“The first mention I have for going to the New Electric Circus is 30/11/77 for a gig with Sham 69, The Slugs and the Negatives.
I have the venue down as Rumours, also known as the Osborne Club see picture elsewhere on MDMA www.mdmarchive.co.uk/artefact/2345/Th...
Lots of Joy Division sites list the band playing the New Circus 26/11/1978 so if its the same place it was around for a while.
I've also seen listings for Factory2, Wise Moves and Reggae promotions at this venue. It may have been a real shithole but it was certainly versatile!
The address on this ad has to be wrong though, Collyhurst St is where the original Circus was.”
“The Electric Circus 2 was on Fennel street a few doors up from Pips. It was in a club that was was originally called Rowntrees. I know this for a fact because I played there. But it was a short lived venue and I think it reverted back to a disco afterwards.
I presume the ticket or flyer above was at a different venue that was only open for a short while. It couldn't have been open long otherwise I would have gone there.”
“The "New" Electric Circus in this ad is the "Old" Electric Circus, same building, but briefly known as The Venue. The New Electric Circus was indeed The Osborne Club however briefly. I think I remember seeing JD at both venues. The Osborne was also called Factory 2 before settling on The Thunderdome. That has tested my 50 something year old memory to the max. Off out for a PInt ...”
“The old Electric Circus did reopen as a rock venue briefly in late 1978 and Joy Division did play on Sunday 26th November. I remember it being known as the New Electric Circus. The rumour at the time was that the venue became a cabaret club following the closure of the Electric Circus on 2nd October 1977 and it was fraught with trouble that culminated in its closure. I can't confirm the accuracy of the rumours but it would explain why they allowed a live rock venue there after the forced closure of the Circus less than 12 months previously. It was very short lived as I remember driving through Collyhurst early 1979 and the building was flattened.”
“This was definitely the old Electric Circus. My band Private Sector supported the Distractions at that gig on the advert. We did our set but the venue was raided by police before Distractions could play their set-I think underage drinking was the pretext- it was the James Anderton era! Mark McStea”
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