Night Clubs in Galway

shane3265

I've been researching and think with the amount of closures in this market and the amount of people I've seen on sites like this complaining about "halo" "karma" and "cp" that there is room for another club to open in this area. I am not talking small scale i have researched and have accumulated a large pot of money to fund this.

What I would like to know from people in this area as I actually live in Dublin is:

1) Is there space for another "big" club
2) Is there anything wrong with the three clubs listed above
3) If so what would you change for somewhere new
4) Any of your feedback

Appreciated in advance

skinny90

galway night clubs are ok....i prefer to go pubbing here than anything else as there are plenty of late bars better craic also. I find the big 3 are just too god dam expensive paying in and then drinks, and the pints are horrific.music is horrible. Roisin dubh brilliant music,not a nice place for bands in my opinion its very small cramped etc
what they dont have is a decent venue/night club such as button factory,tri pod.

shane3265

well if you don't mind me asking what age bracket you are in? I don't mean this offensively its just when evaluating gathered data it helps to know.

Well what is in the plan would be a fairly top furbished out place to the standards of what I've seen of "cp" if not better. I would certainly not be looking at €10 admission, somewhere between 5 and 8 depending on the night. And drinks are where money is made. You can sell a drink at €2.50 and still have between a euro and €1.50 profit and in my experience you are more likely to drink in a club and not before if it is around 2-2.50 instead of a fiver.

Finally music, what music are they playing? Is it different to your average clubs in Dublin?

Thanks

skinny90

im 22...I like all sorts of music except what you'd hear in the charts/mtv or on the radio 24/7.I hav'nt been in tripod in about 2 -3years now,i also heard it closed down tho im not sure on that.
What i liked about tripod is that it was massive and as a club they where able to acommadate different tastes at the same time,there would loads of different types being played in different rooms...

lis2

Hey, Im 28 and I travel from Mayo to Galway for nights out! Theres nothing really wrong as such with the 3 clubs mentioned its just its the same thing every night and I guess people get tired of the same thing. For my age group, we would prefer to go to a late bar rather than paying into a club, drinks are less expensive and were guaranteed to be all together!
So Im not sure if there is room for another nightclub in Galway, theres also Carbon which once was GPO, I think its doing well but mostly during collage term, week nights!

shane3265

lis2 wrote: »

Hey, Im 28 and I travel from Mayo to Galway for nights out! Theres nothing really wrong as such with the 3 clubs mentioned its just its the same thing every night and I guess people get tired of the same thing. For my age group, we would prefer to go to a late bar rather than paying into a club, drinks are less expensive and were guaranteed to be all together!
So Im not sure if there is room for another nightclub in Galway, theres also Carbon which once was GPO, I think its doing well but mostly during collage term, week nights!

Thanks for the reply. Firstly without again being offensive i completely appreciate that past probably 25 the club scene is generally more faded out for the pub scene which is perfect, but i would say that the target market of this club would be to compete with "cp" for the 18-25 bracket.

One thing i also would appreciate if anyone knew. Does anyone know how many people from Galway University are on campus or live local? I cant find these figures anywhere.

What i would say is that there is around 17,500 people in the university and Galway is actually one of the few places that is still getting investment and incentives etc. from the government. So i do think if played right that there is room for another night club, as from what i understand "cp" averages around 800 people on there nights? If this is averaged in any club its going to make anyone A LOT of money.

shane3265

skinny90 wrote: »

im 22...I like all sorts of music except what you'd hear in the charts/mtv or on the radio 24/7.I hav'nt been in tripod in about 2 -3years now,i also heard it closed down tho im not sure on that.
What i liked about tripod is that it was massive and as a club they where able to acommadate different tastes at the same time,there would loads of different types being played in different rooms...

Thanks yeah i know what your saying, I do think that's one of the reasons tripod actually failed though, that they were trying to accommodate for all sorts on every night. I don't think this can work and i fell to accommodate for different people you need to have different dj's on your book and play different music on different nights with occasional live bands.

ciano1

There will be another 'Big' club in Galway when Cuba reopens!

shane3265

ciano1 wrote: »

There will be another 'Big' club in Galway when Cuba reopens!

