin) asked a mate of mine called Ian Williams to go and stand outside the City Hall and hand out flyers as people came out of the gig. So Ian and another lad did this and by the time they got back to the Limit the place was packed. The owners were so pleased that they gave Ian a special pass called "Limit for Life pass" and he got in free anytime he wanted from that night on. Ian went on to start up the first Human League fan club, but sadly died when he was still a young man.

I first went in the Limit when I was 15, a few months after it opened, to see a band called "Bethnall" from Bethnall Green in London, I loved the place and was hooked from that night on. I went every Saturday night from 1978 to about 1983 and, as others have mentioned on this web site, went in the pubs around West Street before ending up in the Limit at about 10.30 as the queue was building up. Bands I saw there included the B52's, the Skids (the DJ stopped playing "Into the Valley" because it always nearly caused a riot), The Specials, The Beat (me and the singer, Dave Wakeling, ended up dancing on stage with the Selector), Secret Affair, The Mekons, Gang of Four, Madness, The Barracudas, The Revillos (who arrived in a big pink american car! and Fay Fife loved the "caterpiller" coin op arcade machine at the back of the club!) The Lurkers, and many more. I went from wearing a leather bike jacket in my early days to wearing a Mod suit, and then just normal stuff, and always used to hang around the stage area with my mates (at 6ft2" I was one of the smallest! so if you remember a group of very tall lads it will have been us) I remember Mick McLean on the door, and Andy Dunraven and Louis, plus some lad called Ivan and a really evil looking bloke called (I think) Mick Cricher who ended up in prison for manslaughter. The main thing was, of course, the music, and even today, if I hear a certain record I will think to myself "Limit record"....these would include "I Got you" by Split Enz, "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell, "About the Weather" by Magazine, "Transmission" by Joy Division, "Furniture Music" by Red Noise, "Life In Tokyo" by Japan, "Boys Cry" by Original Mirrors (aka the Lightening Seeds), "Into the Valley" by the Skids, anything by the Jam, "Love Song" by The Damned, the DJ (Paul "Legs" Unwin) used to play "Sunday Papers" by Joe Jackson and say into the microphone "if this isn't number one next week I want to know why"...he said it every week but it never got to number one! But the one record that above all others, to me, is THE Limit record of all time is "Quiet Life" by Japan......I only have to hear the opening keyboards and I am once again back in the sweaty, dark, but totally fantastic, Limit Club!!!!

I went to the Casbah on Friday a few times when they had "Limit Nights" and saw loads of old Limit faces, we all recognized each other to sort of nod to and smile at without knowing any names.
I had a VIP pass for the new Limit and went once but it wasn't the same of course.

I also remember running through town to get to the late night 934 bus for the laugh-a-minute journey home!

Yeah - fantastic!
Agree too with Algenon, Trouncer and teabag what a great post to read. Brings back lots of memories for me.
How about "Wire" - I am the fly? That was always one song that Duane(R.I.P.) and me used to request and then go crazy trying to get on the tiniesh dance floor when the DJ played it. Amazing.
I also used to go there regular from around 1978 - 83/84 and at one time, I was in the place seven days a week!
I saw all of those bands that Grappler mentioned and more - U2 I think and B52s - amazing! plus of course, UK subs around a half doz times and Generation -x and sham 69 played there once too, I think.
I was punk mostly - bit of new age stuff too and, like some of the the other posters,we did the West Street pubs on Fri and Sat nights before going to the limit.
I hung around with the likes of Stunt Kites and Duane, Tiny(Ian Squires),Ju Crookes,Mick Denton,Slonks,Tilted Tom, Deano, Delroy and Trigger(the Clash gang), Pat and Sue and Mandy and was(am) the quiet brother of rocka Deb.
I knew and remember Ian Williams too. He was a character - there were so many. I remember that Giant loon that used to work behind the bar - and collect loads of plastic glasses - he used to work in shorts - wasn't he the incredible hulk or something?!
I was wondering what happened to Steve Gregory who was there a lot and a quiet, ginger haired Chris Evans/Woodie Allen lookalike character who we affectionately knew as speckie?
A few of that gang and meself used to do the "humper" work for the punk/rock/new age bands at the Top Rank too in those times - bringing in their gear and setting up stage. It was a pretty good scene - getting paid for setting up/taking down and getting in for free to see Clash/SLF/Damned, etc. brilliant. I'm sure that Tiny and Mick D will remember it all.

Thanks -Algenon, Trouncer and Grappler, for your posts and for stirring up some excellent memories of many a night in that - take it to the limit - place.

(I am the fly, I am the fly, fly in the, fly in the ointment. Yes, I am the fly.....)

where in sheff were u , grappler, my guess is gleadless

Correct radez, I went all the way to the John O' Gaunt on that bus.

grappler ! You absolutley amaze me. I think your post is the one most important post on here. The reason is because I felt a lot of passion in there and I related to a lot of what you said. Not necessarily the same songs but it only needed me to substitiuste other songs to see what you meant. For me it was, Aztec Camera, The Smiths, lloydd Cole, The The, Japan, The pogues, B52's, Joy Div, The Jam, Iggy, Bowie, Roxy, ABC, Human League, Soft Cell, Skids, Killing Joke, New Order, Specials, Madness, X-Ray Specs, Pistols, Clash, The Slits, Psychodelic furs, Talking Heads, Devo, The Regent, etc.(anyone think of anymore ?)

