The Catfish circa 1997

Bigsul said:

It was a cracking night out. Danced from when you got there until you left. What's happened to it now?

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Bob'n'weave said:

Agreed, had some epic nights there. You had to be munted though.

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Skaville said:

Anyone remember this place before it got ruined? Used to have a real northern soul feel to it. People used to go purely to dance and listen to the best funk and soul from the 60's and 70's, played by a grumpy Rasta DJ. If you do, what tunes do you remember?

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Buzzer said:

I seem to recall the Catfish went downhill when there was the name change to the Funky Fish and was there also a switch of DJs.

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Gwylan said:

Ah, that explains something. I vaguely remembered the Catfish and vaguely remembered the Funky Fish but thought they were two separate clubs. I was living in London through the 90s so didn't have many nights clubbing but when I did it was the Catfish: the OP's right, it was an excellent place.

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Buzzer said:

The Catfish was brilliant back in 97. Agree completely with the OP.

We were spoilt for clubs back in 97. You had the Escape and Zap on the seafront for the ravers, there was the alternative nightclub down by the Pink Coconut/Barcelona/whatever it was called, up the road next to the model shop in West St was that bar/club that played excellent lounge and soul nights (you had to go down some steps to get to it), the Sussex Arts Club never failed, there was the Jazz Rooms up Ship Street. The Gloucester was Britpop central and if you really, really, really couldn't get into any of them because you were so drunk then there was always Marilyns down by St Bartholomews Church where trannies and gurners mixed with no aggro whatsoever.

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Buzzer said:

I seem to recall the Catfish went downhill when there was the name change to the Funky Fish and was there also a switch of DJs. I remember the Catfish as strictly decks and records whereas the Funky Fish was a bit more digital. There was a brilliant northern soul night at Sussex Arts Club that was very strictly decks.

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The Large One said:

You could well be talking about 'Move On Up' at The Joint.
.

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The Large One said:

You could well be talking about 'Move On Up' at The Joint.

You also had Casablanca in Middle Street - still going, I believe - for a live Latin rhythms band.



The Catfish Club started in the mid 1980s in Nash's Hotel, before moving to the Volk's Tavern sometime in the late 80s / early 90s. After about 10 years there it moved to the Madeira. Carl Moss (aka Rumble Chillin' Moses) and his wife Christina used to run the nights on Fridays and Saturdays.

They eventually had a falling out with the hotel management, and they replaced them with what became the Funky Fish.

As for music from the Catfish, we were spoilt...

This Is Hip - John Lee Hooker
Louie Louie - The Kingsmen
Down In The Basement - Sugar Pie DeSanto
Finger Poppin - Ike & Tina Turner
Tell Mama - Etta James

They also put on The Five Blind Boys of Alabama and Etta James at the Brighton Centre.

Great stuff.

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Skaville said:

Thanks for these Al, I'm building a Spotify playlist. I remember The Beat Goes On by Buddy Rich and Save Me by Nina Simone

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