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The Limit nightclub - Sheffield


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THE LIMIT CLUB

THE LOCATION

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70-82 West Street, Sheffield

The Owner - George Webster (lived at Grenoside)

Assistant Manager - Gary Wilson (also member of band Artery)

The DJ - Paul Unwin

Doorman - Gary Green

Doorman - Mick Criche (later stabbed to death by his wife)

Doorman - Lew

Doorman - Lew's brother Trinny (stabbed in the stomach outside the Limit)

Glass Collector - Barry (worked in shorts a lot)

Club Regulars/Faces - Trevor "Howcher" Jones (used to have a bracelet made out of teddy bears and wore immaculate makeup), Steve Gregory, Ian Williams, Russ (tank) from Woodhouse (now lives down south)

Here's a short introduction: "The Limit, a tiny subterranean club that was pivotal to Sheffield's golden epoch of electronica (1979-1984), is no more, demolished and replaced by a Job Centre. Throughout the Eighties, The Limit hosted embryonic line-ups of local heroes as well as guests such as U2, Simple Minds and Orange Juice. Famously, Jarvis Cocker once played while still in his wheelchair."

The owner George Webster also managed the band The Q-Tips (lead singer was Paul Young !) and the band often played the Limit club.

PICTURES

 

 

Toyah Wilcox

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Barracudas Live @ The Limit

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support band to 'bethnal' - l to r Bob, Rodger, Ross wee pipe, and Uncle Ernie

this shows the original location of the stage of course, at the side, before it became the raised up seating area

 

ticket for the last night ever @ the Limit Nightclub

 

THE LAYOUT

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THE CURE LIVE AT THE LIMIT

Here's a piece by the band (The Shapes) who supported The Cure at the Limit which makes amusing reading:

On to Sheffield where we support The Cure at the awful Limit club. They have just signed to Polydor, and their single Killing An Arab is doing rather well. We arrive to find that The Cure are there and although a three piece with minimal equipment, they take up the whole stage and refuse to move so much as a plectrum allow us on. The drummer in particular is a complete git, complaining that we shouldn't even get a dressing room. I get on all right with the bass player, and Dave works out a compromise with the Cure's drummer.

Their drummer will move his kit back enough so that Dave can fit his on the stage, and in return, Dave won't hammer the Cure's drummer to an unrecognizable paste. This seems to be an acceptable solution to both parties, and we go on only to find that The Cure's crew have sabotaged the lighting rig and we are forced to play under the minimal house lights. We'd done a lot worse in the past, so we got on with it and did really well with the crowd.

We load the van, and just before The Cure go on, Dave suddenly remembers he has to do something. He disappears back inside and reemerges a little while later looking somewhat flushed and suggests that we make our egress with all due speed. Apparently, he had reneged on his part of the agreement with The Cure's drummer, so the chances of further outings with them were minimal to say the least. We were just disappointed that we were not asked to join in. We do however, have a nice fight with each other on the way home, so the evening wasn't without it's little share of excitment.

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THE MUSIC

Typical 'Limit' Tracks:

"Tainted Love" by Soft Cell

"About the Weather" by Magazine

"Transmission" by Joy Division

"Into the Valley" by the Skids

"I Got you" by Split Enz

"Quiet Life" by Japan

"Life In Tokyo" by Japan

"Boys Cry" by Original Mirrors (aka the Lightening Seeds)

"Furniture Music" by Red Noise

Anything by the Jam

"Love Song" by The Damned

The Limit DJ was Paul "Legs" Unwin

The music is obviously one of the main reasons that the venue has such great memories for those who went. Some legendary and very famous bands played the venue - some of which are listed below.

Sheffield bands were no strangers to the place, and some of the major bands of the city played there from the Human League to Def Leppard to Pulp and more.

LIST OF BANDS THAT PLAYED AT THE LIMIT

*note - I'll keep working on this until I can get a comprehensive list of bands and the dates they played the venue*

B 52s (1st English Gig 1979)

Heaven 17

Death Cult

Bethnal

Bill Nelson (of Bebop Deluxe) -Early 80s

Cabaret Voltaire

Candy Paige

Chris Rea

Cockney Rejects

Def Leppard

Department S (1981 ?)

Depeche Mode - 03/02/81

Erasure - 8-12-1985

Human League (1985-1986)

Lena Lovich

Madness

Pulp

Simple Minds

The Beat

The Cure - 29/05/1979

The Cramps - 03/11/1980

The Alarm

The Jags....who? 'I got your number'

The Mekons

The Planets - 27/02/1980

The Police - 28-11-1978

The Macc Lads

The Smirks

UB40

Secret Affair

Gang Of Four

Dexy's Midnight Runners

Siouxie and the Banshees

Chas and Dave

The Meteors

The Barracudas

Paul Young and the Q-Tips

Pink Floyd (is this true - can anyone confirm ??)