Is this actually in the plans?

skinny90

you would have to contact nuig/gmit on that one...though id say its a fairly big percentage.
what frustrates me is that I feel they dont add value.its expensive to go in to the places and expensive to have a drink. what annoys me more is that people(the same crowd who are there every weeknd)dont mind paying the premium just because of where they are yet they would kick up a fuss if it was a pub. Good luck with the club if you decide to invest btw...lifetime free entry and half price drinks would have me there 6/7 nights a week:pac:

ben.schlomo

shane3265 wrote: »

Thanks for the reply. Firstly without again being offensive i completely appreciate that past probably 25 the club scene is generally more faded out for the pub scene which is perfect, but i would say that the target market of this club would be to compete with "cp" for the 18-25 bracket.

One thing i also would appreciate if anyone knew. Does anyone know how many people from Galway University are on campus or live local? I cant find these figures anywhere.

What i would say is that there is around 17,500 people in the university and Galway is actually one of the few places that is still getting investment and incentives etc. from the government. So i do think if played right that there is room for another night club, as from what i understand "cp" averages around 800 people on there nights? If this is averaged in any club its going to make anyone A LOT of money.

If you are only aiming at the student/younger age group then all you need is cheap drink.
The more discerning punter wants different/better music, better range of drinks etc. If all you want is to fill a club with students then you will be no different than everywhere else currently there so i fail to see the point in you spending money investing in a 'big' project to get them in when the above suggestions would do. Also for that market there are also Club K and Coyotes which do okay weeknights with students.

For the record im 31, i go to the Roisin and other late bars or pubs with a range of real beer and not your run of the mill manky Bud/Heineken etc. Given the amount of business the Roisin and similar pubs do its clear that that side of the market is where a new venue would be of interest to a lot of people. Hopefully thats the route cuba will go down again.

Paddyfield

Bring back The Warwick.

Laid back 25-45 age crowd , funky music and under-zealous bouncers.

That crowd have migrated to Massimos.

MadYaker

Cuba is re opening I posted a thread about it: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=77924205

I'm 21. I like Carbon and sometimes CPs, I also like factory which is basically a room in CPs where they play slightly less mainstream music. Kelly's and the Roisin are also good. I don't know why some of you are complaining about nightclubs being too expensive. Every thursday in Carbon drinks are buy 1 get 1 free and its only 3 or 4 euro to get in. All clubs usually have competitive drinks promotions.

OP, when Cuba re opens the market for nightclubs will be pretty much saturated. Cuba has a reputation and many people of my age have very fond memories of it.

empacher

cuba wont reopen

MadYaker

empacher wrote: »

cuba wont reopen

You got any links to support this or is it just speculation?

skinny90

MadYaker wrote: »

Cuba is re opening I posted a thread about it: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=77924205

I'm 21. I like Carbon and sometimes CPs, I also like factory which is basically a room in CPs where they play slightly less mainstream music. Kelly's and the Roisin are also good. I don't know why some of you are complaining about nightclubs being too expensive. Every thursday in Carbon drinks are buy 1 get 1 free and its only 3 or 4 euro to get in. All clubs usually have competitive drinks promotions.

OP, when Cuba re opens the market for nightclubs will be pretty much saturated. Cuba has a reputation and many people of my age have very fond memories of it.

i thought we were on about the big 3...halo,karma and cps
i love carbon, i never mentioned carbon being expensive.
also go out most thursdays either carbon or club k where ever the crowd is at.
On a saterday night would you go to carbon??

MadYaker

skinny90 wrote: »

i thought we were on about the big 3...halo,karma and cps
i love carbon, i never mentioned carbon being expensive.
also go out most thursdays either carbon or club k where ever the crowd is at.
On a saterday night would you go to carbon??

Nobody I know goes to halo and and I have a wide circle of friends. Haven't been to CPs in a while but I think they usually have fairly competitive drinks offers. I would go to carbon on a saturday night but I haven't been out on a saturday in a few weeks and last time it was kellys. I'm in NUIG we tend to go out on wednesday and thursdays.

ben.schlomo

MadYaker wrote: »

Nobody I know goes to halo and and I have a wide circle of friends. Haven't been to CPs in a while but I think they usually have fairly competitive drinks offers. I would go to carbon on a saturday night but I haven't been out on a saturday in a few weeks and last time it was kellys. I'm in NUIG we tend to go out on wednesday and thursdays.

