Jillys Closes

[goat boy]

Interestingly (or not), the name of the business was still Fagins- Jillys/ Rockworld was simply a 'trading as' name, right til the end.

I'm rather disappointed about this. Not totally surprised, to be honest- it's been a looooong number of years since there was any major investment in the place, and it looked it. The big Cort sound system in the main room was the Rolls Royce of it's day when they put it in, but it's been half dead for years, and the mish mash of rig in the Fish Bowl never ceased to bemuse or amaze me.

However, the FB clan reckon it's unreasonable rent terms (ie increase upon increase) that have killed it, as much as anything else.

 

[Blue2112]

Makes you wonder when Rock Radio held a Metallica night and an AC/DC night when both bands played in town last year why they used Walkabout to hold the event when possibly places like Jillys might have been used. Obviously I don't know the logistics of whther or not that was possible but it makes you wonder...

Does anybody know if there was a punk night held on Friday nights only, I think somewhere down the Deansgate area in a club which they might have changed the name for on these nights to 'The Blood Club'. I remember going in on a few occasions around 83/84' and it was a mental night. I could have the name completely wrong of course.

Coleridge your right about the rock/metal fans keeping live music going throughout the 80's. I saw at least 2or3 gigs per week back then from the Apollo, Band on the wall, the International 1 and 2 and even in Jillys. I never resricted my music tastes to just metal, although it was and still remains my most passionate, I saw countless Blues greats from America, jazz artists such as Andy Shepard and Courtney Pine, as well as The Smiths, The Red Guitars, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Judge Happiness who later became The Mock Turtles, Hiphoprisy, Green on Red, Microdisney, Siouxsie and Alien Sex Fiend to name but only a small few, before Madchester kicked in.

Gaudino, we're gonna have to meet up and have a beer or two because I'm sure we knocked about with groups of people that mixed together. I also used to go in the Farmyard on a Sunday night, The Phoenix and the Plough I think it was called high up Oldham Road.

Just taking some photos of my old embroidered jackets to put on for a laugh. Thing is fuck knows how I post them on.

 

[mackenzie]

My lad is only 27 and is lighting candles as we speak, I think. ;-)

Seriously though, Jilly's had been the place where he felt he grew up. He had been going since he was 16 and I think this is the first connection to his youth that has passed.

Probably about right, as he seems to be growing up even more now and life is about stages and moving on.

 

[Blue2112]

My First embroidered denim jacket circa 1983. My dad used to spend hours embroidering it for me, not something he'd ever done before. A crude attempt he would later say with far too much material used, his artwork and embroidering skills became better.

This was the second jacket he did for me and as you can see he started doing figures, Swansong (Zeppelin) the Hounds of Hades (Tank) and Eddie (Iron Maiden) his embroidery was really flat and tight and although you can't tell by the photo it really is quality work with some neat and precise bordering. My 3rd and final jacket is at his house and was going to be the complete cover from the Marillion album 'Script For A Jester's Tear'. He spent months perfecting the Jester and by the time that was finished I wouldn't give it him back as I wanted to wear it and knew if he got it back it'd be the last I'd see of it for months, so it was never completed. Will post a picture tomorrow.

 

[Anonymous]

Ah yes, Jillys and the Banshee! How I loved those goth chics in the eighties.

Anyway, it won't be the last, I'm afraid. Most of us in town are suffering from reduced business, increased costs, and a mixture of heavy council regulation, pressurised police [they have budget issues, like all government agenciesnow] and a serious gang problem, largely [no] thanks to the Somalis from the Moss.

I genuinely don't want to wish ill of anyone else's business, but, for example, I had Fac251 down as closing by July, and that's before it even opened. I'm sticking to that.

I'm thinking of taking my business back to M20 as the city centre is becoming the land of large chains and endless red tape that us independents simply struggle to cope with. And don't even get me started on business rates. The poeple who set and enforce them live in cuckoo land. Only national companies can cope with this. The rest of us are, quite frankly, fucked. So much for free market capitalism. This City is Ours? I don't think so. The blue chips own it now. Rock on and Rock out of town.

What's this about these Somali's? Theres alot of them working as labourers at the min. They getting a bit to big for their boots? Fucking pirates!