To tell you the truth. Give me me any of those bands in that night club atmosphere and it would make current day indie (Oasis, Blur etc,) look like nothing to me. But then I suppose it's an age thing. Everyone has there own era.

Comments ? I dare you !!

Cheers Trouncer, all great bands that you mentioned above. I saw the Specials live at the Limit before they had any records out, and Madness, The Beat, Selecter, etc. Iggy songs I remember were Lust for Life, The Passenger and I'm Bored, Devo was Whip it and Through Being Cool, Psychodelic Furs would be Pretty in Pink of course!!!!

I agree, maybe it's an age thing, but the thought of being stood in the Limit on a Saturday night listening to all those songs again sounds like heaven.

you aint allowed an atmosphere like limit no more it constitutes feeling as though you belong!i also went vip to the new limit hopin for a slight recreation at least but was treated to about five old songs an arctic monkeys which i didnt mind but most of our age must be pipe n slippered up cos only bout thirty or so faces there really.cant be recreated if the clientele aint there.they need to make a profit and if what they call music nowadays does it then as crap as it seems its gonna go that way

Me and the wife had VIP cards and went down but they only played about 2 songs when I was there that were from the old days, the rest was all new stuff, some of it good, some not so good, but there were not many young ones in either, which was not a good sign.

Yeah - fantastic!
Agree too with Algenon, Trouncer and teabag what a great post to read. Brings back lots of memories for me.
How about "Wire" - I am the fly? That was always one song that Duane(R.I.P.) and me used to request and then go crazy trying to get on the tiniesh dance floor when the DJ played it. Amazing.
I also used to go there regular from around 1978 - 83/84 and at one time, I was in the place seven days a week!
I saw all of those bands that Grappler mentioned and more - U2 I think and B52s - amazing! plus of course, UK subs around a half doz times and Generation -x and sham 69 played there once too, I think.
I was punk mostly - bit of new age stuff too and, like some of the the other posters,we did the West Street pubs on Fri and Sat nights before going to the limit.
I hung around with the likes of Stunt Kites and Duane, Tiny(Ian Squires),Ju Crookes,Mick Denton,Slonks,Tilted Tom, Deano, Delroy and Trigger(the Clash gang), Pat and Sue and Mandy and was(am) the quiet brother of rocka Deb.
I knew and remember Ian Williams too. He was a character - there were so many. I remember that Giant loon that used to work behind the bar - and collect loads of plastic glasses - he used to work in shorts - wasn't he the incredible hulk or something?!
I was wondering what happened to Steve Gregory who was there a lot and a quiet, ginger haired Chris Evans/Woodie Allen lookalike character who we affectionately knew as speckie?
A few of that gang and meself used to do the "humper" work for the punk/rock/new age bands at the Top Rank too in those times - bringing in their gear and setting up stage. It was a pretty good scene - getting paid for setting up/taking down and getting in for free to see Clash/SLF/Damned, etc. brilliant. I'm sure that Tiny and Mick D will remember it all.

Thanks -Algenon, Trouncer and Grappler, for your posts and for stirring up some excellent memories of many a night in that - take it to the limit - place.

(I am the fly, I am the fly, fly in the, fly in the ointment. Yes, I am the fly.....)

"I am the fly" - yes another legendary Limit record! I also knew a Duane that died? Could be the same lad. I knew Delroy and Trigger to say hello to, nothing more, I think they hung out with Malc Emmett and Alan Clarke in the early days.
I remember a big lad called Tiny, must be the same lad, built like Giant Haystacks! and another big lad called "Tank" who was really called Russ from Woodhouse, he was a good lad. Pat and Sue were (I think) the two girls who hung out with Ian Williams? The glass collector in shorts was called Barry I think, worked at the pit and told them all he was a bouncer at The Limit.
Now for a real blast from the past, for all you that went to the Limit in my era (77 - 85ish), who remembers Sheffield's answer to Boy George and Maralyn, all rolled into one, Trevor!!!! He was called something like Trevor Houcher or something like that, tall lad, well built but with the most immaculate make up you ever saw. My wife (girlfriend at the time) and all her mates used to always comment on how he was better than any woman at choosing and applying make up. They all thought he was really good looking. Fast forward to the mid 80's and I am sure he appeared in a Sunday paper as the latest pop discovery of Mickie Most (if you remember him), or someone like that. Only they had totally changed his image, cut his hair short, and he was lying down in the picture, topless with jeans on, looking like a he-man, nothing like his Limit days persona. As far as I recall, his day job was working at the Manpower building at the bottom of the Moor. Wonder whatever happened to him?????

Hi Grappler very interesting post regarding the limit. I was in the band that played support to bethnal, and have still got a photo of the night, you can view it here: http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t184/golfseven/limit.jpg
hope you find it interesting , l to r Bob, Rodger, Ross Dick, and finally myself Uncle Ernie!

