Membership Card
Pips
1980

“I was moved from Manchester when I was 8 to be brought up in Leeds. The first live show I ever saw, a age 14, was Bryan Ferry solo at Leeds Grand Theatre. From then on I sucked in my cheekbones and headed to the 2 or 4 pubs and clubs that hosted the Bowie/Roxy scene in Leeds. From 75/76 coaches were hired and regular trips, well 3 or 4 , were made over the Pennines to Pips where we headed for the Bowie/Roxy room.

I would say the Bowie/Roxie scene in Leeds, Manchester and elsewhere was where punk sprang from, yet it's almost entirely undocumented... Anyone want to start a blog?”

“I never made it to Pips (bit too young!) but I do remember people doing the elaborate mime dancing to Bowie at other venues.

I did make it to Placemates (actually Placemate 7, the former Twisted Wheel on Whitworth St) a few times for 18th's etc around '82/83. That too was a warren of rooms each with a different scene - Jazz Funk, Electro, Chart Pop etc. I think the alternative room there was known as "the Roxy Room" and, by this time, was populated by people sporting every one of Gary Numan's ever-changing looks. (Black jumpsuit/red sash combo, black shirt with red and blue leather tie, long belted mac etc.)”

“Fond memories of early Pips. All the different rooms. Used to go with school mates and members of what became Joy Division. Always started off in the Manchester Arms watching the strippers!”

“Crikey, cannot believe I have found a site dedicated to "Pips". I went on the opening night in November 1973. We were given a little map so you could find your way around all the rooms. I absolutely loved the place. Made loads of friends and had some great laughs, which carried on into Piccadilly bus stop waiting for the 81 all night bus home. Mags.”

“I think what was great about Pips was the mix of people. It's hard to see such an eclectic mix working today, although the boundaries have been blurred, and it's a bit easier being a "non-conformist. And remember, you could hear Sailor played in the the Roxy room too!”

“hi mags- i don't think you mean 2003!”

“Oops, I meant 1973!!!!!! The old brain cells arent what they used to be. mags”

“What a great site!! I lived in Leeds at the time and we regularly went to Pips on a coach trip - spent all my time in the Bowie room miming to Bowie!”

“Hey sophie, perhaps we were on the same coach trips from Leeds.

Stuart”

“Hello Stuart, if we weren't on the same coach we will have been in the same places in Leeds. I remember Brannigans and Amnesia where Depeche Mode used to play all the time. And of course the Warehouse opened but hey the old grey matter is starting to fail me!”

“Aaah, The F Club, Roots, The Fav. Better be careful, too much talk of Leeds in here could be painful”

“I used to see a lot of bands in Leeds in the mid-1970s - Brannigan's, Viva's, the Fforde Grene...

Anyway, back to Manchester. Whereabouts on Whitworth Street was Placemate 7? What's the building used for now?”

“Just read the beginning of the comments - I saw Roxy Music (with Eno) at Leeds Grand Theatre.”

“yes - placemate 7 became 'the state' (i think)”

“I promise this will be the last Leeds comment... First gig I ever went to was Ferry solo at the Grand Theatre. I've had a thing for girls in seamed stockings ever since...”

“Placemate was at the top of Whitworth Street, near Piccadilly station. Its now part of the "Village".”

“Placemate 7 had lots of guises, but I rember going in the early 70's when it still had a stone dancefloor and "wagon wheels" in the walls from it's days as the Twisted Wheel. I seem to rememeber it had a "sister" club in Nantwich? It was more straight ahead than Pips, and didn't have a Roxy room. A pretty good club all the same, but not in the same class as Pips.”

“I first went to Pips in late 1978 I think. Although the Roxy/Bowie room was by far the best, the other rooms were also fantastic. For a couple of years one room played an electic mix of 60's music - including records I'd only heard at Wigan Casino. One of my stories from the Roxy/Bowie room includes seeing a guy in there who looked EXACTLY like Bowie from Diamond Dogs - same blue & white striped jacket and red feather cut. A few weeks later, I was walking home in Cheetham Hill and there in front of me was the guy - but this time in his working donkey jacket. I've often wondered how much stick he must took on a building site for his hair. Anyway, Pips in the late 70s will always be remembered. I'll see if I can find my membership card!”

