Cuba* / Cellar Memories

Das Kitty

I know a lot of people on here, much like myself were Cuba* and Cellar regulars at some point in their lives and have a lot of memories tied up in the places.

Please share your (non-defamatory) memories!

Glen Hansard getting thrown out of Cuba* for crowd surfing at his own gig and having to convince the bouncers that he was the lead singer.

Forgetting the words of the song I was trying to sing whilst drunk at Open Mic in the Cellar.

Tightrope doing Fuzzburger's "I Like to get Dressed" one Paddy's Day downstairs in the Cellar and my poor confused foreign friends.

Madame Razz

The original Bar Cuba, and their EPIC spaghetti carbonara:D

Meeting an amazing kiwi there(club cuba)and having a mad crazy whirlwind romance with him, during which I nearly ditched college and ran off to NZ, but I saw sense:D

My friend having her shoes stolen in club Cuba whilst she was ON the toilet; we laughed so much that night:p

Ending up there whilst on a date with the now fiance when we first started going out, great atmosphere and great gig, plus I was mid falling madly in love at the time so the quality night just added to it all.

I didn't go there very much in latter years, but it was certainly a place that had it's (good) moments:)

Years ago, when it was Bar Cuba, I remember starting a singalong one Paddy's Day. Probably being upstairs in Cuba, listening to a fantastic band play and dancing like an absolute moron, without anyone caring because they were all dancing like that too.

shinnersryan

Now I'm only a recent 'regular' of Cuba, since 2008 in fact, but god it was some spot! :-) Really loved that place and the cellar was great for the 'quiet one' after work....

sgthighway

I recall getting assaulted in Cuba and then been literally thrown out of the nightclub onto the footpath by the bouncers. I lost my shoe on the way down the stairs. One of the bouncers lost his job. I was actually doing work for Mr. G in some of his other investments at the time. He was very sorry about the whole thing. I never set foot in there again. Thats not to say it was a bad place. Thats my memory of it.
I always liked downstairs in the Cellar. Was one of my first regular pubs once I got over 18. There use to be great bands. Was a real popular spot for Hen Partys.

ErnieBert

Does memories of the Bently count? The Bently was the nightclub in the original site of the Cuba*. There was another nightclub there in between the Bently era and the Cuba era called Icon. It never took off.

I went to the bently occasionally in the mid to late 90's.

I shifted woman who was almost twice my age. I was around 24 and she was late 40's. And she was married.

I am forever scarred.

TheCosmicFrog

Cuba - Going to a Halloween fancy dress there in first-year and meeting a girl wearing the "milky" costume from Blur's Coffee & TV video. Insisting she take numerous photographs with me and my friends. Still have them, great memories. There was also the time I thought it would be a great idea to let the bartenders squirt Buckfast in the rough direction of my mouth while wearing a plain white t-shirt. I don't think I ever got the brown stains out...

The Cellar - My friend ordering a pitcher of Bavaria and 19 shot glasses to commemorate his 19th birthday. I've never seen a man look quite so determined, followed by some of the most horrible lurching sounds I've ever heard. Or another time where same friend played Open Mic and lost in the final to a Rock-Paper-Scissors competition since they reached closing time before they could play. He also got a "gig" there at one stage, after going to an Open Mic on a Sunday during the summer where he was the only one who turned up. The organiser played a song, then just said, "That was Walking in Memphis. Next up is Aidan Breen for the next hour-and-a-half."

emptybladder

ErnieBert wrote: »

There was another nightclub there in between the Bently era and the Cuba era called Icon. It never took off.

Robert Lee's and the Icon were absolutely *huge* but shortlived.

Their downfall came with the whole date rape scandal summer 98.

I remember the full sized window posters they had to put up in Lee's denying the spikings.

It was far too late for damage limitation by that stage.

Pity. It was a great club.

slickmcvic

...remember some great Cuba lock-ins with the staff in the early noughties when I worked there!...also remember really busy bars and a really well run company that did a lot for the city.....I remember the top floor in cuba having live music 7 nights a week in the summer,keith disconought downstairs on monday nights played deep funky house y'id never hear anywhere else....Tommy Tiernan used to MC the comedy nights and they used to bring great acts into the place.....Gerry Hannon took up the MC gig afterwards and kept up his buckfast gags goin till probably this present day ....the groups departure is going to be a huge loss to the city...it added a lot of variety in and offered a decent alternative to the generic ****e pumped out elsewhere accross the town...:(

kippy

In college in Limerick in 98. Class party was in Cuba (or the incarnation of it at the time). I remember falling up and down the stairs numerous times (first time in a venue with stairs, thought it was very poor planning to put stairs in a place with drunken students).