"I am the fly" - yes another legendary Limit record! I also knew a Duane that died? Could be the same lad. I knew Delroy and Trigger to say hello to, nothing more, I think they hung out with Malc Emmett and Alan Clarke in the early days.
I remember a big lad called Tiny, must be the same lad, built like Giant Haystacks! and another big lad called "Tank" who was really called Russ from Woodhouse, he was a good lad. Pat and Sue were (I think) the two girls who hung out with Ian Williams? The glass collector in shorts was called Barry I think, worked at the pit and told them all he was a bouncer at The Limit.
Now for a real blast from the past, for all you that went to the Limit in my era (77 - 85ish), who remembers Sheffield's answer to Boy George and Maralyn, all rolled into one, Trevor!!!! He was called something like Trevor Houcher or something like that, tall lad, well built but with the most immaculate make up you ever saw. My wife (girlfriend at the time) and all her mates used to always comment on how he was better than any woman at choosing and applying make up. They all thought he was really good looking. Fast forward to the mid 80's and I am sure he appeared in a Sunday paper as the latest pop discovery of Mickie Most (if you remember him), or someone like that. Only they had totally changed his image, cut his hair short, and he was lying down in the picture, topless with jeans on, looking like a he-man, nothing like his Limit days persona. As far as I recall, his day job was working at the Manpower building at the bottom of the Moor. Wonder whatever happened to him?????

i used to hang round with tank i lived in woodhouse near him he lives in newquay now..

Anyone get the EP '1980, the first 15 mins' featuring The Stunt Kites, Clock DVA, I'm so Hollow and Vice Verse ?

Now for a real blast from the past, for all you that went to the Limit in my era (77 - 85ish), who remembers Sheffield's answer to Boy George and Maralyn, all rolled into one, Trevor!!!! He was called something like Trevor Houcher or something like that, tall lad, well built but with the most immaculate make up you ever saw. My wife (girlfriend at the time) and all her mates used to always comment on how he was better than any woman at choosing and applying make up. They all thought he was really good looking. Fast forward to the mid 80's and I am sure he appeared in a Sunday paper as the latest pop discovery of Mickie Most (if you remember him), or someone like that. Only they had totally changed his image, cut his hair short, and he was lying down in the picture, topless with jeans on, looking like a he-man, nothing like his Limit days persona. As far as I recall, his day job was working at the Manpower building at the bottom of the Moor. Wonder whatever happened to him?????

Far out! I was at junior school with Trevor Jones way back in the 1970s. To be honest you could sense that he was "a little unusual" way back even then.
Yeah, he became the glamourous and beautiful Trevor "Howcher" Jones as you say, in the 80's - but I never heard anything of him after that.
My sister Rocka Debs might know probably. She used to talk to loads of people and kept in touch with loads of them after the limit and townie days too.
I lost touch with most people and went my own way but I see the occassional limit bod and punk person every now and then. I know Martin X Russian has a printing place in town.
By the way, the poor lad who died was Duane Willey, probably the same Duane you knew I expect. I think it was 1984 when he died in an accident at work. Very sad.
Still - thanks agains for the good memories of those punk and limit days.
Best Regards.

Anyone get the EP '1980, the first 15 mins' featuring The Stunt Kites, Clock DVA, I'm so Hollow and Vice Verse ?

yes, along with just about every other locally released single at the time. great days.....

i have 25 issues of the NMX magazine, anyone know if that's a full set?

Hi Grappler very interesting post regarding the limit. I was in the band that played support to bethnal, and have still got a photo of the night, you can view it here: http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t184/golfseven/limit.jpg
hope you find it interesting , l to r Bob, Rodger, Ross Dick, and finally myself Uncle Ernie!

Classic picture!!! "Dangerous Times" was the title of the Bethnall LP if I remember correctly, I went out an bought the 12" single the day after the gig, called "Don't Do It". The picture of yours shows the original location of the stage of course, at the side, before it became the raised up seating area. Happy days!!!!!

i used to hang round with tank i lived in woodhouse near him he lives in newquay now..

He was a great laugh, we used to meet up on a Saturday afternoon, all dressed in our Fred Perry shirts and Slazenger jumpers and Tank would go in the sex shop on Division street and pick things up and say "what's this for mister.....what about this one mister, what do you do with this?" until we got chucked out! If I can work out how to get pictures on here I will put one up of Tank and his girlfriend in the Limit, was she called Melanie?

Far out! I was at junior school with Trevor Jones way back in the 1970s. To be honest you could sense that he was "a little unusual" way back even then.
Yeah, he became the glamourous and beautiful Trevor "Howcher" Jones as you say, in the 80's - but I never heard anything of him after that.
My sister Rocka Debs might know probably. She used to talk to loads of people and kept in touch with loads of them after the limit and townie days too.
I lost touch with most people and went my own way but I see the occassional limit bod and punk person every now and then. I know Martin X Russian has a printing place in town.
By the way, the poor lad who died was Duane Willey, probably the same Duane you knew I expect. I think it was 1984 when he died in an accident at work. Very sad.
Still - thanks agains for the good memories of those punk and limit days.
Best Regards.

Trevor Jones!!! that was it, I know all the girls I knew fancied him, good looking lad, used to walk around the Limit with little teddy bears tied to his wrists for some reason.

Yes it was Duane Willey, we went to school together and knocked about together a bit as young lads, he lived near the Horse and Groom pub at Gleadless Valley when he was young. Roofing accident at work as you say.

If you were in the Limit same era as me (along with your sister) then I bet I would have recognised you back then, it was 90% the same crowd every Saturday night for years.

yes, along with just about every other locally released single at the time. great days.....

i have 25 issues of the NMX magazine, anyone know if that's a full set?

