Backalley Nightclub closure

[LadyLuck]

Haven't been to the alley in years, and not really a nightclub type of person any more but kind of surprised by this. Just heard on FB about the closure, Backalley hasn't released anything on their site or FB yet but I did notice a new event created for this Saturday:

Drink The Alley Dry event (https://www.facebook.com/events/571638292847483/)


The Back Alleys last night ever!! No cover all night long. Come listen to all the Rock that made the Alley infamous for the last 23 years! Back Alley memorabilia giveaways all night long 4630 Macleod Trail SE | 403-287-2500 | HOUSE RULES APPLY

So long!

[JRSC00LUDE]

Oh noe!

[Benny]

I went once and it was really greasy. Never was all that keen to go back. :dunno:

[ercchry]

its been bleeding since the minimum drink prices legislation (by-law?)

[urrforce]

never been there as its not my scene but kinda sad to see something that has been open that long close down

[G-ZUS]

Meh, good riddance

[FraserB]

Hahaha, I knew a girl whose parents were offering to pay for a condo lease in Evergreen area but she decided to move to the apartments across from the Back Alley. Only becuase it was easier to go there multiple times a week and easier to get people back to her apartment.:nut:

[JfuckinC]

Noooooooo so many memroies :cry:

Haha i havent been in ages.. but we used to start every pubcrawl there when it was super cheap shots/drinks.. good times.

[rage2]

Last time I was there was movember from a few years back, where I had my weak ass stash painted thicker, getting turned down by fat chicks, puked on the dance floor with AC/DC playing, dispersed the floor while I kept dancing. :rofl:

Good times! Sad to see the place go.

[Mibz]

RIP

[kenny]

Damn, now where are people gonna start their pub crawls?

[A790]

O NOES

[speedog]

Hell, I remember being at the establishment in that building before the Back Alley - was called Denny Andrew's American Bar.

[dubhead]

So many good memories used to go there every Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday back in the day when it was $2 drinks till 10. We would fill tables with $2 drinks for the night and spend next to nothing.

[JfuckinC]

Originally posted by speedog
Hell, I remember being at the establishment in that building before the Back Alley - was called Denny Andrew's American Bar.

My step dads brother told me they used to have a dance crew that went there when it was called that :rofl:

or maybe it was already called the back alley, cause i think they were the "back alley breakers" :nut:

[spikerS]

I never once stepped in that place, never saw a reason to over my 15 years of (legal) drinking experience in Calgary.

I still remember the fiasco that was there when they flooded the dance floor with bubbles that caused everyone to get pink eye or go temporary blind or something.

sounds like good times!

[Type_S1]

Greasiest place in calgary. Went there once and wouldn't step foot in that place if I was paid to again! When I go out drinking I like to be around hot woman in a half decent environment no dragons and ogres where it feels I am walking through a swamp!

Maybe this place will turn into something half decent now, but then again that far out of downtown it's hard to push for anything other than cheap drinks.

[lilmira]

Shitty as it was, it outlasted all the other clubs lol.

[Thaco]

lol, i went there once, well, to the parking lot, didn't actually go inside, looked through the door and turned around, haha

[Tik-Tok]

Damn, haven't been in years, but I have a lot of memories from there... well memories of going, not so many of leaving the place. :rofl:

[flipstah]

Nothing but weekly fighting at the lineup was the norm.

Pass.

[Ntense_SpecV]

I still remember my very first time going there. I had just moved to Calgary from a small town in BC and my sister decided that her and her group of friends were going to take me out to experience 'clubbing' in Calgary.

I recall that just as we walked up to the front door, a guy was getting ejected out of there. Literally he was thrown through the door and skidded and rolled about 10' feet onto the parking lot. A whole mess of bouncers and a manager came right out. The manager said, "Never come back here again", while the guy was yelling "You broke my nose man, you broke my fucking nose". The manager then said, "Good. You get what you deserve for biting one of my guys".

I didn't end up drinking much that night just because of that scene, however over the years I frequented that place a bunch of times and I can't really recall ever having a bad time there. Yes the place was more white trash than any other place in town, but it still made for many fun nights.

[msommers]

It was greasy and shitty as hell but for some reason still a lot of fun. This is also the first time I saw two girls making out in the bathroom! About the same time I stopped going to the bar was about the time they started playing less and less rock music. Lots of funny stories from there. And it was awesome when it was $2 shots before 10! Haven't been for years now except for pub crawls.

