Monday 9 February 2009

SLICKERS - SOUTH TAY STREET - 1980'S

Couldn't find a photo or ad for this pub so will have to make do with this...er...arty recreation.
Slickers was located near the Westport end of South Tay Street and opened for business in the early 80's.
It was a bit of a trendy bar at the time, the place to go to see girls wearing bubble skirts and their big back-brushed hair, with the blokes wearing those new romantic baggy breeks.
There was the main entrance part of the bar which was the usual standing around area and then further along you went up a couple of steps to get to a more lounge based zone where they had lots of seats and tables.
Fridays & Saturdays were always cram packed with new wavers while Thursdays & Sundays would often attract a more studenty crowd from the alternative scene.
Slickers claim to fame was that it was the first pub in Dundee to have a Video Jukebox.
It presented a mixture of pop videos (Duran Duran, Ultravox...) a few classics from the past (Bob Marley, Dire Straits ...) and some alternative acts (New Order, Teardrop Explodes...).
I can remember playing over & over P.I.L "Public Image" - David Bowie "Lets Dance" and The Mighty Wah! "Come Back".
I must have put quite a lot of 50p's in it over the years come to think of it!
The other item above gives you an idea as to what the jukebox would have been showing in '84 - the article coming from a 1984 music magazine.
Video Jukeboxes are very common these days of course, but below is an example of the first generation that Slickers had.




2 comments:

  1. Yaaaay! Slickers!

    It was very green inside and had loads and loads of chrome and then a bit more chrome. I ploughed shedloads of cash into the VJ too...I particularly remember Mad World by Tears for Fears and Save a Prayer by Duran Duran.

    I think it was Slickers where I developed my taste for Gin and Bloody Marys (but not in the same glass) !

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  2. The video jukebaox was a revolution, and the first and most memorable video I remember on it was "Hey Jude" by the Beatles. It was a complete revelation! Wonderful memories....

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