The Leeds Gallery re-union 7/7/7

The Gallery was a nightclub in Leeds that was open from 1991 -1993, famous for its open gallery around the whole club. It was a rave club with friday nights called Bliss with DJ Tim, who went on to form Utah Saints whose big hits What Can You Do For Me and Something Good were club anthems of the time. One of my first memories of the club is of Jez (the other one) dressed in an ermine robe and wearing a crown, swinging on a rope across the balcony while DJ Tim played Something Good. Fantastic stuff. Saturday nights were called Spark, run by DJ Steve Luigi.

The Gallery was the first ever "proper" club I went to, and I continued to go until they filled the gallery and re-named it. Granted it went on to be Back2Basics and Up Yer Ronson so that wasnt so bad. But it was a genuine Leeds icon, and was an important club nationally in the still fledgling overground Rave culture. Mixmag named it 2nd best club in the UK in 1992. Check out its Myspace page http://www.myspace.com/leedsgallery . Theres some great pictures of the old club on it. And yes, once upon a time, I had a whistle, a dust mask, and I used to dance on the bar! *cough cough*


I came across Luigi's page on Myspace. It linked to a Leeds Gallery appreciation site that Luigi had set up. I couldnt believe it! I've never stopped thinking about those times, but I never imagined anybody else had. It was a forum filled with guys and girls in the early 30's to early 40's all remanscing about the good old days, lol.




So it came to pass that Luigi agreed to have a re-union. He hired Mint, a club in Leeds for one night and sent out the word! As a loyal member I had VIP queue jump tickets, which I have never had before, and we had a cracking night. Only playing old skool rave tunes from 1989 - 1993. We all dug out our old rave clothes (I dug out my whistle with original teeth marks in it), and for the first time in years I put my hands up in the air,a dn went Raving again! It was fantastic! And easlily the oldest average aged nightclub I have ever been to ;)

Ah, nostaglia! They dont make 'em like they used to.

Last Pompeii photos

Last lot. Promise!

Something new next time!

1 & 2 The victims of Pompeii. Just lying around. Aint no National Trust, thats for sure.

3, 4 & 5 The Large Theatre

6 & 7 The Gladiators school

8 & 9 The Wharfe/Docks. Now three quarters of a kilometre away from the sea!

Slogans, posters, and graffiti

Almost finished my Italy stuff (phew!).

These next photos are off art and paintings that are still visable on some buildings. The thing I love the most, is that they are of advertising slogans, public announcements about standing for election or running for office, and some graffiti! If I could read them they, wouldnt be out of place today.





I cannot tell you who says what. or what they mean, but one of them says a man has pox! We will never know if the man had pox, or not; but I just love that 2000 years ago, some little shit was writing it on a wall. Just like I did, when I was a little shit 1980 years later!

The Temple of Apollo and the Forum Baths

The stunning Temple of Apollo.





The forum baths still held the original design and artwork inside.


The baths also held a striking reminder of the personal cost of what occurred in Pompeii on its final day.

The amphitheatre and Palaestra

Pompeii has a fantastic amphitheatre, smaller than Rome, of course; but still pretty damn impressive.



Next to the amphitheatre is the Palaestra.

Pompeii

I am never going to be able to show all of the sites of Pompeii in one post. You fail to appriciate that Pompeii is a whole town. There are streets and streets of things to see. I shall do a few short posts showing various topics.

This is a fantastic interactive map of Pompeii that will show you where I was. http://www.archaeology.co.uk/cwa/issues/cwa4/pompeii/pompeii-map.htm




I traveled from Rome, and I got to Pompeii, which is south of Naples, at 3.30pm. I originally wanted to go to Versuvius but the bus ended at 3pm! So I found myself on a rainy afternoon wandering around the mainly deserted streets of Pompeii. For a long time I seemed to be on my own, until I caught up with various partys of schoolchildren (Kasia, I hope your kids are better behaved than the French little shits who were running amock with barely a long haired, bearded hippy teacher in sight!).





It was more than a little eyrie wandering around those streets, and it didnt taken much imagination to see the roman daily life all around me. A very good day out.

Roman porn

I did warn you all. But its art, isn't it?

I was worried about posting the last one, but we're all adults here.*blushes*
;)

The mosaics and art of Pompeii

Most of the really good mosaic floors and reliefs had been removed to the safety of the National Museum of archeology in Naples. It was the main reason I visited the place.



The mosaics are housed in a series of interlocking rooms. The final room houses the "Erotic" art from Pompeii.


I shall post those pictures separately. But I must warn you, dear reader. Erotic isn't a fair name for them. Absolutely, bloody filthy is a more apt statement! Kinky lot them Romans!

Till next time.

:)