Selector

Revillos

Skids

UK Subs

Death Trash

Steel Pulse

The Lurkers (May 1978)

Ultravox (21 Sept 1978)

U2 (played there 2ce in 1980)

Robert Plant (26 May 1981)

Marillion (19 Aug 1982)

Roman Holiday (19th May + 22 Sept 1983)

Generation X (Jan 1986)

Toyah - 17/04/79 & 16/08/79

The Psychadelic Furs - 03/20/80

The Comsat Angels - 29.09.85 - 29.11.85

Level 42 - 5th November 1981 (yep, bonfire night !)

Q magazine also awarded the B52's gig at the Limit on july 24th 1979 as one of the best gigs of all time !

You'll have to bear with me on this whilst I get the info on The Limit as I never once went in this place (must be the only person in Sheffield who didn't !)

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No pictures of me dancing around my handbag then ?

I was there, full hair, leather jacket, jeans, t-shirt; me an 299 Mods in Pork-pie hats, suits etc .... on came Chas and Dave (before their moment of fame), I feared for my life, the mods thought what's this *********** doing here, it had changed from Rock to Mod night, but Chas and Dave ??????

They were brilliant, got everyone on their side; hard playing, plus a lot of songs with swearing in them, an excellent night, enjoyed by all.

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Wonderful wonderful place. I first went in in 1985, and was a regular on Saturday, and for a time Friday, right until it closed in 1992.....I even went in on a Sunday once. Its where I first fell in love with New Order, and many other musical acts that still play on my iTunes. The plastic glasses, the mank chips from the food section, the sticky floor, the puke filling the toilet sinks, and on and on I could go. So many happy memories. Absolute quality!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Guest mackyD

Only ever went there on a Saturday afternoon during the mid to late 90's for the breakdance challenges. Enjoyed it though.

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Guest welly owl

I was a Limit regular in the early 80's,sometimes going 2 or 3 times a week!!

Musically these are the tunes I always associate with The Limit

The The - Uncertain Smile (12" Version)

Psychadelic Furs - Love My Way

Killing Joke - Wardance

Michael Jackson - Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'

Wham - Bad Boys

Joy Division - She's Lost Control

New Order - Everything's Gone Green

B Movie - Remembrance Day

Aztec Camera - Walk Out To Winter

& loads more.

I remember seeing Pulp live there a couple of times & also Person To Person & Pete Shelley.

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I was a Limit regular in the early 80's,sometimes going 2 or 3 times a week!!

Musically these are the tunes I always associate with The Limit

The The - Uncertain Smile (12" Version)

Psychadelic Furs - Love My Way

Killing Joke - Wardance

Michael Jackson - Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'

Wham - Bad Boys

Joy Division - She's Lost Control

New Order - Everything's Gone Green

B Movie - Remembrance Day

Aztec Camera - Walk Out To Winter

& loads more.

I remember seeing Pulp live there a couple of times & also Person To Person & Pete Shelley.

I remember that Pete Shelly gig -wonderful - about the time of Homo Sapian wasn't it ? I too went the to Limit 2 or 3 times a week. I remeber going on Monday nights a lot I think it was free before 10pm!

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Used to go there in the early 80's often after taking LSD....it was frightening. That is how I came to have a biscuit for a head.

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Used to go there in the early 80's often after taking LSD....it was frightening. That is how I came to have a biscuit for a head.

Can only remember it as a battle ground for football hooligans...............it was a place for Owls & plenty tried to take it away.

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add to your list

The Sinceros (Lene Lovich backing band)

Fine Young Cannibals

I saw both these at the Limit I was a regular from 1978 onwards enjoyed it immensly

Ian Williams was a good friend of mine as well as Tank. Another guy I remember fondly was Phil Wright he and I have something in common, He met his lovely wife Elizabeth there and I proposed to my wife there in 1987. lol

The band I most went to see was Cabaret Voltaire (my fave band)

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eyup

I remember planning to see the specials when they were pretty much unheard of, on the evening of the gig Gangsters was featured as a new release on TOTP, and the crowd was heaving, support was either Madness or Selector, madness definately headlined a few weeks later.

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I'm jealous of anyone who saw all these gigs

There's nothing better than seeing quality upcoming bands at small venues

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Guest Nobsworth

Just found this site today and homed in on the Limit section immediately! I was a regular from the very early 80's going twice, sometime three times a week from Rotherham. Many great times had ...

One for your list was "Death Cult" on 15th September 1983 (source: http://www.cultcentral.com/Tours1983.html). I was a big Southern Death Cult fan at the time and they had supported Bauhaus in Sheffield then split up. Ian Astbury then formed Death Cult with Billy Duffy (which later became "The Cult") and I went to see them at the Limit. I saw them many times over the years, but this was a gig that I remember fondly as the venue wa small and they hadn't become a "big" band at that point so it felt kinda personal. They were still had a very unique sound, unlike their later music which just sounded like any other rock band (which is fine if you like that sort of thing).

Can anyone else remember when Fosters lager first came over from Australia? On the layout picture marked "Stella Bar" I'm sure I remember it selling Fosters. I'm talking earlier 80s...