 

[Pearcey]

Never went in, but it was an institution. Don't mind the rockers, always friendly, not pretentious, and know how to drink. Never heard a bad word against the place. It's true that it is another nail in the coffin for town's nightlife.

I very rarely go town these days, and when i do it is usually on a magical mystery tour of pubs on the pubguide website. Heard FAC251 has not been revolutionary and hasn't really tried to create anything new. Haven't been in yet as heard it is rammed most nights so please prove me wrong if you have been in.

What are we left with: -

- Birdcage (£40 for a fishbowl)
- Printworks (NO! Other than Tiger Tiger maybe)
- Walkabout (Easy choice for a staff night out, never had a bad night in there but hate chain places generally)
- Sport Bar (has this been shut for ages?)
- North (£4 for a bottle of Grolsch and bob music, mate has never been back. Sankeys the better choice)
- South (never been in, always wanted to go, only venue that tempts me back to town at the moment)
- Sankeys (not my thing but at least it is great at what it does for those who like their musical cliques)
- Venus (is this still open? Small oven)
- Ritz (white stains on the seats upstairs, lasted half an hour in there on a non gig night, never been back).
- Tiger Lounge (good when you want something different the odd night)
- Fab Cafe (always ok when you are stuck for somewhere to go)
- Mojo (too rammed, no draft so never a clue what to order, can't hear the staff when they tell you what foreign bottles they have. Music is decent though.)

To the guy running an establishment in town. I'd give the World Cup a chance to boost your takings and ship out after that if you have seen your business dwindling over the past months. Maybe moving local again as you say and trying to offer something different than the standard run-of-the-mill boozer (if that's the business you run) is the ticket?

South is awesome, also The Venue Is pretty good on a Friday. I'm normally at a gig If I'm in town these days... So for pubs it's Bar Fringe, Corbiers, Big Hands or The Temple. (near to the music venues)

Shame about Jilly's but it's been struggling for years. Nowhere near as good as it was 10 years ago IMO.

 

[Tiattos_Waterbottle]

Lot of older blokes posting here, but I generally have gone here every Friday or Saturday since the turn of the year, because Rock Kitchen at the Union and Satans Hollow have some very unsavoury characters and are more interested in playing whats popular rather than whats good.

Jillys was a shithole inside, but it's the most welcoming shithole and the best night out in Manc, and I'm deeply deeply gutted about it. Dunno where I'm gonna go now.

 

[The 12th Man]

Bit of a shocker to be honest, it seemed to happen out of nowhere, I hadn't a clue they were going to close down but really I can't say it was really my favourite place to go. I have a few mates who loved the place so obviously they won't be best pleased but other mates who hated it so they'll probably be smiling knowing that they won't get dragged there anymore.

It wasn't really my scene to be honest, the times I went in there I felt a bit out of place, back in the day I would have fit in perfectly with my long hair and black band shirts but now I have short hair and I wear more brighter coloured clothes. I must admit though it will be a big loss for some people.

 

[coleridge]

Ah yes, Jillys and the Banshee! How I loved those goth chics in the eighties.

Anyway, it won't be the last, I'm afraid. Most of us in town are suffering from reduced business, increased costs, and a mixture of heavy council regulation, pressurised police [they have budget issues, like all government agenciesnow] and a serious gang problem, largely [no] thanks to the Somalis from the Moss.

I genuinely don't want to wish ill of anyone else's business, but, for example, I had Fac251 down as closing by July, and that's before it even opened. I'm sticking to that.

I'm thinking of taking my business back to M20 as the city centre is becoming the land of large chains and endless red tape that us independents simply struggle to cope with. And don't even get me started on business rates. The poeple who set and enforce them live in cuckoo land. Only national companies can cope with this. The rest of us are, quite frankly, fucked. So much for free market capitalism. This City is Ours? I don't think so. The blue chips own it now. Rock on and Rock out of town.

What's this about these Somali's? Theres alot of them working as labourers at the min. They getting a bit to big for their boots? Fucking pirates!

