The old Barfly music venue is to be taken over by 'Bogiez', a local group who have been running rock music events in Cardiff for years, up until now in other peoples venues. I think there will still be a commitment to live music but more leaning towards the goth type thing than Barfly.

Good news I guess.

There is a licencing application up in the unit on the corner of St Mary St and Caroline St (used to be Gilesports way back when) for something called Pink Bubbles. Not sure if thats the name of the company or the name of a proposed venue.

What are the chances of a licence being granted given the attitude of SWP lately? Slim I would say.

Banners up around zync today saying 'old sams bar is back - under new management'.

Not quite bar/club activity but didn't know where to put it -

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/cardiffonline/cardiff-news/2011/04/05/lap-dancing-clubs-plans-to-be-decided-91466-28458303/

http://yourcardiff.walesonline.co.uk/2011/04/05/two-new-lap-dancing-clubs-approved-for-cardiff/

The link has been updated and the number of strip clubs is to double in our fair city. I'm suprised considering how arsey CCC have been at granting licenses on St Mary's Street!

The reason they were passed, unlike attempts to open new bars/nightclubs, is that these strip club operators have inherited the alcohol licences from the building's previous operators = gios and les croupiers.

But what about the burlesque club that was planned for Life/Liquid? That was turned down even though the premises already had the benefit of a licence.

I don't really understand the logic of turning down Floyds in High St either. The upstairs part already has a licence. The type of bar proposed would also have fitted in better with the sort of continental cafe society the council wants to promote (I'm making an assumption based on the existing bar but I think its a fair assumption to make).

Instead there are 2 more strip clubs which will only strengthen Cardiff's credentials as a stag do destination leading to more gangs of blokes in matching polo shirts/tutu's/superman costumes on the pop from 1pm onwards roaming up and down St Mary St like a demented passiagata much removed from its continental cousin.

I could be wrong, but I think liquid allowed their old licence to expire - and other venues have now learnt to hold onto them if they ever want to lease out the building. Obviously Floyds would have been a brand new licence.

More bar/club related news -

The Maltings in Canton to be demolished and replaced with 22 flats. No loss to the world of pubs although the render for the flats in yeaterdays Echo suggested the replacement will be incredibly bland.

An application to turn the New Park Liberal club on City Road into a shop on the ground floor with a number of flats above. Memories of 18th birthday/21st birthday/engagement parties in there. Do people have them any more?

A place in Royal Arcade is applying for an alcohol license, I guess a cafe wanting to serve wine. Will the saturation zone allow this? I hope so.

Nice to see that Millenium music hall seems to be taking off with Katy B,We are Scientists,Public Image Ltd,Ice Cube and Half man half biscuit playing there in the coming months.Something for everyone i'm sure you'll agree.

Mill Lane has made the Best Streets Awards by Google Street View - in the "Hippest street" category

http://www.google.com/landing/beststreetsuk/#tab2

I don't think "hip" is the right word...

Suggestion here that Millennium Music Hall management might relocate to the old 'Square' venue on St Mary St, keeping the 'Music Hall' name, but I guess dropping the 'Millennium' bit.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/cardiffonline/cardiff-news/2011/05/28/millennium-music-hall-has-to-move-fast-91466-28779544/

Could this be part of a changing of character at the bottom of St Mary St? I hope so.

As long as the council aren't arsey about giving them a drinks licence.........................

tried the VIP Lounge in Mermaid Quay last night, it was nothing like I expected. It was a jazz/cocktail lounge, with pianist and singer. it was a good relaxed atmosphere, great decor, top end prices at the bar too.

I hope you told them you'd have been there sooner if it wasn't for the stupid name.

Might have to pay it a visit on that review...

Did it have many patrons?

The photos of it did look very nice - its just the name is sooo... 80s.

DaiB
its worth a visit, the name does let it down, the only thing missing was the smokey atmosphere

Cambo
The place was busy but not too full. There are tables and chairs with some sofas, all plush velvet and lush drapes hanging from the windows. you have to see it, there is nothing much like it in Cardiff. Its a good bar, something a bit different and with those prices it will keep the chavs out. Its not a bar to spend all night in unless you have a pile of cash on you.

Yeah, fair play it sounds alright, although I don't like paying a lot of money for standard beers.

As has been said, the name is just the height of crapness. I've tried justifying it in ironic terms, but I can't quite do that yet.

There is a sign up for the 'Potted Pig' which is in the basement unit underneath Zizzi in High Street. This was to be a restaurant with Michelin star pretensions. Looks like it will be open in a few weeks. This is the website - http://www.thepottedpig.com/.

Planning permission has also been granted for a rstaurant at 15 High Street (the empty unit between Kitchens and the Co-op bank). The company with the benefit of planning permission is Bunglaow Restaurants who appear to be registered at 74 Taff St, Ponty. Not sure if this will be more coffee shop or restaurant - perhaps some of the Ponty exiles can shed some light.

Well, I have done a google search and no 74 Taff St is in fact the location of that veritable institution Princes cafe/restaurant.

