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Report - - 'Snobs' Nightclub (The Original One) - Birmingham - May 2018 | Leisure Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - 'Snobs' Nightclub (The Original One) - Birmingham - May 2018

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I wouldn't normally bother with reports from places like this but Snobs is a bit of a legend of Birmingham. Opened way back in 1972 it is surely one of the countries most long lived and well known nightclubs. Its certainly one i have spent many a night in myself and have some pretty vivid memory of, both good and not so good!

The club was first opened in the summer of 1972 by the Berrow brothers, who also owned the new romantic 'Rum Runner' venue in the city. Later it was taken on by Gary Daniel, who transformed the city centre club into the indie venue it has been for 20 years. Gary was still the owner when he died, aged just 40, in 2001. Current owners Bob Hasian and Wayne Tracey bought it off his family in 2002. In September 2014 the club moved premises to the corner of Hurst Street and Smallbrook Queensway leaving the original location in the basement of Beneficial House on Suffolk Street Queensway to fall derelict.

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The club had two rooms, this is the larger of the two where they played more up to date indie and borderline 'pop' tunes. Oh and it was always the same tunes! Part of Snobs's success, atleast in latter years, is that you always know what you're getting!


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Final night was on Sunday 21 September 2014. On the first night in 72 everyone was given a free tea cup and saucer and salmon was on the menu! Clubs have changed!!


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The second smaller room where they played older tunes from the 60s and 70s


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The two rooms were linked by this mirrored corridor, note the red and green alarm lights on the ceiling. Something i never noticed before!


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The Dj booth in the smaller room with one of the famous 'bobbly walls' in the background. Its said the decor was based on Dr Who and had not changed since the club opened.


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Bottom of the entrance stairs, the toilets were as fresh as ever!


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The stairs from the top, the wall behind used to have many plaster cast faces but these were removed and auctioned off when it closed.


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The entrance lobby with its strange hexagonal slopey table now upended


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One thing people will usually remember about Snobs is the old tills. They took some with them to the new venue i think but also left one behind!


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Cheap drinks indeed, small bottles for a quid and if you wanted gin and tonic you were better ff with gin and lemonade. Its was a pound cheaper!


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One of the main reasons i wanted to go back in here was to have a poke around the bits you were never allowed to go when it was open. In truth there wasn't too much to see but it was still cool to look. This is the beer store!


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The DJ Booth had an interesting panel. The helicopter was a original lighting rig above the small dance floor. The Whizz line im not so sure!


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The last posters in the ticket office


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Some pretty epic reels of old tickets too. This logo was before my time there.


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The old cloak room.. Lots a few jackets in here!


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Some classic posters, 'Loaded' was the big Saturday indie night. Closing at 2am?? Shows its age!


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The old smoking area from out back. Dont think i ever visited before the smoking ban came along but after it did we always used to go up and smoke on the street which was an experience and a half! I guess the council got pissed off with the localised street party every night and made them open up the back yard insted.


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Lastly it would have been rude not to pop up that fire escape stairs to the roof for a view over the city centre. The whole building is now up for development but theres nothing much else to see in there.


Farewell old friend!





 

Post-apocalyptic Pete

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Wow, that looks a lot smaller when it's empty and I'm not drunk!

Was just about to say the same thing- looks smaller empty than when it was full on a Friday night! Always interesting to see an explore at a place that you have been in when it was live (For me, see also Wolves Eye Infirmary andHall Green Dog Track)
 

Scoot34

28DL Member
28DL Member
I remember when the rum runner closed and everyone moved on to snobs, we thought it was well sophisticated ! A bit more upmarket than the cedar club, and i think it was the Locarno down on hurst st, happy days trying to find the "New romantic " nights in brum whilst trying to not get your head kicked in
 

Ollie

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
That place was my life, never had a bad night. Got one of the original faces on the wall facing my stairs. Upsetting to see it in that state but good to see all the same!
For reference, there's two galleries of the place just after it shut on their website http://www.snobsnightclub.co.uk/gallery/
 

dweeb

28DL Regular User
Regular User
Snobs was a big deal for me. Growing up in Nuneaton night clubs were the same shit with overpriced drinks and the grease 'megamix'... went to Snobs for the first time and realized there was more to a night out than that!
New snobs is (and was never going to be) quite the same sadly.
I got chucked out on more than one occasion trying to climb the fire escape at the back, so it was good finally making it to the top!
 

Nic King

28DL Member
28DL Member
Snobs was a big deal for me. Growing up in Nuneaton night clubs were the same shit with overpriced drinks and the grease 'megamix'... went to Snobs for the first time and realized there was more to a night out than that!
New snobs is (and was never going to be) quite the same sadly.
I got chucked out on more than one occasion trying to climb the fire escape at the back, so it was good finally making it to the top!
I thought that new Snobs was a lot like old Snobs... it was like bumping into an old friend I'd not seen for years.
 

Jeff the filler

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
I worked here in '98 as cellar man for Gary, a great bloke,always really quiet,
Was still owned by the berrows then not sure when he actually bought the place but it was after this.
the circular bar has been removed from the small bar by the looks of it,
most was original Formica everywhere,
 

Rosary_Boy

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
had some fun in here in early 90s was always going off aswell haha the fun of being 17/18
 

Calamity Jane

i see beauty in the unloved, places & things
Regular User
Like an old night club, I know its an older thread, but Im glad it came to my attention by someone bumping it. Wow the decor isnt to be envied lol, Doctor Who back wall tickled me, as did the bit in your report that said "Final night was on Sunday 21 September 2014. On the first night in 72 everyone was given a free tea cup and saucer and salmon was on the menu! Clubs have changed!! "lol.

Well aleast Snobs lasted unlike some nightclub names, one near me has been renamed around 6 times I know of .
 

Five.Claws

General Nuisance
28DL Full Member
Ah man, this brought back some memories, had many an entertaining night here back when I had a couple of friends living in the area. Remember I spent an entire night in the mirrored corridor, getting random passers by to dance with me!
Sad to see this is how it ended up, but was a nice throwback all the same.
 

Silver55

28DL Member
28DL Member
I worked as manager at Snobs from 1986, loved every moment. Staff was fantastic, atmosphere couldn't be beaten.
 

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