“Was Bowie the first individual (rather than group), that people tried to re-create and exact image of?”

“hi ime ged foley ..was a dj at pips in 79 my mentor
was steve bracewell in the roxy room..in the main room was phil novac /steve james and johnny washington in the jazz funk room. gerald summers was the chairman /owner with bill pye and clause crott as directors /shareholders. the gen manager was
...john kingdom
followed by richard cull
and then phil elton
who can be found at the old monkey pub in town
we have set up a facebook with photos and would welcolme any more u can find
nuff said”

“Does anyone know who was the dj in the Roxy room in the early 70's?”

“I used to go to pips Manchester and Bolton in the 1970s, I used to prefer the Manchester club as it was more about the music than the club at Bolton which only really had one good night, tuesdays, which started as a Roxy night and around July 1977 became a Roxy/Punk night, at the time punk records were still pretty scarce so we took records in to be played. The 'New Wave' album was a godsend because it had so many different tracks covering the genre. Saturday nights at the Bolton pips were very mainstream with lots of 'old' people in their mid twenties, well, thats how I saw it as a sixteen year old at the time. Manchester pips was in a different class though and I loved the place so much I only ever left when it shut down for the night. One thing I do remember was the plastic floppy beer glasses at Manchester, at the pips in Bolton they were proper glass. The first time I ever saw a strobe light was at pips! I couldn't believe how it made everything appear in slow motion, that might sound corny now but at the time I was happy to be dazzled with science. Nothing beats a 'first' does it? Finally, a word for a band that I saw at Bolton pips called 'Genocide' they were brilliant and I've always remembered their gig, back in 77 I think.”

“God yes Bolton pips. I used to take some of my records in that I bought from Derek Guests at the time. I remember Sex and Drugs and rock n roll Ian Dury was a popular choice as was my slaughter and the dogs singles. I was only 15 and used to get in possibly because I had some decent stuff to play :-)”

“Does anybody remember Stuart And mike, who would often be seen in fur dresses?
No other club has ever,or will ever top Pips.
I believe there was a reunion a few years back? Im up for doing a reunion is anyone else interested?”

“I remember Stuart and Mike, Stuart used to go out with Angie and they formed a Rubber Clothing business (in Aflecks) that is still going, though they are in London now. Last I heard they were making clothes for the Torture Garden crowd.”

“Chris Dunn says it was a fabulous time. Started going in 1977 with Alistair and Janine and Anna. We went every Fri. and Sat. night without fail. Have still got the bar price tag, can't believe the prices back then.”

“14 April 2010
Back to the Leeds comments - We travelled over from Leeds for a few visits, car or coach for the Roxy Bowie nights. I remember a bowie look-a-like who had the Ziggy outfit of woollen striped body-suit and fake tan on his legs. Also there was a shelf on the wall in front of the dance floor and if you waited there for a favourite record and then left your drink on the shelf, as the music switched between say Bowie and Roxy, the shelf sloped, and your drink would fall off and the glass would smash. Your vacant place would be taken by other people watching - with an empty shelf for their drinks.”

“14 April 2010 -
The other thing I used to love were the beefburgers. I think that they were served at a counter towards the exit door/hole and they had chopped uncooked onion - I think? Back to the music, the Precinct had a Tuesday night Bowie Roxy night. That was our usual haunt.”

“Yeh, also went to Placement 7 (Twisted Wheel). Not as good though. Pips was like having all your family around you, awesome”

“God that brings back memories of the beef burgers. Every time I smell a charr grilled burger I think of Pips. would be great for a re-union sometime, question is where. We would would sometimes arrive at Pips is style as the girl we went with had an American car, fab. I loved American cars ever since, so much I had to get one. A 1984 Cadillac. does anyone remember Janinine Lee, she had orange bob style hair do around 1977 her brother is Steve Lee is was supposed to have got the Roxy floor up and running”