I once helped Martin to sell NMX in the "Basement Club" which was actually the punk night at Rebels near the Castle Market, the band on were called Destroy all Monsters, I ended up helping on the door there a few times for Marcus.

Aaah.... memories.
I worked at the Limit in the early days as a bouncer with Lew, when George Webster was managing him that sings "wherever I lay my hat" the band played there often & became famous.
Me & Lew were a friend of George we often went to his house at Grenoside, I think he lived.
Suzie & the Bansheez, UB40, Bruce Springstine etc etc seen them all at the Limit.
I often used to get Trevor Howcher out of trouble at the Limit & the Leadmill, he used to 'like' me. (bless him)
I could tell you a few stories that would open your gobs in amazement but I can't on the SF.
I later worked the Limit door with Gary Green, nice guy & clever, he ended up in Thailand & I think is a multi millionair, I'm sure his fantastic pad was featured in one of those holiday progs.
Mick Criche worked with us packing a ***, but as far as I know it was a replica..... honest!!! He was later stabbed to death by his wife.
I never did it, but the lads on the door often used to say to girls coming down the staires, 'show us your '****' & we'll let you in for nowt', some girls would willingly oblige & lift up their short skirts & give us a right eyeful, at the time it was funny, I cringe at the thought of it all now.
Later on Lew's brother Trinny worked there for years, one of the toughest guys I know, but this 'pipsqueak' for no apparent reason stabbed him in the stomach outside the Limit & ran off.
It was always too dark for me in the Limit & when any trouble broke out I could never see who the hell I was hitting.

Aaaah..... happy memories.

Aaah.... memories.
I worked at the Limit in the early days as a bouncer with Lew, when George Webster was managing him that sings "wherever I lay my hat" the band played there often & became famous.
Me & Lew were a friend of George we often went to his house at Grenoside, I think he lived.
Suzie & the Bansheez, UB40, Bruce Springstine etc etc seen them all at the Limit.
I often used to get Trevor Howcher out of trouble at the Limit & the Leadmill, he used to 'like' me. (bless him)
I could tell you a few stories that would open your gobs in amazement but I can't on the SF.
I later worked the Limit door with Gary Green, nice guy & clever, he ended up in Thailand & I think is a multi millionair, I'm sure his fantastic pad was featured in one of those holiday progs.
Mick Criche worked with us packing a ***, but as far as I know it was a replica..... honest!!! He was later stabbed to death by his wife.
I never did it, but the lads on the door often used to say to girls coming down the staires, 'show us your '****' & we'll let you in for nowt', some girls would willingly oblige & lift up their short skirts & give us a right eyeful, at the time it was funny, I cringe at the thought of it all now.
Later on Lew's brother Trinny worked there for years, one of the toughest guys I know, but this 'pipsqueak' for no apparent reason stabbed him in the stomach outside the Limit & ran off.
It was always too dark for me in the Limit & when any trouble broke out I could never see who the hell I was hitting.

Aaaah..... happy memories.

"Wherever I lay my hat" was Paul Young, and his band back then were the Q-Tips, they played the Limit a few times. Once Paul Young and the Q-Tips were in the Limit on a Saturday night and were due to play the Sheffield Show in Hillsborough park on the Sunday. I walked up to him at the bar and just for a laugh said "alright Paul, you playing "Soul man" tomorrow" (the old Sam and Dave song) and Paul Young said, "not sure yet, not seen the song list for the set", so I said (keeping a straight face) "I'm not asking Paul, I'm telling" and with that, my mate big Jon (about 6ft5) loomed over his shoulder from behind and gave him a killer look, poor old Paul Young almost had heart failure and we walked away trying not to laugh.
I remember it being in the Sheffield Star about Mick Criches girlfriend stabbing him.

My brother used to go to the Limit all the time in the 80's, was known as Barny does anyone remember him?

Thanks to you lovely people who posted this thread!

You do realise I hope that it kicked off the inspiration for the Batfink crew to revive it all as 'Dead Nightclub Night'? It just got us older DJs nattering about what brilliant clubs Sheffield used to have - The Limit, Rebels, Roxys Rock Night, Leadmill and suchlike so we decided to try and bring it all back.

We kick off this Wednesday at 8pm at the Dove and Rainbow, Hartshead Square.

Sounds like a great idea.. good luck with it

does any one remember the limt?
did anybody go to the limt but can't remember!!!

Yeah, I remember that I went to The Limit but can't remember where it was as I was having such a good time! Please remind me where it was!:(

I remeber going to see the Cockney Rejects here in 70's there was a riot after the gig

He was a great laugh, we used to meet up on a Saturday afternoon, all dressed in our Fred Perry shirts and Slazenger jumpers and Tank would go in the sex shop on Division street and pick things up and say "what's this for mister.....what about this one mister, what do you do with this?" until we got chucked out! If I can work out how to get pictures on here I will put one up of Tank and his girlfriend in the Limit, was she called Melanie?