Halo does attract an older crowd than your particular age though.

skinny90

MadYaker wrote: »

skinny90 wrote: »

i thought we were on about the big 3...halo,karma and cps
i love carbon, i never mentioned carbon being expensive.
also go out most thursdays either carbon or club k where ever the crowd is at.
On a saterday night would you go to carbon??

Nobody I know goes to halo and and I have a wide circle of friends. Haven't been to CPs in a while but I think they usually have fairly competitive drinks offers. I would go to carbon on a saturday night but I haven't been out on a saturday in a few weeks and last time it was kellys. I'm in NUIG we tend to go out on wednesday and thursdays.

Your still missing my point im going on what the op has simply stated. Your friends probly won't go to halo because it's 12-15 to get into the place and it generally a far older crowd.
I also go to nuig,have to say Iv been to carbon the most this year but saterday nights in carbon i find the crowd is very different hence why i asked,also prices is different on weekends,generally more expensive
Regarding CPs they might do something as in first 100 people get free in or free shot but all in all it's still quiet expensive.compared to carbon/club k your paying an awful premium for it...suppose the flip side is that if they have a full house most nights they don't feel the need to reduce price.

Oh please, we don't need a student-only nightclub, which is what seems to be what you're explaining/gearing towards. What I would love, is a nightclub that has a decent selection of drinks, with music that isn't too loud that you can't have a decent conversation, and adequate seating. Actually, what I'm describing is a late bar. We need more of those.

skinny90

Came down,I'd rather a late bar up here anyday

thesandeman

@boneyarsebogman What you are describing is actually Monroes except for the good selection of drinks (no Hooker upstairs :-() but I have seen a cocktail bar there.

Big Pussy Bonpensiero

What Galway lacks IMO is a 20's or 21's place. Halo is 23's which will be good for me in a few years time, but right now I feel old some nights in CP's. I'd say summer will be even worse with the school holidays.

shane3265

I've seen a few people mentioning drinks.

Is it not possible to have a club mainly aged towards young twenties with an adequate beer selection and other drinks? Music in a club will be loud or as some say it would be a late bar.

What i would like to say is what I have been looking into would be a reward scheme where people who visit the club maybe through the scanning of a card on entry would be rewarded with 5th entry free and every second entry gets free drink or something along these lines I would like to hear opinions on this?

MadYaker

shane3265 wrote: »

I've seen a few people mentioning drinks.

Is it not possible to have a club mainly aged towards young twenties with an adequate beer selection and other drinks? Music in a club will be loud or as some say it would be a late bar.

All clubs in Galway have all the usual beers, if you want small independat brewery stuff go to the salthouse. Most people in their early 20s are interested in price more that anything.

shane3265 wrote: »

What i would like to say is what I have been looking into would be a reward scheme where people who visit the club maybe through the scanning of a card on entry would be rewarded with 5th entry free and every second entry gets free drink or something along these lines I would like to hear opinions on this?

I think this is a very good idea and something that no clubs in Galway do. Most clubs I've been to on the continent operate this way.

I would welcome a new club in Galway, especially if its something a bit different to what we already have... not sure exactly what I mean by that though.

ben.schlomo

MadYaker wrote: »

All clubs in Galway have all the usual beers, if you want small independat brewery stuff go to the salthouse. Most people in their early 20s are interested in price more that anything.



I think this is a very good idea and something that no clubs in Galway do. Most clubs I've been to on the continent operate this way.

I would welcome a new club in Galway, especially if its something a bit different to what we already have... not sure exactly what I mean by that though.

Exactly, the only or at least most important thing for them is price, i may be generalising but most early 20's aren't beer connoisseurs. A later, bigger version of The Salt House would be awesome.:D

MadYaker

I been to a few clubs in the UK where you pay a fair bit to get in, it was a least £10 into all of them I think BUT you were allowed to bring in your own alcohol. I would pay a tenner into any club in Galway if they let me bring in a bottle of buckie and a few cans.

bobbytables

MadYaker wrote: »

I been to a few clubs in the UK where you pay a fair bit to get in, it was a least £10 into all of them I think BUT you were allowed to bring in your own alcohol. I would pay a tenner into any club in Galway if they let me bring in a bottle of buckie and a few cans.

