Off topic but mainly for CCFC fans

**tiktok** · 05/08/2003, 6:19 PM

sad news from www.hotpress.com. had many a good night in there.

Sir Henry's to be Bulldozed

The legendary rock 'n' roll venue will be replaced with an apartment and retail block

Following several months of speculation, it's been confirmed that Cork's most famous venue, Sir Henry's, is being torn down to make way for a "high-spec apartment and retail block."

A keen supporter of local talent for going on 25 years, Sir Henry's gave invaluable early exposure to the likes of Five Go Down To The Sea, Microdisney, The Frank & Walters and The Sultans Of Ping F.C.

It was also a regular stop-off for international acts such as Ian Brown, Mercury Rev, My Bloody Valentine and Sonic Youth who played a legendary gig there on August 20 1991 with a bunch of upstarts called Nirvana supporting.

It was also pivotal to the development of the Irish dance scene with their Sweat and Freakscene nights still spoken of in hushed tones. Unfortunately the venue went into sharp decline at the start of the millennium when both clubs relocated and larger, more punter-friendly Savoy Theatre opened up nearby.

Ignominious ending or not, Sir Henry's is assured of its place in Irish rock 'n' roll history.

**Gary** · 05/08/2003, 6:35 PM

There are few clubs with the same legend as Henrys. Namely, Studio54, Paradise Garage and the Hacienda. Henrys was the most amazing little club i am ever likely to have been in. the athmosphere, in what was a murky little dive was second to none. All that was good about Henrys was the music, the DJs and the talent, and boy what a sound system. There was always a amgical feeling getting to the top of the stairs at 11.30 hearing that dirty baseline seering through the floor. I mean what club was always full at 11.15 and still full at 2.45. All that mattered was the music. Yes, there were muppets who thought u were taking ur life into ur hands going in tere, but boy did they miss out.

Best nights ever in Henrys:
1. Laureant Garnier Oct 95 playing a 6 hr set. Unreal
2. the Birthdays.
3. Sasha, Sept 1997. One of the all time great sets from both Greg AND Sasha.
4. Kerri Chandler, Xmas 2000
5. The weekender august weekender in 1996.

Itll always have a placce in my heart as the best nightclub in the world. A small plavce like that described by garnier, Cox, eric rug and Kerri Chandler as the best. Not bad goiung for a dive at the end of Barrack street "full of Knackers".

[SIZE=1]and who could forget the Prime Time YOLK special from in there. HYlarious!)[/SIZE]

**�anna** · 05/08/2003, 6:35 PM

was never a regular or anything but the place is an institution. RIP

**tiktok** · 05/08/2003, 10:04 PM

nicely done GWA, while it's legendary in terms of dance music it was for Freakscene that i hit Henry's every wednesday night.

True about the sound hitting you as you climbed the stairs, dragging a friend who'd heard horror stories, faces drop further when the darkness hits them, no fluorescent lights and the only fake plastic trees came from Radiohead (though usually to soften our mood at the end of the night).

Black paint on walls, indescribable black stuff on the ground that invariably ruined the ends of your jeans, black looking bottles of Bulmers in hand as you threw yourself around to the pixies, violent femmes, franks, dinosuar jr.

Alan fadd spinning overlooking the dance floor with a smile on his face as weezer tunes get a cheer, and the Sultans always fill the floor.

And Bikers, Gays, Punks, Guys in suits after the job interview, Cureheads, Skinheads, Goths and Greasers giving it loads, hands in the air when Danascene played Dee-Lite.

Birthdays, Christmas parties taking photos on Santa's knee and Sixties nights dressed as Ringo.

Freakscene lives on in the Savoy, but for old feens like me it's not the same......

**Eric** · 05/08/2003, 10:11 PM

Sad to hear they are pulling the place down!!! Used to love going there a couple of years ago before I got relocated to the pale.

The place was a proper club where the music was all that mattered and not some poncey modern gaff.

And what music it was too.

Haven't been in there in recent times due to other commitments but damn I'm gonna miss that place

**Dricky** · 06/08/2003, 11:06 AM

Originally posted by Conor74
Remember it back in 1993/94. Think it was Thursday nights that "Sweat" was on. Place full of fellows in white Levis, no teeshirts, hands in the air stuff. Closest thing this country had to a proper North of England rave venue.

Sorry Conor but Henrys was the institution that all others followed when it came to music

as for Decor Sir henry's was what all knackers aspired to when building a park.

Long before rave hit the Streets Cork was a hive for all things good in underground music.

Sweat was known as 'the' gig, the smell of Vicks, the taps turned off and that wiff of Strawberry deo will remain in most peoples minds forever.