Tank was awesome, I have so many great memories of hanging around with him and a bunch of other folks in the limit. tigger, John Hancock and a bunch of us clowns would all meet in the Golden Ball at 8 p.m. and then work our way up west street. i worked behind the bar at the limit for a while tuesdays - reggae night (great bands, big spliffs) Wednesday Student night - nightmare (10 pints of lager please mate!) and thursdays was always quiet. It got me free admission on all the other nights though and that's what counted. I remember Paul the DJ and Steve a blond haired guy who was the manager. Why do I have a feeling that Grappler and I probably knew each other pretty well.
Daisy

The Limit. Thx for the memorys

I went on one of the last nights to the limit, think it was late December 1990.
A couple of resident Sheffield DJ's Astrix & Space were playing.


DJ's Astrix & Space off SCR. Pirate radio think it was aired from norfolk park flats

PROPER

Tank was awesome, I have so many great memories of hanging around with him and a bunch of other folks in the limit. tigger, John Hancock and a bunch of us clowns would all meet in the Golden Ball at 8 p.m. and then work our way up west street. i worked behind the bar at the limit for a while tuesdays - reggae night (great bands, big spliffs) Wednesday Student night - nightmare (10 pints of lager please mate!) and thursdays was always quiet. It got me free admission on all the other nights though and that's what counted. I remember Paul the DJ and Steve a blond haired guy who was the manager. Why do I have a feeling that Grappler and I probably knew each other pretty well.
Daisy
Ha ha we came home on a few late night buses together from the Limit Daisy!

As I remember the original owners were George Webster and another guy whose name I forget but who ended up running other pubs and clubs in the West St area.

George was a good DJ from the sixties and early seventies who, before the limit worked at The Lathkilldale hotel in Derbyshire and for big Mick Lee at the Greengate High Green.

The bouncer was Mick Crich well known psycho now known to be patrolling the Pearly Gates area.

As I remember the original owners were George Webster and another guy whose name I forget but who ended up running other pubs and clubs in the West St area.

George was a good DJ from the sixties and early seventies who, before the limit worked at The Lathkilldale hotel in Derbyshire and for big Mick Lee at the Greengate High Green.

The bouncer was Mick Crich well known psycho now known to be patrolling the Pearly Gates area.


The other bloke was Kevin Johnson.

whatever happened to George and Kevin, i used to know Mick Lee pretty well and went into the Mulberry in about 1975/6. I was involved in a meeting with George and Mick Lee when george asked him if he would get together with him and kevin and open the "Limit". Apparently Mick backed out and George and Kevin did it on thier own.

Anyone remember seeing Wham perform "young guns" at the limit? they were so nervous that they didn't come out on stage the first time the song was played they stayed in the dressing room and only came out on the second playing and mimed the whole thing. I also remember the stage being located early on next to the DJ booth and remember seeing some great bands play there - Simple minds, 999, penetration. I also remember the Specials, Madness and Selector playing at the height of two-tone madness and the limit was as packed that night as it has ever been. During my bar stint i also had the good fortume to see Aswad, Steel pulse, Black Uhuru, Sly and Robbie and a host of other magnificent reggae bands.
Some songs that always stayed with me from that time.
Bingo masters break out - the fall
The Puppet?
Shack up - ACR
Emergency - 999
GLC - Chelsea?
Chelsea Girl - Simple Minds
New Rose - The Damned
Transmission - the great Joy Division

Snogging on those vinyl seats, plastic pints of Stella, 2 inches of grime on the dancefloor, the two smaller bars which always seemed to be quicker, the half one bird (couldn't get anything else but she would always come home for that last bus) ah what memories!!

I also remember the stage being located early on next to the DJ booth and remember seeing some great bands play there - Simple minds, 999, penetration. I also remember the Specials, Madness and Selector playing at the height of two-tone madness and the limit was as packed that night as it has ever been. During my bar stint i also had the good fortume to see Aswad, Steel pulse, Black Uhuru, Sly and Robbie and a host of other magnificent reggae bands.
Some songs that always stayed with me from that time.
Bingo masters break out - the fall
The Puppet?
Shack up - ACR
Emergency - 999
GLC - Chelsea?
Chelsea Girl - Simple Minds
New Rose - The Damned
Transmission - the great Joy Division


Great memories Daisy/Mike, I was with you at the 999 gig and yes the stage was next to the DJ booth in those days. Were you there with us when we saw Bethnal? first band I saw at the Limit. Got to pull you up on one thing, Specials, Madness etc., all played before the height of Two-Tone at the Limit, when famous they played Top Rank.
"Shack Up" was from about 1981 wasn't it, the era of what was called "white boy funk" and the Limit played (along with Shack Up), Pigbag, Chant No. 1 (Spandau Ballet) and stuff by Blue Rondo ala Turk, they also played a song by The Higsons, whose singer was Charlie Higson of the Fast Show fame.
"Transmission" was one of the original Limit records that was played every week, along with "I am the fly" by Wire, "Furniture Music" by Bill Nelsons Red Noise and "Sunday Papers" by Joe Jackson. The all time 100% has to remind me of the Limit is "Quiet Life" by Japan..I only have to hear the opening few bars and I am transported back to that grubby, sweaty but fantastic night club and it's Saturday night all over again..

I remember Trevor Jones as well from my days at the Leadmill. A strange individual.

I used to work at a pub in Grenoside and jump on the last bus into town at 11.30, get off at West Bar and leg it up to the Limit. Usually got in there for around midnight to meet my mates and get wrecked in 2 hours!

Got introduced to the Leadmill from there and ended up working at the Leaders for 7 happy years.