Imagine the **** the bouncers would have to deal with as the average amount of alcohol consumed on premesis would likely increase along with the fights associated with "that dickhead robbed my cans".

In theory it's a great idea though. I just don't think it would work here. Imagine around the time the bar closes the defence/attack the stashes drama that would occur.

Squeeonline

MadYaker wrote: »

I been to a few clubs in the UK where you pay a fair bit to get in, it was a least £10 into all of them I think BUT you were allowed to bring in your own alcohol. I would pay a tenner into any club in Galway if they let me bring in a bottle of buckie and a few cans.

If I paid €10 in anywhere, I'd want the drinks inside to be €3 or less each.

That way I might end up spending more.

I dont know if beer selection is overly important in a club to be honest. Personally I usually have had my fill of beer before going club and same goes for the vast majority of my friends, its almost always straight on the vodka in a club.

Personally I like Halo, it ticks the boxes for me, Nice place, good crowd and good mix of music, the last thing I want in a club is obscure music I don't know, I like chart music and a mix of old pop and commercial dance songs which is pretty much what you get in Halo.

The drink is on the expensive side I will admit but its still not that much more expensive than late bars either, also I've been paying admission to clubs for 10 years once its around 10 euro I've grown to accept it.

In general with regards to a new place, I know people are suggesting different types of music but the problem is there are still a lot more people out there who want to hear chart music than those who don't so it could alienate a lot of the market by going for a different style with music.

I am probably not the best person to comment though in fairness as I get very set in my ways and usually have a few pubs and a club that I stick to without fail and don't really like moving away from the usual spots.

ben.schlomo

Donovan Hot Pasteboard wrote: »

I dont know if beer selection is overly important in a club to be honest. Personally I usually have had my fill of beer before going club and same goes for the vast majority of my friends, its almost always straight on the vodka in a club.

Personally I like Halo, it ticks the boxes for me, Nice place, good crowd and good mix of music, the last thing I want in a club is obscure music I don't know, I like chart music and a mix of old pop and commercial dance songs which is pretty much what you get in Halo.

The drink is on the expensive side I will admit but its still not that much more expensive than late bars either, also I've been paying admission to clubs for 10 years once its around 10 euro I've grown to accept it.

In general with regards to a new place, I know people are suggesting different types of music but the problem is there are still a lot more people out there who want to hear chart music than those who don't so it could alienate a lot of the market by going for a different style with music.

I am probably not the best person to comment though in fairness as I get very set in my ways and usually have a few pubs and a club that I stick to without fail and don't really like moving away from the usual spots.

Pretty much everything you have said is the very reason another club could work with the right conditions. There are 5or6 clubs who play the chart music you and the others you are talking about want, but you fail to realise there are many people who dont want or like that, just go to The Roisin 7nights a week to see that. For me and my friends a proper selection of good beers is important, none of drink vodkas and similar drinks as your crowd would so for us thats a major selling point, again this can be seen from how busy the likes of Salt House and Bierhaus are most nights. There is room for a club that offers something different but not one offering more of the same boredom, chart music, bad beer etc.

Squeeonline

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Pretty much everything you have said is the very reason another club could work with the right conditions. There are 5or6 clubs who play the chart music you and the others you are talking about want, but you fail to realise there are many people who dont want or like that, just go to The Roisin 7nights a week to see that. For me and my friends a proper selection of good beers is important, none of drink vodkas and similar drinks as your crowd would so for us thats a major selling point, again this can be seen from how busy the likes of Salt House and Bierhaus are most nights. There is room for a club that offers something different but not one offering more of the same boredom, chart music, bad beer etc.

I agree.

I would love to see a Cuba* 2.0 like the old top floor or 903. It would need less kids, more alt. music, better selection on tap.

ben.schlomo

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Pretty much everything you have said is the very reason another club could work with the right conditions. There are 5or6 clubs who play the chart music you and the others you are talking about want, but you fail to realise there are many people who dont want or like that, just go to The Roisin 7nights a week to see that. For me and my friends a proper selection of good beers is important, none of drink vodkas and similar drinks as your crowd would so for us thats a major selling point, again this can be seen from how busy the likes of Salt House and Bierhaus are most nights. There is room for a club that offers something different but not one offering more of the same boredom, chart music, bad beer etc.