[DeleriousZ]

Originally posted by G-ZUS
Meh, good riddance

[masoncgy]

Aww, too bad. Crack Alley was a lot of fun back in the day. Greasy, dirty bar, but I always had a blast there.

[ndhal417]

Aww well looks like we'll all have to go to Jimmy Deans now...

[Boosted131]

Damn I used to go here all the time last year and previous years.. Then stopped going to clubs as much in general. Was a pretty fun place even though it was greasy and such .

[Graham_A_M]

Originally posted by spikers
I never once stepped in that place, never saw a reason to over my 15 years of (legal) drinking experience in Calgary.

I still remember the fiasco that was there when they flooded the dance floor with bubbles that caused everyone to get pink eye or go temporary blind or something.

sounds like good times!

Yeah man, exact same here. I've heard SO many horror stories of the trolls and swamp donkey's that piss drunk guys have taken home from there.

Its never ever been on my hit list....:nut:


Originally posted by rage2
Last time I was there was movember from a few years back, where I had my weak ass stash painted thicker, getting turned down by fat chicks, puked on the dance floor with AC/DC playing, dispersed the floor while I kept dancing. :rofl:

Good times! Sad to see the place go.

:rofl: :rofl: OMFG..... Epic.

[sexualbanana]

It was only a matter of time. I drive by there all the time and never see anyone there anymore.

[heavyfuel]

Haven't set foot in there since 2002. I worked the door there and quickly got fired lol surprised I'm still alive to be honest with some of the shit I pulled. Still that paled in comparison to the fun I had working at The Palace, now Flames Central lol fuck I don't miss that lifestyle one bit and certainly won't miss that place.

[dino_martini]

from that facebook page:

Kenzie Conrad - "I, along with many friends stopped going when they changed their music to top 40. If a bar doesn't play Papa Roach or Limp Bizkit, I ain't got time fo dat."

:rofl:

Never went to the Alley, but I have heard some stories. I wonder what will replace it. Speaking of closed night clubs, does anyone know what is happening with the space that used to be "The Whiskey"?

[JfuckinC]

turning into "national 10th ave, with bowling alleys"

Alley was a riot back in the day lol

[genesis0403]

never thought of going there the moment I read the name "back alley" lol

[heavyD]

Haven't been there for years but I have fond memories.

[Maybelater]

And nothing of value was lost.


Originally posted by ndhal417
Aww well looks like we'll all have to go to Jimmy Deans now...

:rofl: :bigpimp: :poosie: :rofl:

[frozenrice]

I used to live in the apartment building across Macleod Trail. Summers were brutal when it was hot out. We'd have the windows open to cool off and on more than one occasion, we'd get woken up at 2am by HAWCS circling the Back Alley. Usually happened in the middle of the week too. :thumbsdow

[tubby89]

That kinda sucks to hear as that was the first bar I bounced at in the 90's before working on Electric Ave and First Street. I've bounced at 10 bars total and the Alley has got to be one of the foulest bars I've worked at.

Catching disgusting( read farm animals ) having sex in the bathrooms at least 3 times a month was the norm. I once caught a larger female on her knees going down on a guy. The floor had vomit and beer on it, but she still did the deed with gusto. Guy was mad that I was interrupting his romantic night out and was belligerent, so I dragged him across the floor past the guys working the front doors and left him on his back near the lineup with his pants still around his knees.

Sigh, so many fond memories.

[Kobe]

I went there on Saturday for the first time in ages and got straight fucked up there... They were giving away free beers in the corner...

Edit: Actually i was fucked up when I got there, just came out a little bit more drunk...

[GorG]

So many ridiculous memories there. Used to go every Saturday, Friday, and occasionally Wednesdays. My friends and I be befriended one of the bar maids there. I think her name was Mary, she would always wear this sexy lingerie and give us the same power hour deal throughout the night. The place was great for creating memories, drunken ones ha ha. There were a few times i remember staying there until the lights turned on and people would realize the mistake they had made as they stared at pig face. My buddy and I actually went there during the summer for old time sake only stayed about 5 min since we were the only ones there at 10pm on a Friday.

[CapnCrunch]

Ha ha, I remember getting drunk with Dany Heatly the night before he got drafted and later sitting in the parking lot watching fights. Good times, but yeah, its a shithole lol.