Upstairs a few years later on a night out with some friends, down from Dublin for the weekend. Epic band on one of the floors, cant remember who, brilliant night.

In the last few years have seen Ardal O Hanlon there(CUBA), excellent gig.
Also seen some generic English band there a couple of years ago, very drunk.
Havent been "out" in Cuba in a few years now.

The Cellar, had some great nights there throughout the past 10 years.

903 had been a bit "loud" and dark for me as of late, if I am being honest, but still stopped in there for the odd early evening pint.

Feel sorry for staff and associated staff, although I suspect they may be sold as going concerns.

Seaneh

I am a massive hiphop fan and when I moved to Galway I was annoyed at the lack of hiphop gigs in town so rather than bitch and moan about it I went to Brownsie and Jason in cuba, booked the top floor and put on a gig.
I booked Marc Stretch, part time GQ model and one half of California underground hiphop legends Foreign Legion and DJ Flip, ITF world Scratch champion and former cardigan model for River Island. Also had a guest slot from Irish rapper Rob Kelly, was a crazy night.
On a Tuesday night in June 09 we tore the arse out of the place. 400 people in the Live venue on a Tuesday night in June, and it was all thanks to the Promo staff and management. they did an amazing Job, on the same night there were 15 people in GPO and less than 50 in Karma. The other 3 clubs weren't open.

So for that reason alone I know the staff in Cuba*, 903 and The Celler knew what they were doing.

I'll miss the place, was the only club I actually liked going to in town, best selection of beers in a late bar in town in 903 and great cocktails. Massive loss to the music scene in town.

So my best memory of Cuba is this.

Tuyesday, 9th of June 2009, Cuba* Live. Will never forget this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAG2IJyPEPY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6A9rw_AHr4

A few weeks later I booked a second act on a Thursday night in 903, L.A. Indie Rap group Lexicon, was another great night but no video footage to be found.

Loved that place.


Other memorable nights include gigs by The Next men, Japanese Popstars, Kormac, Tu-Ki, Beat Torrent, A-skillz, and too many more to remember or name.

Lukker-

The Subs in Cuba* a few months ago was pretty special.

barryd09

Seaneh wrote: »

Japanese Popstars, Kormac, A-skillz, and too many more to remember or name.

Askillz was deadly,saw him twice in 903.
saw the japs there numerous times too,they loved playing there.

in the last year i saw

dr.lektroluv
japanese popstars
jack beats
doorly
beardyman (on a thursday & and it was RAMMED)
kormac
kormac and his band (and also a kormac bakesale in 903 )
kissy sellout
dave clarke (twice)
tommy tiernan twice also
groove armada played a dj set there in 2005 also

they also had eric prydz,utah saints,mixhell and loads loads more in the last year alone.
theres friends of mine in dublin who were so jealous of the lineups & djs cuba put on and the ones 903 ran for free.

will be sadly missed.

Fey!

Alabama 3, Fun Lovin' Criminals, Black Magic, and the Comedy Club.

We used to be lunchtime regulars in the Cellar, too.

Unfortunately I haven't been to either place in a long time.

Fionn MacCool

Havin the craic at Pendulum until I got thrown out for throwing a glowstick. Sound.

magentas

best music in any club in galway, they always had great bands on upstairs, people that went there were sound out, the bouncers were sound, the bar staff were sound, especially John from ennistymon who was a legend behind the bar and a girl who's name escapes me now but she later worked in the front door before heading to Oz methinks, she was insanely enthusiastic!

when I moved to Galway in 2002 it was pretty much the only place I went, bar cuba for pints (or cracking cocktails if we were feeling flush!) then free in upstairs...up-upstairs mind!

Loved the comedy club on sunday nights, always great acts from all over the world, we enjoyed watching the first-timers all delighted to get "front row seats", they never seemed to wonder why they were only seats left haha, then get ripped to shreads by the comedian while I sipped mudslides down the back and laughed on heehee:D

Cellar was always a good place for grub, if ever I was meeting someone in town for lunch we'd normally head there. they used to have good gigs on downstairs although it's a while since I was in there at night.