Basically, this is the poshest cake joint in Pontypridd.

To be fair to it, it has bucket loads of character and is actually quite a buzzing place which is well known locally. It's been going for several generations and is always doing a roaring trade whenever I go in.

The history of the place adds hugely to the ambience of the Ponty cafe...so it'll be interesting to see how a new build version will look on High St.

New nightclub opening in the old 'Hard Rock Cafe' on St Mary Street this September called 'Polynesia'. Millions has been spent, apparently, on the project, could be interesting!

Sounds interesting. Wheres this info from? Who's behind it?

From the mouth of the owner himself. The guy behind 'The Beach Club' on Womanby Street. There's also a Facebook group for it. The club itself will include a 'laser' which is worth £25,000 the only one in Britain. At least it will fill a gap there!

Can you please post a link to the facebook group, just tried a quick search and couldn't find it.

There you go... http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_129714987109318

Proposal to make Greyfriars Road an alcohol saturation zone:

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/cardiffonline/cardiff-news/2011/07/01/cardiff-s-booze-ban-could-be-extended-91466-28974538/

Erm, as far as I can tell every available unit is already a bar! Perhaps this comes in a few years too late?

Acording to the police in the article:


“Latest Home Office figures show that violent crime in Cardiff has reduced but we cannot become complacent. Despite the saturation policy, Cardiff city centre still has the most licensed premises per square mile in the UK.”

I didn't know that...

Compared to what? How do you measure something like that?

it's a real shame about y fuwch goch. It usually seemed fairly busy as well. The Welsh speaking community should support ventures like that more in my opinion, because I understand the bar wanted to be a beacon for the community.

Re Sams bar, it is odd indeed. The fact that scaffolding is up is slightly encouraging and suggests work is ongoing. Odd though, and such an inportant site.

I went in there on a Friday night back in January, around 10ish and it was practically dead. Shame as it was a nice venue. Womanby Street does seem cursed. And its a shame because it is very characterful and has the potential to be a cool little street.

I'm not altogether unsurprised though. Cardiffians are really quite conservative when it comes to their choice of restaurants, bars, shops, and where they go. Its even more true of the Valleys. They stick to what they know. A crass generalisation but one I think has some validity. Hence it can be absolutely packed in St Davids but the arcades are dead. Generic Walkabout, Lloyds, the Yard, etc will be packed and y Ffwych Goch, Funky Buddha Lounge will be dead.

One area that looks ripe for a few closures is Cardiff's gay scene. The bars are reasonably busy and probably have a high turnover. But the prices are just ridiculously cheap. Friday nights Pulse does double vodkas with mixers for £2. Certain bottled beers £1. Wow has similar offers. X was doing £10 entry with I think 5 or 7 free drinks. It surely cannot be sustainable. Maybe with the kings gone, some of the pressure will ease. But it can't go on much longer as it is...

And yet the Gatekeeper - Wetherspoons - is always fairly busy and is arguably well off the beaten track. Zero Degrees and the Queens Vaults in Westgate St always seem fairly busy. Revolution is slightly out on a limb on Castle St but it pulls in the punters. Pica Pica is successful as a bar and a restaurant as far as I know.

Perhaps its the way in which these businesses are run that makes it end in tears rather than solely the location. I always thought Womamby St would become the type of place that people 'in the know' frequent. A bit alternative, an emphasis on live music etc. Its a shame the old Staff Club has not taken off as I'm sure that would raise the profile and footfall.

The way in which the various bars are configured in what was the old Coach and Horses doesn't really help. They all look temporary with the tacky signs and not particularly inviting if you haven't been there before.

Plans to increase the diversity of the cities night life:

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/cardiffonline/cardiff-news/2011/07/11/calls-for-cardiff-to-diversify-its-nightlife-as-report-shows-punters-are-afraid-of-the-city-centre-91466-29029372/

Ideas include:


Better enforcement of licensing and other rules in the city centre by officers;

Business signing up to a ‘standard’ for customer services;

Investment in opening up the city centre at night for family and culture events;

Improved public transport links to allow people to get home without relying on taxis.

Recognising the differences between restaurants, cafes and night clubs within A3.

Focus on live music.

-------------------

I guess it kinda sounds good. But I worry that a big part of the problem is just that there are lots and lots of people in the cardiff area (as with other cities) who just want to get very drunk on a saturday night. They still need somewhere to go and do it.

There is talk of increased non-alcohol based activities in the city centre in the evenings. 'Less-alcohol' seems moe likely to me than non-alcohol'. What kind of things do they have in mind? We already have a theatre and concert venue. Possibly a bowling alley? Although alcohol is clearly consumed in them. Encourage a gym to open? Indoor crazy golf centre like Bristol has? All these things rely upon private businesses wanting to open in the city centre.

Maybe the Hayes could be used for evening classical concerts in association with St Davids Hall? Dunno, I'm just clutching at straws now.

Any other ideas for how the council could encourage non-alcohol related activity in the city at night?

Differentiating between A3 uses is a step in he right direction. How often do you hear of violent incidences in restaurants?

