Zoo Bar (Halifax, West Yorkshire)
Description
The Tramshed and Zoo Bar were two adjoining night clubs in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. First called "Theo's Zoo bar", in the early 1990s, and named after the head bouncer, the original venue was a standalone nightclub. The Tramshed and Zoo Bar were brought to national attention by the media as a "haven" for underage drinkers, when they became among the first establishments to be closed under the auspices of the Licensing Act 2003, which came into effect in England and Wales at midnight on 23 November 2005.BackgroundOriginally named "Theo's Zoo bar" after the head bouncer and before the reputation of an underage venue the Zoo bar was one of the first "indie" clubs in halifax. It was classed as an alternative club where people classed the customers as slightly weird. The Djs played classics like "light my fire" the Doors_ "sympathy for the devil" the stones. Etc. later filling the dancefloor to tunes by the latest indie gods such as Suede, pulp etc. Characters always filled the club. There was "roller guy" who wore roller boots and took photos all night, "daddy Acid" who used to walk around with a bowl of fruit (apparently laced with Acid tabs). It was a real hive and buzzing place of individual clubbers.The tramshed which opened later was home to the upcoming dance scene and often played hours of trance with old black and white movies playing on a huge screen.Drugs became a huge problem within the clubs and that was the start of the demise. Theo sold up and it was then that the clubs took on a new crowd mainly underage drinkers.The Tramshed and Zoo Bars were side-by-side nightclubs in Halifax featuring rock, emo, indie, punk and ska music. They were located on Lord Street close to the former site of Samuel Webster's Fountain Head Brewery. The property the clubs were located in has now been demolished and the land used for social housing.