No bar has come close to bar cuba (circa '02) IMO
I loved the big comfy chairs and little round tables with candles, the relaxed vibe, good tunes and I've never encountered sounder staff

dantbyhid

Organising a gig for one of my favourite bands ever (Comeback Kid) in Cuba* was defo one of the highlights for me. Subhumans (yes, the SUBHUMANS) playing downstairs in The Cellar was pretty epic too. Loads of great nights in both the Cellar and Cuba* over the last decade. Too many to mention.

CaliforniaDream

I remember going to the after-party for the premier of Intermission when it played at the Galway Film Fleadh.
I got to party with Cillian Murphy and hung out with Huey Morgan while he spun the decks.

Still have the photos, great night.

Head The Wall

SISi used to be excellent downstairs in the cellar as were many of the nights down there.

Also loved the Boss Rebels (Shaun Warner and ????) in Cuba but that's going back in time. Most weekends consisted of Essence in the GPO on Friday and the Boss Rebels on Saturday night. Sadly both places now gone but hopefully they will return although I doubt it will be in their current incarnations. There was still queues up by TK Maxx on some nights recently e.g. Beardyman, Japanese Popstars

Big props to all the staff, can't really say I had a bad night there in all my years, your night is what you make of it.

Legen_Dary

Studying for exams one night and was getting super stressed, housemate suggested going to cuba for a bit. As it was free in and no dress code I went in my college clothes for like half an hour, did some mad dancing and totally de stressed, much more productive study was done after and I passed the exam... good mark too if I remember correctly.

Had my first kiss with a guy I liked for ages on the stairs, heard loads of wolf whistling... assumed it was friends of ours till we pulled away and I realised my dress had fallen down and I was flashing people my bra. hahaha.

Goodbye Cuba. I'll miss you!

muskyj

so many great nights, birthday parties and bands in cuba.
michael D. latin dancing in bar 903 was memorable!
too many breakfasts and sunday afternoons in the Cellar. they always turned into sessions!
they'll be back in some other form i'm sure. locations way to good.

cheesemaker

Scratching my head when people some how thought they we're above the the CPs crowd.
They we're thealternative ones. They even had the hoodie to prove it.

Even cooler if you prefered cubalive right ?

The horrible job they did on cubabar

Sighing when you saw a poster for the same acts independent clubs and promoters had booked months and months before.
And booked them over and over for the next 3 years.

The techno Viking on the door of the celler

Same old tired DJs playing 'around the world' and 'pounding' every week at the same time like clockwork.

The rip off steak sandwiches

Watery Guinness in 903

Lukker-

cheesemaker wrote: »

Scratching my head when people some how thought they we're above the the CPs crowd.
They we're thealternative ones. They even had the hoodie to prove it.

Even cooler if you prefered cubalive right ?

The horrible job they did on cubabar

Sighing when you saw a poster for the same acts independent clubs and promoters had booked months and months before.
And booked them over and over for the next 3 years.

The techno Viking on the door of the celler

Same old tired DJs playing 'around the world' and 'pounding' every week at the same time like clockwork.

The rip off steak sandwiches

Watery Guinness in 903

Still better then CP's playing the UK Top 20 in the exact order right though?

ScumLord

I had my first yolk in Cuba and got sick in their toilet shortly thereafter.

bill murray

cheesemaker wrote: »

Scratching my head when people some how thought they we're above the the CPs crowd.
They we're thealternative ones. They even had the hoodie to prove it.

Even cooler if you prefered cubalive right ?

The horrible job they did on cubabar

Sighing when you saw a poster for the same acts independent clubs and promoters had booked months and months before.
And booked them over and over for the next 3 years.

The techno Viking on the door of the celler

Same old tired DJs playing 'around the world' and 'pounding' every week at the same time like clockwork.

The rip off steak sandwiches

Watery Guinness in 903

Aye the variety of acts in cp and halo is astounding. The music is so varied there and as for the drinks cheap as chips! Bouncers are lovely lads there aswell :rolleyes:

This thread will end up getting locked now because of your post and more people banned. Im likely to be banned over the other thread and in fairness it will be a complete joke. People went into that thread with the intention of mocking the place (no more than yourself) and i wouldn't be surprised if the mods let the more regular posters off with it. How they failed to deal with some people in that other thread being complete arseholes is beyond me.

happyoutscan

bill murray wrote: »

People went into that thread with the intention of mocking the place (no more than yourself) and i wouldn't be surprised if the mods let the more regular posters off with it. How they failed to deal with some people in that other thread being complete arseholes is beyond me.

