PEOPLES

01/03/1976: 'People's for the music' club preview Here & Now EEN

One of the shorter lived but very influential venues of Norwich was Peoples Night Club [Capacity 300 approx]. The brainchild of local entrepreneur Howard Platt, who can also be linked with the success of The Orford Cellar, The Gala and even Corn Exchange gigs in Kings Lynn during the early to mid sixties.

Late night drinking clubs where still a new trend in the mid seventies and many of the larger venues were still trying to get the balance of live music and DJs right; Howard’s idea was to bring the two together in a more compact and intimate environment, now seen as the more traditional nightclub/venue model, an idea he had taken from London.

Peoples Nightclub opened in March 1976 with a makeshift band featuring ex Continentals personnel and fronted by ex US serviceman Lucas, under the name Cluster.

"The Club is called Peoples because it is for everyone" Said Howard. "We are even planning a childrens disco on Saturday mornings"

Despite Howard's idea it was almost two years before regular live band nights were introduced. Up until then the club was mainly open three nights a week Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Thursday's became Northern Night with DJs, Skip and Kirk (March 1976 - February 1978 approx) Howard was the main DJ for Fridays and Saturdays with guest appearences from top Radio DJs and regular visits from the Radio Luxembourg 208 Roadshow. Some people may recall Howards nights also featured the Idiot Hour...

The first attempt at a regular live music night was in November 1976 with the Country Sunday nights and was in direct response to the success The Gala venue [only a street away] was having with the genre. The month long programme failed to gain support and it was almost another year before regular live music returned.

The club was an instant success but with Howard being the main DJ and also having to manage the venue, as well as continuing his DJ residencies at Tiffany’s in Great Yarmouth and The Samson and Hercules, he found that it was a simple choice of either running a venue or being a DJ, the latter won.

He found a quick and enthusiastic buyer in Peter Bailey who already owned Rixy’s Cafe Americano above the club. It was Peter that turned Peoples into a rock club. He kept the new name under wraps during a brief period of alterations and it re-opened in September 1978 as The Boogie House.

The club quickly built a reputation for bringing the best new bands to Norwich, among them were Squeeze, The Specials, The Cure, Iron Maiden, and The Merton Parkas featuring future Style Council man Mick Talbot. Local band Boy Bastin won the venue’s band competition and later signed to DJM Records. The dream did not last long though as punters were greeted with a closed until further notice sign in early August 1979. Paper reports said that management were stunned that the Council had revoked their 2am drinking licence, the club never re-opened.

The building which had been used by McDonalds until 2006 had become run down and was christened the ugliest building in Norwich by the readers of the local paper. The building has since been bought by FW Properties who are converting it into luxury apartments, all traces of the old basement club have now vanished.

SCENES: ‘70s Disco, Northern Soul, Reggae, Pop, Punk, New Wave, NWOBHM, Mod Revival

PEOPLES NIGHT CLUB - March 1976 to July 1978

Owner: Howard Platt / Manager: Howard Platt

THE BOOGIE HOUSE - September 1978 to August 1979

Owner: Peter Bailey / Manager: Chris Ayre