The Joiners part 1

The Joiners Arms has held a special place in my heart ever since my first real visit there back in the late 70's. I can't remember how or why I entered the front door of this former knocking shop but it must have been for a gig by some top punk outfit or more likely a gig by a top local band!!

It really took off for the local Alternative types when we started using Club Manhattan just up the road and it wasn't long before we took the Joiners over on mass. Out went the Jazz/blues/hippy brigade and in came a clutter of 77 punks and early indie kids in long raincoats ALA Joy Division aided and abetted by the new romantics on the block venturing out for the first time. It was the perfect place to meet up and score a few pints of snakebite or for some of a whole lot more before tottering off up the road to Manhattans.

I soon made my presence felt with the landlord Sam and after losing my job at Manhattan's I started pestering him for the odd night which happened when I was asked to DJ a few birthday bashes for our crowd. I hired the disco off local socialist celebrity Sian for the princely sum of £5.00 and I was off. I did a fantastic Boxing day event and this became the norm for several years and featured a fledgeling Men They Couldn't Hang in 82. Although I only worked sparingly there in the period 81-84 we had some absolutely crazy times both at my discos and socially and I will never forget a huge gang of us car surfing up and down St Mary's Street and throwing glasses by the dozen into the street on New Year Eve. Sam wasn't to pleased though!!

Sam was actually Roger Moores double in the James Bond films and his son was to learn the ropes from us older types. We kidnapped him once and took him to Bournemouth. He got so out of his head he insisted we drop him off 10 miles outside Southampton on the Motorway on the way home. Drugs? There was also the infamous Monday night film club,Porn anyone?

I also purchased my first kiddies Disco equipment from them after one Soul Frank had blown it up during a Northern do there and they'd had it repaired. So I was on my way with a massive 50 watts of power. The backroom in them days was tiny compared to today unbelievably and had no stage to speak of. It was a boilerhouse when full and the bar that ran all the way down one side would be 5 deep with eager drinkers.

What I can't understand was that we were in a mad area i.e. St Mary's but we never got any bother with the locals unlike now and maybe it was the fact the road had the only clubs in town apart from 1 or 2 and the locals were used to outsiders?

MY fave night was in the summer of 81 when the riots were going on all over the country. Southampton wasn't as bad as some but it still kicked off in copy cat style and on this night I dj'd with the pre famous Microdisney with there larger than life front man Cathal Couglan later of the Fatima Mansions. I hid my car so that it didn't go up in flames but plenty did.

We drifted away in late 83 but I continued to DJ on and off over the years until-----

Joiners part 2