Sad news last night as Spiders Nightclub owners in Hull announced they would be closing the venue with immediate effect.
Just across the bridge, was a mystical place where the alternative crowd felt at home and visited weekly but only on a Saturday, because that was the only night it opened!
I know I’ve spent a few nights in Spiders over the years and there is no place quite like it, with it’s strange layout of dark and moody rooms and hidey holes and range of different alternative music in each one.
The venue was created as an unapologetic “anti-disco” haven because the founders felt Hull lacked places to hear emerging post-punk, new wave, and rock music (such as The Clash, The Damned and The Stranglers). The club strictly rejects mainstream chart pop, cheesy boy/girl bands and commercial dance/R&B tracks.
Known for it’s random and weird pint and half pint cocktails at low prices, potent mixes like the Pangalactic Gargle Blaster, Sweet Death, Green Monster, Fluffy Duck and Black Widow (served with a jelly worm) just to name a few.
Spiders is one of those places that just stands out, with fond memories for so many people from Hull and surrounding. Scunthorpe definitely lacks a club or pub like it, the closest we had was probably the Lincoln Imp but nowhere that opens every week with a rock disco that’s catering specifically to that crowd and for Spiders it worked so well they profited enough from opening ONE NIGHT a week, even now! They never ripped anyone off or really changed their model, it was always the same price in and the drinks kept low.
The closure comes as a shock as the weekend just gone the nightclub hosted it’s annual Halloween night, which is always a big night at the club. I suppose it was kept quiet so they could give everyone one final and special Halloween without the sadness looming or the overwhelming panic of crowds flooding to spend their final night there.
Someone now has the opportunity to take over the freehold and continue it’s legacy, how long this will take? Who knows! But it seems the owners are keen to pass it on to keep it going and not looking at a perm closure or change of purpose.
As the owners says below, it’s still a very profitable business but after 46 years of running the venue.
Message from Spiders Nightclub:
TO ALL SPIDERS CUSTOMERS
PLEASE SHARE WITH ALL FRIENDS
We are sad to inform you that due to personal and external situations, Spiders Club has closed, it will be put up for sale on the open market, including the freehold; as they say, Lock Stock and Barrel.
We know closing the club will come as a great shock to many of you, as the club is financially sound and doing well, but there comes a time, after 46 years of loving our club and what it gave to the people of Kingston upon Hull, that now, is the right time to hopefully pass it on to others, who will carry it forward with the same enthusiasm, idealism and integrity, that we started so many years ago.
We appreciate that many of you will be upset by the club closing, but please remember, as the saying goes, time and tide wait for no man or woman, and for us, being upset, doesn’t even come close.
To all our loyal and respected customers
Take care and thanks for being a part of our journey.
Pete / Lynne / Keri
Hundreds of people took to Facebook last night to express their grief and sadness around the news, including some even visiting the curb side of the venue to lay flowers.
Let’s hope the right person takes it on and continues the memories for the youth of today. And a well done and thank you is deserved to the long standing owners that have kept the club going for so many years and creating such a special place for those who needed it.
If you don’t know what Spiders Nightclub is, here’s some history from their website.
A Brief Outline of spiders
(OF WHAT WE STAND FOR, AND WHAT WE JUST CAN’T STAND)
SPIDERS CLUB STARTED IN 1979, IT IS PRIVATELY OWNED BY A HULL COUPLE AND IS TOTALLY FREE FROM ANY BANK OR BREWERY TIES. IT HAS BEEN RUN BY THE SAME PEOPLE SINCE IT FIRST OPENED, DURING THIS TIME IT HAS ALWAYS, AND ALWAYS WILL HAVE AN ANTI DANCE THEME IN ITS MUSIC POLICY. WE ONLY PLAY MUSIC BY TALENTED ARTISTES WHO SING, PLAY AND WRITE INNOVATIVE MUSIC. OUR DRINKS POLICY IS STRAIGHT FORWARD, WE MAKE A SMALL % PROFIT ON ALL DRINKS SOLD, ALCOHOLIC OR NOT. WE DO NOT DO SPECIAL OFFERS ON SELECTED DRINKS THAT ARE NEAR TO SELL BY DATE, OR CAN BE BOUGHT FOR A SMALL PRICE BECAUSE THEY ARE AN UNPOPULAR BRAND. WE NEVER ADVERTISE WITH BILL POSTERS WHICH DEFACE OUR CITY’S TREES AND BUILDINGS, YOU WILL THEREFORE RARELY SEE AN ADVERTISEMENT FOR SPIDERS, WE HAVE ALWAYS RELIED ON WORD OF MOUTH AND WILL ALWAYS DO SO. OUR SOUL AIM IS TO GIVE ALL OUR MEMBERS A FAIR DEAL, IE, A REASONABLE DOOR CHARGE, LOW PRICED DRINKS THROUGHOUT, GOOD MUSIC TO LISTEN TO, IN A GENUINE FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE. THE CLUB HAS PLAYED THE MUSIC OF PUNK, NEW ROMANTIC, NEW WAVE, ROCKABILLY, PSYCHEDELIA, GOTH, GRUNGE AND METAL. WE NEVER PLAY CHEESY MUSIC, SO IF YOU ARE INTO BOY OR GIRL BANDS, SPIDERS IS DEFINITELY NOT FOR YOU. TRENDY CLOTHES ARE ALSO OUT, ESPECIALLY IF THEY ARE OF A SPORTY NATURE, JEANS AND T-SHIRTS WILL DO NICELY! WE WANT EVERY ONE WHO COMES TO SPIDERS TO ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE, WE SHOW RESPECT AND EXPECT IT BACK IN RETURN. WE DO NOT THEREFORE SUFFER FOOLS GLADLY. SPIDERS IS A MEMBERSHIP CLUB, WE CHARGE A FEE OF £1-00 FOR A 5 YEAR PERIOD. ALL OF WHICH IS DONATED TO THE HULL BRANCH OF THE R.S.P.C.A. THIS CAN BE CORROBORATED BY LYNN CLARK, MANAGER OF THE HULL BRANCH.