I can see your point and I do know there are plenty of people out there who would like an alternative but is there enough people who would like the same alternative if you get what I mean.

On the beers, I can see how a good beer choice can be popular in a pub but if you look around any night club almost nobody is drinking pints maybe an odd person having a bottle. I think (like me) most people have a feed of pints in the pubs throughout the evening and by the time you hit the club its time for a change as you get full of beer and something a bit easier to get down the hatch is usually in order.

kayos

From my point of view a venue that offers alternative music to main stream would be welcome. I know there is Kelly's/Monroes etc and they do bring in some nice acts etc but to me they just are not great club spaces. De Burgos was better imho even if tiny but I think that had a better feel to the place. Maybe I'm just so far out of touch I dont know these places any more. And no going to gpo/carbon to see a big dj has not been my idea of a good night for many years (bring back the post van!).

Many moons ago Salthil would have had Vaggabonds, Promenade, what ever the office was previously known as, setanta, oasis/liquid, the warrick and of course the castle. Trends and Rumors(I think) as well but a bit before my time :P. Jesus nearly forgot CJ's. Ok not all of them were all open at the same time but at least 5/6 active at most times. But what the number of club's offered was a range in music. Sorry but main stream music and bars nick named "the cattle mart" is not everyone's idea of clubbing. Some want to break out the glow sticks, run around chasing little white pill's while listening to repetitive music. Other's want to stage dive off a piano in the most grubby of Metalica t-shirts and lose a doc martin along the way. Each knew where they could do any of the above on pretty much any night of the week.

ben.schlomo

Donovan Hot Pasteboard wrote: »

I can see your point and I do know there are plenty of people out there who would like an alternative but is there enough people who would like the same alternative if you get what I mean.

On the beers, I can see how a good beer choice can be popular in a pub but if you look around any night club almost nobody is drinking pints maybe an odd person having a bottle. I think (like me) most people have a feed of pints in the pubs throughout the evening and by the time you hit the club its time for a change as you get full of beer and something a bit easier to get down the hatch is usually in order.

Each to their own of course but for me i enjoy drinking proper beers, not just going out to get drunk on fizzy lager muck served in all but a few pubs. One reason i stopped going to the likes of Halo was that every 2nd pint you would get was 'off' and the choice was shocking, at least the majority of late bars have some mid point i.e Paulaner, Hooker etc.

ben.schlomo

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Each to their own of course but for me i enjoy drinking proper beers, not just going out to get drunk on fizzy lager muck served in all but a few pubs. One reason i stopped going to the likes of Halo was that every 2nd pint you would get was 'off' and the choice was shocking, at least the majority of late bars have some mid point i.e Paulaner, Hooker etc.

I'm not a larger fan myself either, Guinness or Smithwicks are my beers of choice (just not in a club),

MadYaker

I was downstairs in the cellar on paddys day and it was actually very good. I was fairly sloshed so i can't remember exactly what the music was but i think it was all cool electro/house and they gave out loads of free glowsticks! I would love a club that played slightly less mainstream stuff. Carbon on the odd thursday night have djs who play a lot of hard electro/techno which is really good but id love a club entirely dedicated to it. Upstairs in Cuba did the trick alright. The roisin strikes a good balance imo, if you want to sit down and have a pint you can, if you want dance your ass off you can.

empacher

Carbon play electro/house/drum and bass every Thursday. 3€ Jager Bombs can't complain.

Reason no nightclub do a heavy Alt night is that it doesn't fill a nightclub. Only places it can fill are the smaller places like downstairs in the cellar or De Brugos.

People complaining about not having enough of a beer selection is.

1. Extra Taps take up extra room on the bar counter. Which makes it harder to serve the more popular double vodka red bulls etc.

2. That beer is generally less none so drank less. So it wastes space in a eg room.

3. Because it's drank less people will complain it doesn't taste right because its being in the lines for a bit. Plus you'll waste some, more so then the other beers at the start testing the lines.