Remember seeing the Soup Dragons at the Limit and having ticket no.13 out of a total of 15 people!

Jim:thumbsup:

I remember seeing 'The Alarm' at The Limit. It wa so hot and sweaty that their spikey hair wilted.

As for Trevor 'Howcher' Jones, I worked with him for many years. I believe he's now a very respectable (ahem!) member of the Foreign Office working at the British Consulate in Amsterdam. Top bloke!

I remember seeing 'The Alarm' at The Limit. It wa so hot and sweaty that their spikey hair wilted.

As for Trevor 'Howcher' Jones, I worked with him for many years. I believe he's now a very respectable (ahem!) member of the Foreign Office working at the British Consulate in Amsterdam. Top bloke!
Aaah Trevor, bless him, glad to here he's doing well.

The New York Dolls at the Limit. Were you there?

My brother used to go to the Limit all the time in the 80's, was known as Barny does anyone remember him?

I do, didn't he drive a BMW or some big car back in the day?

Yes the Deaf aids were a Sheffield band, i used to know two of them. They once supported the Human League at the lyceum and changed their name to Bambakino. When they were the Deaf Aids they used to sell their badges up West Street. I don't think they exist any more, The band i mean not the members.

They did put a single out tho...

Spent an age in the Limit, lived in the practice rooms at the back of it for a while, me, Geg, Bol, Ant, Doggy and Dave, Hagi and Glib lived in the place for years, I've still got a video of when we played there.

Artery have reformed! Playing Jarvis Cocker's event in London next month, gig at the Sheffield Boardwalk on Friday 22 June!

Artery have reformed! Playing Jarvis Cocker's event in London next month, gig at the Sheffield Boardwalk on Friday 22 June!

Is Neil McKenzie playing bass?

Is Neil McKenzie playing bass?

according to their 'myspace', lineup is: Mark Goldthorpe - Vocals, Garry Wilson - Drums, Murray Fenton - Guitar, John Clayton - Bass, David Hinkler - Keyboards.

www.myspace.com/arterysheffield

Why no Mick Fidler?

Spent an age in the Limit, lived in the practice rooms at the back of it for a while, me, Geg, Bol, Ant, Doggy and Dave, Hagi and Glib lived in the place for years, I've still got a video of when we played there.
cool, if you could get it ripped? :P

cool, if you could get it ripped? :P

I haven't see it since it was shot :) It's probably rubbish to honest Mel.

I remember the Student & Nurses night on a Wednesday at the Limit - 50p to get in and beer was free till 10.30pm (opened at 10pm) and they never blinked an eyelid at you coming up for 8 pints.

Of course it was watered down, but I was only young and could get started nicely off the free stuff.

And I remember lots of people skinning up in the shady seated area on the mid-right hand side :)

Hiya,
I lived in the limit almost seven days a week.Knew most of the faces.Used to live in the same area as Tiny (Ian Squires) There was big Tiny and little Tiny who was Ian.Also, Tank, trigger and Delroy.Went with Trigger and all the lads to see Dingo and Ellie get married.I think the 'Do' was at The New inn on hemsworth Road.
I used to hang out with Pat and Sue, Ian Williams, Gordon,Deano and Dawn, trish and Mick, My mate Jan,Mick and Laura,Dean S. The bloke people mention with red hair and glasses who used to dance to everything was My cousin , Beezer! Also used to go down there with my cousin, Jerry.I worked withMick Fidler in my younger days.I used to love going up west street prior to The Limit, everyone knew everyone else, like a big, cool family.
I started going in there when they had tablecloths and flowers on the tables ..Yes really!We soon kicked that into touch didn't we?!!!

Used to love that club, saw the Meteors, Jam . Selector over what seemed to be years, hung around with James (looked like Buddy Holly) Dougy (only black punk in Sheffield?) John Wright (tatoos everywhere, before they were trendy), Sean Walsh, Subhia.
Always in there, huge bike gang lived at the bottom of the road, knew a tiny too always looked like he should have been in the Stranglers.

Hey Gary,
Yes, Tiny did look like he should be in the stranglers!He was mad about them at the time, and when they came to Sheffield, he used to do a bit of roadie-ing for them!

I remember being deafened when Ultravox did their "Systems of Romance" tour there-shouldn't have stood right in front of the speaker stack I suppose!!

The limit was the best place ever. Black club.black clothes,black make-up.Oh my god ,if onlyi was not 40,still keep in touch with some people,jo the barmaid - you will never change.keep in touch.

Bring back SIOUXSIE.

Bring back SIOUXSIE.

She is back - just released a new album.

She is back - just released a new album.
its good aswell

I know.Its brill.

Hiya,
I lived in the limit almost seven days a week.Knew most of the faces.Used to live in the same area as Tiny (Ian Squires) There was big Tiny and little Tiny who was Ian.Also, Tank, trigger and Delroy.Went with Trigger and all the lads to see Dingo and Ellie get married.I think the 'Do' was at The New inn on hemsworth Road.
I used to hang out with Pat and Sue, Ian Williams, Gordon,Deano and Dawn, trish and Mick, My mate Jan,Mick and Laura,Dean S. The bloke people mention with red hair and glasses who used to dance to everything was My cousin , Beezer! Also used to go down there with my cousin, Jerry.I worked withMick Fidler in my younger days.I used to love going up west street prior to The Limit, everyone knew everyone else, like a big, cool family.
I started going in there when they had tablecloths and flowers on the tables ..Yes really!We soon kicked that into touch didn't we?!!!