More entertainment in places that sell alcohol - be it live music, comedy, burlesque, a mixture of the three - would provide a different emphasis on a night out to just getting smashed and trying to get your leg over.

Night buses on Fridays and Saturdays may also help stagger (no pun intended) the way punters go home.

Family friendly festivals in the city centre are fine but most families would be heading home by 10pm anyway which is when it starts getting a bit silly in town.

But in reality Cardiff isn't very violent or particularly intimidating. Its rowdy and raucous for sure but I think it was a lot more violent when I first started going out. You used to see a fight in practically every pub you went in then whereas now its rare.

Plus we have to face the fact that its unlikely that we will ever see the continental type drinking culture over here meaning binge drinking can at best be contained ather than eradicated.

In principle night buses could make a big difference to levels of trouble. I think a lot of trouble happens during the long waits for taxis, and even in arguments about the taxi queues etc.

However, I'm not sure that night buses would be viable, particularly for routes to the Valleys where many of the revellers travel down from. In London, night buses typically take people from where they've been drinking/partying to within walking distance of their home. It would be impractical to do so for long routes to Merthyr or Bridgend or Ebbw Vale. Instead it would probably need to operate like an express service with people being forced to rely on taxis at local terminuses to complete their journeys. This happens in Leeds with night buses to places like Wakefield, Huddersfield, Halifax. But these are all reasonable-size towns with their own nightlife that can support late night taxis. I'm not sure its the same in the Valleys.

The council need to be less hands on. Create good conditions and sit back and let independent venues thrive. It's ironic because the council have had a hand in so many independent venues closing or not opening. Their talk of increased licensing should ring huge alarm bells. All that will ever lead to it's jobsworths, and creating an environment in which nimby's will thrive.

In other news...The new, old Sams Bar is becoming 'The Peppermint Lounge'

There is one in Jacksville by the looks of it. Anyone been?

http://www.peppermintbar.co.uk/

There was a great Cardiff band from the 80's called Peppermint Parlour as I recall. Didn't quite make it. That has nothing to do with Sams Bar whatsoever. Not sure why I mention it to be honest.

Anyway. The Council/SWP/LHB must by now have facts and figures about licensed premises and should be able to build up quite a decent picture of where trouble starts, where miscreants tend to go, if there is a pattern, what time trouble is most likely etc. Why don't they focus in on the places that don't have any trouble and see what they are doing and what can be replicated elsewhere.

I suspect we already know the answers to most of the above without access to facts and figures. I would guess that St Mary St and Greyfriars are flashpoints because they have a number of very large drinking places catering to a certain demographic in a relatively small geographical area. Lloyds Bar set out to attract youngsters, cater for hundreds of people, sell booze cheaply and pump out music that is not particularly becalming. When you place that next to Walkabout, Varsity, Tiger Tiger etc etc then its not rocket science.

And then thousand of people in an inebriated state leave at the same time to try and get chips/kebabs etc in one small street and then try to get a limited supply of taxis.

Unfortunately the Council have allowed this to happen by zoning these type of outlets in specific area's in the mistaken belief that you can contain the trouble if its all in one place. But then it makes those areas very unattractive to other businesses meaning there is little in the way of diversity. Then the Council/SWP tries to remedy the situation by automatically opposing licensing applications regardless of what type of establishment it is. A classic example is Floyds bar. Its now a tattoo/piercing parlour. Is that what the Council wanted?

Now we have the scenario in St Marys St where several large units are almost unlettable unless the Council ease up on the licensing restrictions. Whilst at the same time it is likely that only large chains that specialise in large, cavernous drinking places geared up for a certain demographic who like cheap blue/green booze and aggressive music will have the werewithal to set up thus propogating a vicious circle of the Council's own making.

Unconfirmed reports the globe in roath is closing. Ideally to relocate but no new venue lined up yet.

Exit club on Charles St has closed down after 20 years!

hopefully..it's temporary for a refurbishment..

http://michaelpartridge.tumblr.com/post/8469268178/the-globe-cardiff

Obviously something funny is going on though.

Something called ther ladybird lounge opening on Mill Lane, where the #10 nightclub was(is?)

http://www.ladybirdcardiff.co.uk/

5 areas, 2 djs. they seem to think thats a boast. sounds like a pretty poor ratio to me...

The proposed renovation/reopening of the Square on St Mary Street (which is rumoured to be occupied by the Millennium Music Hall) has been 'recommended' for refusal by planners, based on an objection by South Wales Police.

This insanity has to end. We have a beutiful but decaying building lying empty, giving a horrendous impression of the city, and because the police object it gets recommended for rejection, meaning no jobs, no economic benefit, no live music, no reinvigoration of an empty building.

It's an absolutely shit state of affairs, and reflective of the culturally inane nature of this council.

I guess it's only a recommendation, and as such the committee made up of councillors may see sense, but who knows.

Planning Committee are here: If you are fed up with living in a police state, then you know who to email!
http://www.cardiff.gov.uk/content.asp?nav=2870%2C3139%2C3153%2C3947&parent_directory_id=2865