[Masked Bandit]

I'm going to miss the place. I used to frequent the joint back in the day ('95 - '96ish) and I've got a ton of great memories. Lots of of questionable suspects but sometimes that's just what you're in the mood for. I can still remember when Red Dog from CJAY 92 was DJ there and then he had his first on-air shift with CJAY on a Sunday night starting at midnight. Some of my best mistakes happened there. I hadn't been there in probably 10 - 12 years when I stopped in on a pub crawl. It sure wasn't the same place but I guess that's not a big surprise.

[Kloubek]

Of all the bars I went to back in the day, this was actually one of my favs. It just seemed more "raw" and less pretentious than some of the others.

I remember they had real cheap drinks one night but they ended somewhere around 10:00 or 11:00, so I bought a nice even 13 and had them lined up on my table. Looked like a total alcoholic and finished them all inside the hour. It was a good night.

[Moonracer]

Originally posted by speedog
Hell, I remember being at the establishment in that building before the Back Alley - was called Denny Andrew's American Bar.

Yup that's when I used to go there. DA's was awesome.

[zipdoa]

I heard it was a chill place, RIP.

[dj_patm]

Originally posted by rage2
Last time I was there was movember from a few years back, where I had my weak ass stash painted thicker, getting turned down by fat chicks, puked on the dance floor with AC/DC playing, dispersed the floor while I kept dancing. :rofl:

Good times! Sad to see the place go.

I puked right by the bar after my buddy kept talking about how soapy the beer was after I chugged one of those nasty ass dollar draft night beers. No one noticed haha. Washed my hands and kept it going lol.

Outside of that memory, good riddance.

[Skidro]

DAMN!! The back alley was my stompin grounds!! RIP the funnest place to get blackout

[Tik-Tok]

Originally posted by Kloubek


I remember they had real cheap drinks one night but they ended somewhere around 10:00 or 11:00, so I bought a nice even 13 and had them lined up on my table. Looked like a total alcoholic and finished them all inside the hour. It was a good night.


Sounds about right, lol. I recall one evening my friends and I showed up at 7pm for the cheap drinks, even the waitress said "a little early guys, isn't it?". By 10 when the cheap drinks were ending, we had a table full, and my friend was so hammered he passed out in his chair, tipped the table over and knocked them all on the ground :rofl:

Edit: damn, thinking about it, this is the last of the clubs that I frequented back in the day that's still open. Everywhere else is gone too. :(

[J-D]

So many great times I'll never remember. Also, a couple that my friends like to remind me about that I wish I could forget :rofl:

[Graham_A_M]

Originally posted by Moonracer


Yup that's when I used to go there. DA's was awesome.

Are any of the remaining pictures of that place in black & white?

Man some of you guys are up there in the years. Were Forest Lawn & Midnapore still towns close to Calgary back then?

(just joking, dont take that seriously) ;)

[speedog]

Originally posted by Graham_A_M


Are any of the remaining pictures of that place in black & white?

Man some of you guys are up there in the years. Were Forest Lawn & Midnapore still towns close to Calgary back then?

(just joking, dont take that seriously) ;)
Yupp, up there a bit.

Went to Frankie and Johnnies as well as the old H block west of SAIT.

[Maybelater]

Originally posted by zipdoa
I heard it was a chill place, RIP.

Chill place RIP in peace

[Ca_Silvia13]

I'll go piss on the wall...again.

Cause thats what happens at the Alley

[flipstah]

Originally posted by dino_martini

Never went to the Alley, but I have heard some stories. I wonder what will replace it. Speaking of closed night clubs, does anyone know what is happening with the space that used to be "The Whiskey"?

Rumor has it that National Beer Hall is moving to that space.

[GS430]

Originally posted by CapnCrunch
Ha ha, I remember getting drunk with Dany Heatly the night before he got drafted and later sitting in the parking lot watching fights. Good times, but yeah, its a shithole lol.


Did he hop in his Ferrari after?

http://cblog.wikispaces.com/file/view/heatley.jpg/335360886/heatley.jpg

[JfuckinC]

Originally posted by flipstah


Rumor has it that National Beer Hall is moving to that space.

No rumour, that's for sure.

And they will have bowling alleys in there! haha should be cool.

[flipstah]

Originally posted by JfuckinC


No rumour, that's for sure.

And they will have bowling alleys in there! haha should be cool.

OH DAMN! Awesome! :thumbsup:

Finally, a bowling alley with good food! :love:

[roopi]

Originally posted by JfuckinC


No rumour, that's for sure.

