The Underground... Charles Street

[Ando 10]

Does anyone remember the Underground? Opposite the Wap on Charles Street. A sterling place for punks, psychobillies, loppers and the whole gammet of musical tastes.

 

The best feature was time being called downstairs, taking your drinks up one level to the wine bar for an hour (and obliged to buy a chilli) and then being chased once again at 12.00 into the nightclub upstairs, (without having to leave the warm and cosy(!!!) environment).

 

Latterly known as Charlie Parkers.

 

What happened to excellent pubs like this !!!!

[nomme 10]

I remember it!

 

The chilli was to get round drinking laws at the time - you could get a late licence if you served food.

I also recall that they had a dance floor the size of a postage stamp (well about 2x2M) which was also to enable them to get a late licence.

 

Nomme

[Ando 10]

The funniest times were when unsuspecting "smoothies" used to come downstairs from Henrys, clomp down the staircase, stop, look, go pale, and then go back out again!!!

 

Much mirth all round.....

 

 

(Having said this, a fair few pals of mine were more New Romantic than grunge/alternative and we shouldn't laugh.....but we did at the time!!!!!)

[DAVE_P 10]

Ah i remember it well, Saturday afternoons.

Sat in awe as we fed the `Video Juke Box` all our hard earned so we could watch U2 and Killing Joke.

Like a more upmarket Wapentake.

[dawny1 10]

I remember it well it was a great pub.

 

I also use to frequent the Wapentake - Puke proof floors and plastic glasses - lads with their heads against the speakers playing Air Guitar with their beer bottles!

 

Oh how I miss those days!

[sdb1305 10]

I used to play in a band that played in the underground quite regularly! We were called "The Night Shift", much of my mis-spent youth was spent in the underground (and even more in the wap!).

Steve

[goldenfleece 11]

Does anyone have any pix? Been looking for YEARS for any and cant find anything in the archives. Maybe someone has some old snaps?

 

The UNDERGROUND, modelled on a London tube station scene, opened in late 1983, and was quickly enveloped into the 'rock circuit' in 1984 between the Wapentake and the Yorkshireman's Arms. Many happy memories of it....

 

It closed, suddenly and without warning, during 1985 with a life span of less than two years. R.I.P The Underground.

 

I went back to the original building in 2001 when a lease was available on the whole basement and upper floors, but all traces of the Underground themed bar were obliterated into a nasty wine bar decor.

[Steptoad 12]

I have some pictures somewhere of The Slingshots and The Sharpcuts playing in The Underground, although from memory you can't tell where it is, it could be any pub.

It was a great place, I used to love it, I can't believe it lasted less than two years.

[melthebell 862]

never heard of that pub before, and no wonder, bit before my time, didnt properly start going round town till 86 so after it shut

[heeleybird 10]

remember it very well, and also used to go in when it was faces in the 1970s:love:

[Jon26 10]

Was this the one under Raffles nightclub?

 

If so I remember going in early-mid eighties and seeing bands such as Hi 'n' Dri...

[theimposter 10]

I hadn't heard of this place until recently. Was this place more of a bar or a nightclub?