Henrys lead the way, the rest followed

**Dricky** · 06/08/2003, 11:14 AM

Originally posted by GWA
Best nights ever in Henrys:
1. Laureant Garnier Oct 95 playing a 6 hr set. Unreal

[SIZE=1]and who could forget the Prime Time YOLK special from in there. HYlarious!)[/SIZE] [/B]

I met Laureant Garnier last year at his gig in Luxembourg when I mentioned Henrys his reaction was great his eyes lit up and he was asking 'was it still there as he thought it should be a fire trap', but in saying that he followed that with it was one of his top 5 gigs. now that is 8-9 years ago and a dj to come out with that almost brought a tear to my eye.

**Gary** · 06/08/2003, 12:43 PM

That night was tribal. 15 mins into the set and the place were going nuts, totally going for it. It didnt calm down either. He even played Drum N Bass and Barry White in the set. It was a pure journey.

Unreal.

Memories are made of those, not running around Gorbys trying to ram your tongue down some manky ol dolls mouth. In Henrys you met real women, with real taste, and very little clothes!!!!

**steven17** · 07/08/2003, 1:49 PM

worked there before it was closed ....from my memorey`s the place was a fooking kip and the music d.js played never really any good its just that people in there were buzzin off their niplets, and so fooked of their heads would have said the music was good if barney played there.. r.i.p my ass good ridance to bad rubbish

bakery was the spot for young filt......... happy days

**A face** · 07/08/2003, 2:20 PM

Originally posted by GWA
Best nights ever in Henrys:
1. Strictly Rhythm .......... (blue screen)
2. Laureant Garnier Oct 95 playing a 6 hr set. Unreal
3. the Birthdays.
4. Sasha, Sept 1997. One of the all time great sets from both Greg AND Sasha.
5. Kerri Chandler, Xmas 2000
6. The weekender august weekender in 1996.

**A face** · 07/08/2003, 2:26 PM

Nearly forgot

Justin Robertson ....... The first time he came, the second was good too but the first was just far too good to put inot words, just glad i was there.

**Gary** · 07/08/2003, 4:37 PM

Originally posted by steven17
worked there before it was closed ....from my memorey`s the place was a fooking kip and the music d.js played never really any good its just that people in there were buzzin off their niplets, and so fooked of their heads would have said the music was good if barney played there.. r.i.p my ass good ridance to bad rubbish

bakery was the spot for young filt......... happy days

You rerally are a young uneducated idiot Steven. Bakery. What was it. Unoriginal. There are hundreds of places around like that in every town in the world.

The fact that Henrys was a dive added to its legend.

**Dricky** · 08/08/2003, 8:34 AM

Originally posted by GWA
You rerally are a young uneducated idiot Steven. Bakery. What was it. Unoriginal. There are hundreds of places around like that in every town in the world.

The fact that Henrys was a dive added to its legend.

Steve they didn't play slow set either, is that what you were looking for. I don't know when you were there but the decor was the least of my worries.
If you turn the light on in any club in the world then you see what a **** hole they all are. It's not like anyone dolled themselves up before going in. Everyone was an equal on the floor, didn't need to be buzzing to enjoy the music and the scene.

Bass in 88 and 89 was unheard of yet most sets in Henrys had it pumping through their music and the crowd called out for more.

No one ever said it wasn't a kip. But to say the music ****e is crap,
Anyone can rent a DJ but the DJ will have to play to house rules so the punters will come in..
IF your club gets request from DJs to play there then you know there was something special.
The POD, Earth, The Funnel they all were a second class substitute. Freakscene Sweat granted they didn't play will smith or c'n'c but some of us were glad of that.

Some say when Sweat left it had lost its heart I don't know it's been a few years since I've been there some of the others may help

I remember going in hearing a good set then Monday morning down to Comet records to search or some of the music being played on the set from the Sat night. I know I wasn't the only one.

My biggest memory was Jungle starting there I don't care what anyone says Goldie didn't start Jungle, There was a regular set of Jungle there by on DJ he used to play in what is the Black Bush, if anyone can remember who I was talking about let us know.

**Dricky** · 08/08/2003, 9:19 AM

Originally posted by Conor74
I'd say Steven would be fond of the old "boom boom shake shake the room" alright. Gets the Munster rugby jersey all sweaty though...

Ah it ok they bring in the Ralph Polo tops incase they do

Henrys was filth dirty sweaty stinking pit with great music- great djs and great to cool off in the courtyard.

WHat or where is this bakery if I'm told it the Keg I will wet myself laughing.

**tiktok** · 08/08/2003, 3:18 PM

it's the little Poser's bar they placed under Henry's (is it going to go too???) to replace 'rattlesnake annie's' (or whatever it was called that week.

as for Steven, i'm always slow to knock somebody else's taste in music, if he didn't enjoy the music there that's his perogative, as i said at the start, sweat wasn't my scene as much as Freakscene (and gigantic later) was.

the fact that henry's was so based around the music though meant that people didn't turn up for a look at the decor, the chance of a slow set

or some other reason that drags people into Havana Browns. in the end it did leave a lot of people scratching their heads, i had friends who hated it.

all that meant though was that the people that were there were there for the right reasons.