Skinflick burn down The Dome

 

Skinflick, Grot and Vaffan Coulo somehow got a gig at The Dome in Caernarfon.

The venue originally opened as The Majestic Cinema, a grand "super cinema" in Caernarfon that seated over a thousand people. It closed in 1984 and was later converted into a nightclub. It was renamed The Dome in its final years as a nightclub. 

Skinflick lay claim to playing there a couple of weeks before it burnt down, but I'm pretty sure the fire happened in 1994, correct me if I'm wrong.

DID YOU PLAY OR GO TO THIS GIG? LET US KNOW

Vaffan Coulo, Skinflick, Grot at The Normandie, Bangor

 

Did anyone go to this gig? Can you share your memories?

Both Vaffan Coulo and Skinflick were/are Bangor bands, with Grot hailing from Ynys Mon

Justin Skinflick wrote this on his blog:

I no longer have the poster, but I'm pretty sure the lineup was the iconic three: Vaffan Coulo, Skinflick and a new band called Grot, an absolutely superb three-piece metal band. This gig went smoothly, a good turnout, and no threats of violence or shutting us down. We wanted to do more.

The Students' Union weren't keen on us doing more regularly, so we needed a home—a place we could do a show a couple of times a month. Word got back to us that a pub in lower Bangor called 'The Normandie' had a back room we could rent for £40 a night. It was a strange room, quite narrow. It had a telephone box, a cage with a giant toy monkey in it, and a second floor with seating that overlooked the tiny drum riser stage. It was perfect. We begged, borrowed and stole whatever equipment we could to create a makeshift vocal PA and started putting on gigs. Bands were coming out of the woodwork, new people were turning up, and gigs were being run weekly. We barely had time to actually write music as we were organizing shows all the time. We started pulling in some bands from farther away to keep it interesting. One night we had seven bands playing, the place was pushed way beyond its maximum capacity, people everywhere. It was so hot in there that sweat was running down the walls. There was a tiny moshpit, and someone dived off the top of the telephone box. Everyone came together as one big family; it was bliss.

Vaffan Coulo in The Bangor Mail

 

Vaffan Coulo – Formed 1991. Feat; Trifle (voc,gtr), Nick ‘Bicko’ Redfern (gtr), Mikey (drms), Kerz (bass). Debut at Ffridd Bar in Bangor. Thrown off for playing song called Shit Student Wankers, police called etc. Tours of Spain & Holland ’96,‘97 almost killed the band. 3 videos for TV: ‘92 Rhedeg I Dwygylfylch” for S4C; 1995 Rich Woman Will You Marry Me for Electric Chair on HTV; 1997 “Hwyl a Helynt” for S4C. Three radio Cymru sessions, 92; 95; 96. Rel 1994 “Vaffan Coulo Yn Goch”(Madryn 015) – 4 song EP. / 1995: “Rich Woman“(Madryn 016) – 3 track 7”. / 1995: “Cowboys Cymru” (Dav120) – cassette album for Mid Wales record label / 1996: “Fast Multiplying In The Skin” (Extune/Tontrager) – split 12″ with German band Ultra Orange on German label / 1996: “Vaffan Coulo” – import LP on Crime Recs (Slovenia) which reached no.4 in the Slovenian Alt Chart / 1995: Jobs 4 The Bois – free flexi soundclash with dance producer Johnny R, released as a ltd edition of 1200 on the front of Sothach! magazine, some of which were given free with Rich Woman. Band split in around mid 98 & had songs remixed by Skinflick. (see also Slater). Kerzy (Jo Shooman) went on to work for Spank Recs and form Katzenmusik. The band are featured in Ian Glasper’s book ‘Armed in Anger’ (2012). (more) (live track from 1992)

Fantastic at The Mermaid, Rhyl

Scott Causer now of Cult Of Free Love and head honcho of Northern Star Records talks about the last time he played in Rhyl...

My last gig in my hometown of Rhyl was in 1993 and if you were of a cynical mindset, could be viewed as the key as to why I’ve left it so long…

In the early 90s we’d book ourselves gigs under different names (a necessary task as we sure as hell were never ever going to get booked again). This time we’d booked ourselves in as ‘Fantastic’ a reggae band from Prestatyn. We were due to play the Mermaid, the roughest pub in Rhyl. When I say rough, I mean fucking ROUGH! The week before one unfortunate soul was stabbed in the eye with a chisel. This should have been a sign… but if it was, we certainly didn’t heed it.

Armed with only a bunch of half songs and riffs (our one rehearsal was spent somewhat unwisely getting pissed and having a laugh). We turned up to find the support band wasn’t happening and also our lead singer had bottled it. Us being us, we decided the show would go on regardless. A bunch of rowdy bikers had turned up intent on causing as much trouble as possible. We decided to delay the show by an hour until we were suitably drunk enough to play.

We knew as the first notes rang out that this was quite possibly the worst decision we had ever made when Johnny Napalm, our newly appointed singer got slapped by one of the bikers. Wearing shades and a flasher’s coat, he didn’t see it coming. We ploughed on… We lasted a total of 15 mins before we had to abandon the show due to numerous fights breaking out and as the launching of numerous projectiles in our general direction began to land (the last straw for me was a pint glass smashing right by my feet).

Johnny and myself made an attempt to escape through the back only to be confronted by 2 rabid Alsations. We then realised the only feasible way out was to make our way through the fighting taking place in the narrow bar in front of us. Tony the punk kindly and politely stopped taking one of the bikers apart to let us through with our gear. Amazingly, we managed to escape with all of of our body parts intact. We made it to the safe haven of the Bistro only to be met with angry punters who demanded their money back and one deliriously drunk dude who thought we were the best thing he’d ever seen.

Unsurprisingly, this was the last show I ever did in Rhyl. We were rumbled big time. No-one would ever host us again after this. We held the dubious accolade of being the only band to have ever been banned from the Mermaid. That was ok though as I really had no intentions of playing there ever again. Steve Rastin, a local journalist managed to immortalise Fantastic and published this surprisingly kind and accurate review. Now I don’t know about you, but reading this… this is a show I’d LOVED to have watched!