And they will have bowling alleys in there! haha should be cool.

Under the Events section of the National website it sasy their 2nd location will be on 10th Ave with a bowling alley. So are they actually opening one on 10th and one in the Back Alley location?

[flipstah]

Originally posted by roopi


Under the Events section of the National website it sasy their 2nd location will be on 10th Ave with a bowling alley. So are they actually opening one on 10th and one in the Back Alley location?

:confused:

What? Back Alley has no relation with National.

Back Alley is revamping themselves to compete with Flames Central as a multi-purpose entertainment complex.

[roopi]

Originally posted by flipstah


:confused:

What? Back Alley has no relation with National.

Back Alley is revamping themselves to compete with Flames Central as a multi-purpose entertainment complex.

:banghead: Yeah I totally messed that all up. :nut:

[civic_stylez]

I used to do all my birthdays there way back.. the place was awesome when it was $2.00 highballs. Some of the stuff i saw in that bar will never be matched lol. I guess Ill always have the big scar on my hand from one of the good ol' barfights that made that place famous. Lots of memories there for sure.

[asp integra]

Desperadoes is up for lease as well, wonder what will be in that space next

[Graham_A_M]

Originally posted by asp integra
Desperadoes is up for lease as well, wonder what will be in that space next
Dude that place was a fucking Joke. Im seriously amazed it lasted as long as it did. :nut:
My Clubbin' days were long over, as I've never been to it, but from the stories I've heard from countless people: much like the Back Alley, I dont think I'll miss it one bit.
:thumbsup:

[dino_martini]

Originally posted by flipstah


Rumor has it that National Beer Hall is moving to that space.

I think thats stupid. But then again, I didnt really like National on 17th ave. I guess I will just stick to Habitat for that "club" vibe. :dunno:

edit - just thought about this, but why have National right next to Craft Beer Market :/ that makes no sense to me either. Oh well, I obviously dont know anything about what makes a bar popular as I'm not in that industry.

[flipstah]

Originally posted by dino_martini


I think thats stupid. But then again, I didnt really like National on 17th ave. I guess I will just stick to Habitat for that "club" vibe. :dunno:

edit - just thought about this, but why have National right next to Craft Beer Market :/ that makes no sense to me either. Oh well, I obviously dont know anything about what makes a bar popular as I'm not in that industry.

Yeah, I thought that was silly too. They're gonna compete against Craft, hoping the bowling alley addition will be enough to sway customers.

That's competition right there but then again, that's club road so I guess it's fine...?

[Gman.45]

I'm surprised to hear this news. As others have stated, the Back Alley outlasted nearly every other club in town, running from the early 90's to 2013. Nearly 20 years.

I worked there as well, for less than a year, both at the door and inside. I was working as a shooting instructor, and I had just finished working on a course training guys for a Canadian private military company a friend of mine owned, when I met the managers Dennis and Lanny. I hooked them up with their firearms licenses, and they told me if I ever wanted part time work to look them up. A couple of years later I did.

A good friend of mine, Tim, who I knew from flying training, was working on his commercial pilots license at the school I was training at when I was there around 1996. He was also DJ'ing at a club in Calgary called the Backstreet lounge, which was in the basement of Smuggler's inn restaurant back. Anyhow, he had ended up at the Back Alley a few years after that, and was still there in 2006 when I considered picking up some part time work, and he convinced me to try it out, even though I was a bit long in the tooth at 33.

I was long gone once the new law regarding drink prices came into effect, as somebody mentioned, and they were right, this was the beginning of the end of the good $ days. I'm surprised they held on as long as they did.

I know a member on this site who drives a GTR, Zane, who I used to lift/train with, and sold me a nice SUV once, was a doorman there around the time I was. It's funny how many people come out of the woodwork that worked there, 3 already in this thread plus 2 others on Beyond that I know.

[Maybelater]

So anyone on here going? The place is going to be jam packed, probably going to have to line up damn early.

[Kobe]

I'm debating it, two of my buddies are bouncing there tonight (That don't work there)

I guess they are expecting a shit load of fights...
Could be a gong show :D

[JfuckinC]

on the fence lol

[Maybelater]

They are def going to expect it to get rowdy, wouldn't be suprised if they have police galore. Thinking of going, worried it is going to be a joke trying to get in.

[Boosted131]

The line looPed around to the back of the building...

[dino_martini]

I heard it was classic Back Alley, tons of fights.