Keep up the good work!

Cheers

Nobsworth (aka Nobby for those that might remember me lol )

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Guest eightbelow

The greatest club in the world, nights out in town were never the same after it closed.

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Guest Animis

Just found this site today and homed in on the Limit section immediately! I was a regular from the very early 80's going twice, sometime three times a week from Rotherham. Many great times had ...

One for your list was "Death Cult" on 15th September 1983 (source: http://www.cultcentral.com/Tours1983.html). I was a big Southern Death Cult fan at the time and they had supported Bauhaus in Sheffield then split up. Ian Astbury then formed Death Cult with Billy Duffy (which later became "The Cult") and I went to see them at the Limit. I saw them many times over the years, but this was a gig that I remember fondly as the venue wa small and they hadn't become a "big" band at that point so it felt kinda personal. They were still had a very unique sound, unlike their later music which just sounded like any other rock band (which is fine if you like that sort of thing).

Can anyone else remember when Fosters lager first came over from Australia? On the layout picture marked "Stella Bar" I'm sure I remember it selling Fosters. I'm talking earlier 80s...

Keep up the good work!

Cheers

Nobsworth (aka Nobby for those that might remember me lol )

Don't think they played the Limit - it was the Octagon autumn 83 and the Leadmill a year later - for £50p - still have the ticket! You may be right though :unsure: Remember Doctor and the Medics in 86ish - when one of the backing singers collapsed on stage - sweat dripping of the roof - madness.

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Guest Nobsworth

Don't think they played the Limit - it was the Octagon autumn 83 and the Leadmill a year later - for £50p - still have the ticket! You may be right though :unsure: Remember Doctor and the Medics in 86ish - when one of the backing singers collapsed on stage - sweat dripping of the roof - madness.

Sorry to disagree but they DID play at The Limit. Ian asked me the way to the dressing room (which I didn't know so I directed him to the little door at the side of the DJ box). I also went to see them at the Octagon and have some photos of Ian on stage at the Leadmill. I was a very big SDC/Death Cult/Cult fan...

I also used to go to Retford Porterhouse and that was the first time I saw Dr & the Medics - what a band, eh. Apparently Clive breeds giant snails nowadays..takes all sorts. lol

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Guest gary.p

THE MUSIC

Typical 'Limit' Tracks:

"Tainted Love" by Soft Cell

"About the Weather" by Magazine

"Transmission" by Joy Division

"Into the Valley" by the Skids

"I Got you" by Split Enz

"Quiet Life" by Japan

"Life In Tokyo" by Japan

"Boys Cry" by Original Mirrors (aka the Lightening Seeds)

"Furniture Music" by Red Noise

Anything by the Jam

"Love Song" by The Damned

The Limit DJ was Paul "Legs" Unwin

The music is obviously one of the main reasons that the venue has such great memories for those who went. Some legendary and very famous bands played the venue - some of which are listed below.

Sheffield bands were no strangers to the place, and some of the major bands of the city played there from the Human League to Def Leppard to Pulp and more.

LIST OF BANDS THAT PLAYED AT THE LIMIT

*note - I'll keep working on this until I can get a comprehensive list of bands and the dates they played the venue*

B 52s (1st English Gig 1979)

Heaven 17

Death Cult

Bethnal

Bill Nelson (of Bebop Deluxe) -Early 80s

Cabaret Voltaire

Candy Paige

Chris Rea

Cockney Rejects

Def Leppard

Department S (1981 ?)

Depeche Mode - 03/02/81

Erasure - 8-12-1985

Human League (1985-1986)

Lena Lovich

Madness

Pulp

Simple Minds

The Beat

The Cure - 29/05/1979

The Cramps - 03/11/1980

The Alarm

The Jags....who? 'I got your number'

The Mekons

The Planets - 27/02/1980

The Police - 28-11-1978

The Macc Lads

The Smirks

UB40

Secret Affair

Gang Of Four

Dexy's Midnight Runners

Siouxie and the Banshees

Chas and Dave

The Meteors

The Barracudas

Paul Young and the Q-Tips

Pink Floyd (is this true - can anyone confirm ??)

Selector

Revillos

Skids

UK Subs

Death Trash

Steel Pulse

The Lurkers (May 1978)

Ultravox (21 Sept 1978)

U2 (played there 2ce in 1980)

Robert Plant (26 May 1981)

Marillion (19 Aug 1982)

Roman Holiday (19th May + 22 Sept 1983)

Generation X (Jan 1986)

Toyah - 17/04/79 & 16/08/79

The Psychadelic Furs - 03/20/80

The Comsat Angels - 29.09.85 - 29.11.85

Level 42 - 5th November 1981 (yep, bonfire night !)

Q magazine also awarded the B52's gig at the Limit on july 24th 1979 as one of the best gigs of all time !

You'll have to bear with me on this whilst I get the info on The Limit as I never once went in this place (must be the only person in Sheffield who didn't !)

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