Blue Angel (nightclub)
53°24′04″N 2°58′34″W / 53.401°N 2.976°W
 The Blue Angel in 2018 | |
 | |
| Location | 106-108 Seel Street, Liverpool |
|---|---|
| Public transit | Lime Street   Liverpool Central Seel Street  |
| Type | Nightclub, music venue |
| Genre(s) | Pop |
| Opened | 1939[1] |
The Blue Angel, also known as "The Raz", is a nightclub in Liverpool, England. It is located where Seel Street meets Berry Street in Liverpool city centre. It is a venue in Liverpool in which The Beatles, Rolling Stones,[2] Bob Dylan[3] and many other bands played at in the 1960s. It was historically a jazz club, but it now plays pop music.
History
The building in which the club is situated was the birthplace in 1805 of Dr William Henry Duncan and a plaque above the door commemorates this. The Beatles' original manager Allan Williams was once the owner of the club and reputedly ejected Judy Garland after the local premiere of their first film, A Hard Day's Night, in 1964.[4]
Pete Best's audition to join the Beatles took place in the Blue Angel on 12 August 1960.[5] It was also where the Beatles, in 1960, auditioned for impresario Larry Parnes, landing them their first tour outside Liverpool, supporting singer Johnny Gentle on a tour of Scotland.[3]
After seeing Cilla Black performing "Bye Bye Blackbird" at the Blue Angel, Brian Epstein contracted her as his only female client on 6 September 1963.[6]
In the 1980s, the Blue Angel briefly changed its name to the Razzamataz, giving rise to its current nickname, before reverting back to its original name due to a request from the Beatles City museum asking the club if they could change their name back to the Blue Angel to attract tourists.[1]
The Blue Angel's current owners are Valerie Davies and Michael Kearon.[1]
The Blue Angel today
The Blue Angel is especially popular with students; however the club attracts people from a wide range of ages and backgrounds, with people who attended the club in the 1990s still regularly visiting to this day. Monday nights are seen as one of the most popular nights for students to visit, and this coupled with the club holding an extended late night opening license means it is a draw with students. The club has two main floors and an outside seating area. The lower floor has DJ equipment and a dance floor, whilst the upper floor has more seating and a more bar-orientated feel. One popular drink available at the club is a 'Fat Frog' made by mixing a Smirnoff Ice, a blue WKD and an orange Bacardi Breezer.
In 2008, DJ equipment was seized from the club, following a series of complaints from local residents about noise levels, since the clientele had to smoke outside the club following the introduction of the smoking ban. The Blue Angel was banned from using its backyard.[7]
A support network, set up mainly by students and boasting a website, was created in order to "Save the Raz" from closure.[8]
In 2010 the Blue Angel won a court battle to remain open and operate as normal.[9]
References
- ^ a b c Greer, Jamie (2023-09-20). "Liverpool nightclub adored by students with long queues to get in". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- ^ "Four Days in Liverpool For the Stones - Mersey Beat". Triumphpc.com.
- ^ a b "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-07-13. Retrieved 2009-11-18.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Original Beatles manager Allan Williams celebrates his 80th birthday". Liverpool Echo. 22 February 2010.
- ^ "This Month with the Beatles". Archived from the original on 2009-12-05. Retrieved 2009-11-18.
- ^ "Biography". CillaBlack.com. 10 February 2012.
- ^ Williams, Liza (Feb 23, 2008). "The sound of silence as Blue Angel club's DJ kit is seized". Liverpool Daily Post. Archived from the original on Apr 6, 2012.
- ^ "Save The Raz :: Sign the Petition :: savetheraz.co.uk :: The Blue Angel Nightclub :: Liverpool, UK". savetheraz.co.uk. Archived from the original on Jan 26, 2022.
- ^ "This is why the Blue Angel nightclub gets called 'The Raz'; if you've ever been a student in Liverpool there's a good chance you've enjoyed a night out here. - Free Online Library".