From my experience the mods for the Galway forum are great, and certainly won't show any leniency towards regular posters. In fact, they would probably show more leniency towards new posters who mightn't be up to spec on the 'terms' of posting etc. To be honest I didn't see too much wrong with the other thread anyway, people are entitled to their opinions, and even though its a shame so many lost jobs you're still going to have people with opinions against the general grain of the thread. That's life.

Getting back on topic, being able to have a headbang/pogo/bop on a Sunday night used to be the highlight of my week. Great tunes, great vibes and in general great people. I for one always thought the place rocked, although I haven't been down too much in the last few years as the hangovers have caught up with me.

Caliden

Lots of this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CA9GP2uvtjg

hyperbaby

Oh the glory days in Cuba on a Thursday night circa 2000/2001.
Going to college next day wondering why i had loads of bruises on my arms.
Of course it had nothing to do with been stuck in the middle of a mob of lads all going ape**** to the sounds of QOTSA, Metallica, etc...

Ah yes Bar Cuba was wonderful before they changed it.

Wompa1

I remember telling 2 girls it was my 21st and getting a three way kiss...I say kiss because the word shift makes my skin crawl but it was full on and hoooooray! Happy Birthday!

I liked Cuba before they made the changes. The idea that drink prices in shops should be changed so pubs can charge more though....ehh..

biko

Cuba and Cuba upstairs:
Getting beer spilled on me.
Some drunk Nordie guy telling me he was IRA.
Dancing like crazy upstairs (never really liked the main floor).
Drinking Aftershocks.

Bar Cuba:
Good music but much too loud.
Could always walk straight in through the line for Cuba.
Some good live acts.

DRakE

any reason they were shut? just dwindling crowds?

Blinking_Badger

Naked.

Blinking_Badger

and the Comedy Club

cheesemaker

bill murray wrote: »

Aye the variety of acts in cp and halo is astounding. The music is so varied there and as for the drinks cheap as chips! Bouncers are lovely lads there aswell :rolleyes:

This thread will end up getting locked now because of your post and more people banned. Im likely to be banned over the other thread and in fairness it will be a complete joke. People went into that thread with the intention of mocking the place (no more than yourself) and i wouldn't be surprised if the mods let the more regular posters off with it. How they failed to deal with some people in that other thread being complete arseholes is beyond me.

What are you talking about ?
Look at the title of thread. Where did it stipulated "fluffy college days" memories only.

Wompa1

Blinking_Badger wrote: »

Naked.

You remember that eh? In my defense I still contest that some Puerto Rican guy spiked my drink, I felt really hot and the ghost of Jimi Hendrix was telling me to do it.

How long do the boardsies reckon it will take for the Cellar to open back up. I'd bet it won't be long!

TheCosmicFrog

Wompa1 wrote: »

In my defense I still contest that some Puerto Rican guy spiked my drink

Wtf? I'm not Puerto Rican.

Blinking_Badger

Wompa1 wrote: »

You remember that eh?

Indeed I do Wompa1....albeit fuzzily.......badgers are famous for their superb memories!

I also remember when it was in the sacred Liquid before Cuba.......

barryd09

just came to me earlier,i remember dj ted and dean king had fridays on the middle floor of cuba in or around 2002.

one of the first times i had heard layo vs bushwacka - love story :cool:

Head The Wall

barryd09 wrote: »

just came to me earlier,i remember dj ted and dean king had fridays on the middle floor of cuba in or around 2002.

one of the first times i had heard layo vs bushwacka - love story :cool:

Yeah, Essence moved there when GPO brought in a new music policy (something to do with the clientèle not buying alcohol:D) It didn't have the same atmosphere in Cuba though.

On a side note Dean was spinning at the Castle Reunion night in the Oslo on Stephens Night. Twas a great night.

barryd09

Head The Wall wrote: »

Yeah, Essence moved there when GPO brought in a new music policy (something to do with the clientèle not buying alcohol:D) It didn't have the same atmosphere in Cuba though.

On a side note Dean was spinning at the Castle Reunion night in the Oslo on Stephens Night. Twas a great night.

tbh im not really old enough to have been a big essence fan/follower.
my younger years were mostly spent in liquid in salthill.

another ted/dk in cuba memory was them playing the kylie vs new order bootleg that was red hot in the day.

tightropetom

Here's some of mine - from one of our gigs there...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjSqRl2rzXQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2HwUXT5Nwg

Cuba gigs were always great fun, great crowds, great sound engineers to work with. Good times, good times...