I know you are being iroinic but I just want to make it clear that I have nothing against Somalis, save for the gang of 40-odd from the Moss who kept trying to rush the door at my place and threatened to kill my manager. These lads came here as small childern in the mid-nineties after the Eritrean Civil war tore their country apart. In fact, my cousin was the last UN officer [Pakistan Rangers] out of Mogadishu, flown out by US Apaches, but that's another tale. Anyway, they have no respect, no morals and, worst of all, no fear. The GMP don't seem to know what to do about them. I'll say no more.

 

[Manchester1894]

My First embroidered denim jacket circa 1983. My dad used to spend hours embroidering it for me, not something he'd ever done before. A crude attempt he would later say with far too much material used, his artwork and embroidering skills became better.

This was the second jacket he did for me and as you can see he started doing figures, Swansong (Zeppelin) the Hounds of Hades (Tank) and Eddie (Iron Maiden) his embroidery was really flat and tight and although you can't tell by the photo it really is quality work with some neat and precise bordering. My 3rd and final jacket is at his house and was going to be the complete cover from the Marillion album 'Script For A Jester's Tear'. He spent months perfecting the Jester and by the time that was finished I wouldn't give it him back as I wanted to wear it and knew if he got it back it'd be the last I'd see of it for months, so it was never completed. Will post a picture tomorrow.

Top stuff!

 

[MCFCTrick]

My First embroidered denim jacket circa 1983. My dad used to spend hours embroidering it for me, not something he'd ever done before. A crude attempt he would later say with far too much material used, his artwork and embroidering skills became better.

This was the second jacket he did for me and as you can see he started doing figures, Swansong (Zeppelin) the Hounds of Hades (Tank) and Eddie (Iron Maiden) his embroidery was really flat and tight and although you can't tell by the photo it really is quality work with some neat and precise bordering. My 3rd and final jacket is at his house and was going to be the complete cover from the Marillion album 'Script For A Jester's Tear'. He spent months perfecting the Jester and by the time that was finished I wouldn't give it him back as I wanted to wear it and knew if he got it back it'd be the last I'd see of it for months, so it was never completed. Will post a picture tomorrow.

Top stuff!

Ditto that....remember having similar up til I was bout 20......Blue 2112 pm....

 

[mcfcnorthstand]

Rosies bar

Was a quality bar, use to go there alot in late 90's

 

[crizack]

my dad met his wife in there, i've met three girlfriends in their, had a child with each an all. spent manhy saturdays in there. went rubbish when they changed the dj in the fishbowl and the smoking ban came in place. i dont smoke but wouldn't mind if people were allowed to smoke in there. it's a rock club, not a fancy dan bar.

 

[Blue2112]

Gaudino.....What pm? There's nothing there.

 

[NPBlue]

I went there once with my girlfriend in the early '90's and we were let in on condition that we were'nt so smart next time we went in!

After a lifetime of being refused entry to clubs for being too scruffy, I remember that moment well.

 

[MCFCTrick]

Still the only club I got thrown out of and banned for a while.....cheers Sarge! Lol.

 

[The Beast 111]

class nights in there, gutted i didnt know about it closing til yesterday i would of gone for the last night RIP Jilly's

 

[chrishull]

I was meant to be going last Saturday, but put it off till next week, figuring I'd celebrate a derby win in there.

Gutted, will have to celebrate it somewhere else now.

 

[mike o]

Never the biggest fan of jillys but had some amazing nights at electric chair at the music box and a fair few other things there.

Its a real shame but that new sound control gaff over the road was really good when i went in the other week so as one shuts others open!

 

[goose72]

Been going on and off for about 20 years, upstairs and down.

Have to say Rockworld had been really going downhill for years. Was still always good to know it was there, but it really had become somewhere to go ‘cos it was there’ and you knew it’d be open. Can’t remember the last time I actually had what I’d actively call a ‘good night’ in there, though never particularly bad either. Actually, probably the last ‘good night’ was when I got sucked off in the corner of the goldfish bowl in Jan last year. That was alright. Not really the club’s doing though.
And certainly can’t remember the last time I ever saw it busy – used to be rammed in there three nights a week. Music Box seemed to be going the same way last couple of times I’ve been in too.

Shame though, will be missed.