My goodness WhiteHorses, I must know you!! I was known as Daisy back then and I was also at Dingo and Ellie's wedding at the New inn on Hemsworth rd. We all used to hang out in the Golden Ball at 8 p.m. and then go to the Three Tuns down the street and that was trigger, delroy and a whole huge gang of folks who would finally end up wandering the west street area. Used to know Ian Williams and a bunch of his friends as well - bought one of my first motorbikes from him actually.
happy Days

E.b.r.a. / O.c.s.

Wednesday night was the best.I saw some great bands there.Who remembers paul young playing there with his first band? also Bill Nelson from Be BoP dELUXE Yorkshires very own and finest!! Cab Voltaire and Nigel Renshaw and the Stunt kites..Also the mad Psyhcobillies and the "dance" they did where it was basically just crashing into each other.Any one remember Trudge, or Trevor(is he still around?) Also GARY MARSDEN who still owes me undred quid you bas....d.

From Chris Lee now of Australia

oh and while i remember, did anyone go on the day trip that trevor arranged?I cant recall where it was to, but it might have been york for some reason.Also Tim rippon my nephew, who "borrowed" a Mr Whippy ice cream van to get back home to Ecclesfield after he spent his taxi fare on one of those awful kebabs they sold outside the limit! One final thing was that we often used to go "roof walking" on top of cole brothers and mess around with the search light they had up there.we would abuse the cops and then run away on the rooftops like bloody spiderman! Gary Marsden had it down to a fine art for some unknown reason.Strange that he ended up falling off a roof in Bermuda a few years later..!!Some of the names in earlier postings were in our Scooter club the Sheffield Scorpions.

Wednesday night was the best.I saw some great bands there.Who remembers paul young playing there with his first band? also Bill Nelson from Be BoP dELUXE Yorkshires very own and finest!! Cab Voltaire and Nigel Renshaw and the Stunt kites..Also the mad Psyhcobillies and the "dance" they did where it was basically just crashing into each other.Any one remember Trudge, or Trevor(is he still around?) Also GARY MARSDEN who still owes me undred quid you bas....d.

From Chris Lee now of Australia

Hi Chris, I think I might remember you.I've just had a pm from Daisy, did you know him?See previous posts.
Yes, I used to go in on Wednesdaysand I was there when Paul young sang, thought his voice was dead dodgy! Also went on scooter runs sometimes with my mate Jan who lived at Greenhill.

Also, did Gary Marsden ever go out with a tall blonde, into bowie, caled Jayne Brookfield?Don't know if I've got the right Gaz.

yeah, I think it was but she wasnt very tall as i recall. He had along term girlfriend for ages.In fact he might have even married her? Gary played bass in "Im So Hollow".I recall all those guys, whitehorses! ..Dougie, with the rasta plats, Stephen Goddard.I heard that Laura(micks wife) passed away recently.Did you see Link Wray as well at the limit?that was a good gig.

yeah, I think it was but she wasnt very tall as i recall. He had along term girlfriend for ages.In fact he might have even married her? Gary played bass in "Im So Hollow".I recall all those guys, whitehorses! ..Dougie, with the rasta plats, Stephen Goddard.I heard that Laura(micks wife) passed away recently.Did you see Link Wray as well at the limit?that was a good gig.

Hiya,No, I missed the Link Wray gig, or maybe I saw it but was under the influence at the time!
Yes, unfortunately, Laura did die, it was about three years ago or perhaps more, I went to the funeral.There were lots of people you would have recognised there.Jarvis Cocker came over from Paris.It was very sad.
I went out for a drink with one of my mates before I left Sheffield, and we were in a pub up west street and we came face to face with John, do you remember him, he had a cleft palate, and used to hang around with the doormen until he became one himself!
Post again if you think of anyone else I might have known.

I remember John, he used to work a lot picking up those wretched plastic glasses that we were forced to drink from. Some other characters who always seemed to be there:
Pete Eason of the Negatives - a very close friend of mine
Gary Cruise (probably spelt wrong) and Mark Wheelen who hung out with Trigger, Dougie, John Hancock and that gang.

Yes, THOSE glasses.They were horrid, always dribbling with water where they had been 'Rinsed' out! Do you remember the lines of them outside the toilets when it was busy, half full of someone's pee?!:gag:

I remember the 'Hip Hop' afternoons held on Saturdays during the eighties! Wicked!!

I was waiting for someone to say that lol! I went Saturdays with my next door neighbour (Russell Gould), I was one of the very few laydee breakdancers lol!!! Ah, the good old days lol!!

Lisa. :hihi:

Does anyone still see Mick of 'Mick and laura' and is he ok ? I went to Laura's funeral , very sad and a huge loss very amazing lady , I kept in touch with a few of the Limit crowd and have some brilliant memories....love that place. Whovever started this thread...THANKYOU , I've spent a whole morning reading through the threads and have a huge smile on my face, did any of you do the 'Turn-ups' nights ? I think it was set up by Trevor & Steven [ not sure ] who but I remember the name I think ! 'Undress for sex night' had a male stripper in one, eye opening.