Das Kitty

tightropetom wrote: »

Here's some of mine - from one of our gigs there...

http://www.youtube.com/embed/IYQUZMDqZsk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjSqRl2rzXQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2r7u6s1i18
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2HwUXT5Nwg

Cuba gigs were always great fun, great crowds, great sound engineers to work with. Good times, good times...

You guys make up lots of my memories of the places Tom. Myself and my husband used to go in just to see you when we were going out first.

baldshin

Awesome videos, used to love seeing live bands upstairs, couldn't be beat. Still enjoyed the stuff played in the last few years, but nothing beats a live band to get everyone going.

Robbo

Anyone else remember Senor Blingbling (as we called him) in Cuba? White chap with cornrows and a penchant for American football shirts, talked like an ersatz Sean Paul. He could often be seen busting his moves in such a way that cleared the entire dancefloor.

I saw him once with a Clare hurling jersey in place of his usual Cincinatti Backwoodsmen effort.

tightropetom

Robbo wrote: »

Anyone else remember Senor Blingbling (as we called him) in Cuba? White chap with cornrows and a penchant for American football shirts, talked like an ersatz Sean Paul. He could often be seen busting his moves in such a way that cleared the entire dancefloor.

I saw him once with a Clare hurling jersey in place of his usual Cincinatti Backwoodsmen effort.

I think I know who you're on about. Have to say though, he was a great barman, super efficient and very enthusiastic about his work (and everything, as I remember) - or at least that was my impression.

Dutchess

Cuba: Me and my sister, who was over from the Netherands dancing and a friend of my fiance's brother apologising to my fiance of all people for hitting on my sister.
Sis recently insisted that for the bachelorette party we hit Cuba at some point.:(
Cellar: the band downstairs doing an awesome version of happy birthday for my fiance on my request.
ALMOST having my first kiss with him on one of the couches. (happened later at a houseparty).

I'm gonna miss those places although Cuba did lose some of its appeal in the last year or so.

Hotwheels

Fadó Fadó U2 played downstairs in the Cellar before they were famous...

fatguy2k1

god, where do i start?

Cellar: getting punched by the girlfriends best friend in the women's toilet.
having to get into town early to get in before the bouncers (when underage)
many hungover lunches on the weekend
leaving deaf when there was a live band dowstairs

Cuba: all those thursday night mosh pits upstairs when i was in college.
the que that used to on on for miles (and skipping it)
the messing outside the club at the end of the night
all the tunes they played upstairs
kissing many random women
losing a contact lens and then finding it again at the end of the night when the lights were on
the night Pssap played there for the green rooms gig - that was a messy night
drinking green diesel (double blue afteshock and red bull) then not rembering the rest of the night

Interceptor

I was at the opening nights of both Cuba and the Cellar and I have some great memories of both places down the years. I worked in Cuba for a while and have nothing but good to say about the management and staff (and punters!). Mostly I remember stuff after the venue closed, someone did a run to Supermacs, a few bottles were opened and we had the club to ourselves - seven o'clock in the morning is a bad time to leave work.

I'm sorry to see them go, I hope they bounce back in some shape or form.

'cptr

magentas

Robbo wrote: »

Anyone else remember Senor Blingbling (as we called him) in Cuba? White chap with cornrows and a penchant for American football shirts, talked like an ersatz Sean Paul. He could often be seen busting his moves in such a way that cleared the entire dancefloor.

I saw him once with a Clare hurling jersey in place of his usual Cincinatti Backwoodsmen effort.

yeah his name is John, he's from ennistymon in clare and he's sound out, great craic and an absolute legend of a barman! He'd always remember your round and never leave you waiting and I never once saw him in bad form!
He's since worked in the front door and sallys, we used to call him sean paul! always liked the staff (in general) in cuba

bill murray

magentas wrote: »

yeah his name is John, he's from ennistymon in clare and he's sound out, great craic and an absolute legend of a barman! He'd always remember your round and never leave you waiting and I never once saw him in bad form!
He's since worked in the front door and sallys, we used to call him sean paul! always liked the staff (in general) in cuba

Funny thing is his name isn't actually john at all!!

He actually came back to cuba in july/august and was working there up until we closed.