4. Most require a specialty glass, leading to more complaints about not having the glass.

5. As for specialty beers its space in the fridge that is already precious.

ben.schlomo

empacher wrote: »

Carbon play electro/house/drum and bass every Thursday. 3€ Jager Bombs can't complain.

Reason no nightclub do a heavy Alt night is that it doesn't fill a nightclub. Only places it can fill are the smaller places like downstairs in the cellar or De Brugos.

People complaining about not having enough of a beer selection is.

1. Extra Taps take up extra room on the bar counter. Which makes it harder to serve the more popular double vodka red bulls etc.

2. That beer is generally less none so drank less. So it wastes space in a eg room.

3. Because it's drank less people will complain it doesn't taste right because its being in the lines for a bit. Plus you'll waste some, more so then the other beers at the start testing the lines.

4. Most require a specialty glass, leading to more complaints about not having the glass.

5. As for specialty beers its space in the fridge that is already precious.

All of the above can be easily overcome if thats the ethos you open your business with. If you are going down the alternative music,drinks route then thats what you do. I watch and laugh every time someone orders Bud or Heineken in the Salt House and they are left clueless when they are told they dont have them.:p

paulhannon

Slightly off topic:

I hate that someone complains about a club playing music you don't know! Surely there was a time when you didn't know the songs you know now? Unless of course you were born pre-programmed with a selection of "hits".

Kinda think it's sad people can be so closed minded with music, it's almost like some people need permission from the radio before they can like a new song.

Galway was a great place for people that wanted to hear new/alternative stuff. Getting *****d drunk and listening to Katy Perry tell you about some Friday night out she once had is now the essential part to a "Grrraaaatttee nite" (Based on what my experience was 15/16 months ago).

lopppy

Tbh I really can't see room for another nightclub, and definitely not one with a capacity like CPs. I'm 21 and a student from Galway city, in the last maybe 2 years there's been a huge amount of price competition that never really existed before. It mainly started with Club K's tasty 4.50 double vodka red bulls.. now coyotes do all drinks 2 euro a few nights a week, CP are becoming very competitive, as is Carbon which is booming these days.

The front door with its late week long licence is taking a lot of the older college crowd the last few months, and has introduced a 21+ policy, gets a lot of final years/postgrads. Halo is doing well at weekends now I believe, they've either got a 4am licence or are just ignoring the law, wouldn't surprise me given their tax evading ways of the past.

Not sure if I can see CPs staying open unless Factory/Halo/Townhouse props them up. It seems like it takes them a year to adapt to the market; in terms of price, image, music, social networking etc.

ciano1

lopppy wrote: »

The front door with its late week long licence is taking a lot of the older college crowd the last few months, and has introduced a 21+ policy,

I dunno what the story is with that 21+ policy.
They introduced and got rid of it a few weeks later!

Doc Ruby

lis2 wrote: »

its just its the same thing every night and I guess people get tired of the same thing.

This

Deleted User wrote: »

music that isn't too loud that you can't have a decent conversation

and this.

What I'd like to see would be a decent theme bar or club, a blues bar would be great for example. Seems like everywhere you go these days the atmosphere and offerings are pretty similar.

Doc Ruby

bobbytables wrote: »

Imagine the **** the bouncers would have to deal with as the average amount of alcohol consumed on premesis would likely increase along with the fights associated with "that dickhead robbed my cans".

In theory it's a great idea though. I just don't think it would work here. Imagine around the time the bar closes the defence/attack the stashes drama that would occur.

How about if you could pre-order drinks online at a discount and use your club card to pay for them, that would be different.

ben.schlomo

Doc Ruby wrote: »

This

and this.

What I'd like to see would be a decent theme bar or club, a blues bar would be great for example. Seems like everywhere you go these days the atmosphere and offerings are pretty similar.

Sure Muddy Mahers was exactly that and went down the pan quite quickly.

Doc Ruby

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Sure Muddy Mahers was exactly that and went down the pan quite quickly.

I guess Galway doesn't have the population for a specialist bar like that. I was reading in the paper today that 250 pubs have closed down countywide, which was 40%? The story wasn't too clear on the percentage, but its sad when a city of 100,000 people doesn't have at least one or two more unusual watering holes.