I was waiting for someone to say that lol! I went Saturdays with my next door neighbour (Russell Gould), I was one of the very few laydee breakdancers lol!!! Ah, the good old days lol!!

Lisa. :hihi:

Them days will never come back as my mum would say! Great memories though! Wonder if I know you?? (if only by sight) I was there every week checking out the talent lol!

I was there every week checking out the talent lol!

full of football players was it? :P

full of football players was it? :P

Not that kind of talent! doh! lol :hihi:

The Revillos, Victor Drago band, Secret Affair, Phil Rambo band, Devo D-E-V-O. And a Francis Rossi lookalike who used to fly down the stairs attack a few punks, get 7 bells knocked out of him, cause a near riot, get slung out of the door by Egor then repeat the act the week after. Yes, happy days. Take it to the limit one more time...

Would you like to send some memories of going to the limit club in the punk era through to me I am putting a book together about the punk generation of sheffield etc..u can contact me at rotherpunk@aol.com

be fantastic to hear from you

would anyone like to share some of their memories from the limit + has anyone got any unwanted photos?

I saw Bow wow wow there late 1980.It was an aftr=ernnon show and they had about 8 or 9 songs and played some of 'em about 2 or 3 times. They were quite good though..later on I saw them again at the poly and Boy George was their dancer.

I need memories of Punk groups playing at the limit club for my Book I am writing..also anything else of interest from those days...email me at rotherpunk@aol.com

I went there from 1978ish to 1986. Went overseas then.
What a great place to have spent the 80's. Spent most of my time at the bar at the small bar drinking the German beer that was on tap (Holsten). The girl that worked behind the bar was Judy I think.
Wednesday night Students and Nurse I had the same free pass for may a year.
Happy times from what I can remember.
In those days you had to wear a tie to get in the other clubs in the town. The limit was a free for all

There was one guy in the early 80'S used to carry a teddy and wear a Kilt. He was always with a group of women.

My kids are now playing all the 80's stuff now but I was there.

I need memories of Punk groups playing at the limit club for my Book I am writing..also anything else of interest from those days...email me at rotherpunk@aol.com

Not punk groups, but I remember seeing:-

The Men They Couldn't Hang: When the audience featured a middle aged couple who had obviously never encountered slam dancing/moshing before.

The Guana Batz: When there were two guys sat on the front of the stage who thumped anybody who came within reach of the stage. The bouncers didn't do anything and we assumed they were The Batz security. Weird:mad:

Terry & Gerry: Several times, but the one that sticks in my memory was when phoned his mum on his mobile and the audience sang happy birthday to her. I wonder if she really was on the other end of the line.

There was a talent contest, can't remember who won, but the prizes were given out by a pre-muscles :gag:Donna Hartley:gag:

I saw Tom Robinson and Sector 27. First gay men who I ever (knowingly - I had a sheltered upbringing) spoke with.

Stop Press (lol) - they looked and spoke like normal men!

Changed my outlook - honestly...

Ps - waving my arms and singing ' Sing (or whatever it is) if you're glad to be gay' - very formative experience!

the plastic glasses were'nt the problem it was wading through the lager that used to get me brilliant place not like the pubs and clubs now.

the plastic glasses were'nt the problem it was wading through the lager that used to get me brilliant place not like the pubs and clubs now.

I don't think there was as much lager to wade through as you might think. Don't you remember the toilets overflowed at least once a night.

I went to the Limit a few times [ to say the least ] , had great times cant remember much about it back then , apart from fallin asleep next to speaker drunk . GOOD TIMES

I went to The Limit afew times. I always enjoyed it. One time I was tapped on the shoulder by a massive mean looking kid with an enormous mohican, I thought oh eck, I hope I've not spilled his pint. It turned out he was a little lad I'd been friendly at school with, he'd grown. :)

maybe it was'nt the larger then steptoad but toilet residue but them was the days had real fun though

No, the Limit was at it's very best around 81-83.I saw lots of bands there before they became known.I made loads of friends, as a girl, in those days I could wander up and down West Street until it was time to go in the Limit and gather friends along the way. They were truly special times, I know every generation thinks that about their youth, but we were rule breakers, driving people to distraction.We were Thatchers let down children, and we rebelled, it's so hard to explain if you weren't there.Staying out all night was the norm for me.After the Limit closed in the early hours, it was chips, and then on to someone's bedsit or flat for more illlicit booze, maybe sex, maybe a smoke, and just absolute punkiness.I think we were bound together by discontent at the world.I love all the people I knew then, and I'll never forget those iconic days we lived through. Hello Dean S, Sheldon!, Trigger, Delroy, Dave Oxley, Big TANK, little Tank, big Tiny, little Tiny(Hugs and kisses)Trish, Dawn, Pat, Sue, RIP dean, and RIP Laura, RIP Ian Williams, Hello to Gordon at Bl;air Atholl, and your brother and Liz, Coogie, Les and the gang from Hillsborough and Anita.Toz, Mandy , Dawn etc I love you all. xxx

what a place, i was 16 the first time i went at night,got turned away by the blokes wearing the chipmunk t shirts, so just legged it inside before they could nab me straight onto dancefloor top off and party all night on a parra. i used to go to the breakdancing challenges on a saturday during the day when iwas 14 things like smack 19 dancing.