Writer calls for photos and stories of cult nightclub
Author Neil Anderson has called for clubbers to submit photos and stories of one of Sheffield's most iconic lost nightclubs for a new book on its history.
Local bands pictured in The Limit in its early days.
The Limit opened its doors on West Street in 1978, hosting local bands and international stars including Iggy Pop, The Cure and Joy Division.
Now author Neil Anderson is working on a fully-updated version of his book on the history of the club, which was first published in 2009.
He was due to release the new version of Take It To The Limit last year, but a personal tragedy forced him to mothball the project.
The original doorway on West Street.
"My world stopped turning in 2018-2019 and the tenth anniversary Limit book was one of many projects that was put on hold," said Anderson.
"But the amazing reaction the original book received when it was first published in 2009 has always stayed with me. In many respects it changed everything for me.
"Since releasing the first edition of Take It To The Limit, Anderson has launched a company which celebrates retro nightlife and published several 'Dirty Stop Outs' guides to nights out in Sheffield.
Patrons in the club's heyday.
The Limit was a crucial venue for the city's burgeoning synthpop scene in the early eighties, at a time when few nightclubs would take a chance on electronic sounds. Bands including The Comsat Angels, Cabaret Voltaire, Pulp and ABC (under early name Vice Versa) all played important early gigs in its cavernous basement.
At a festival of local groups in 1978, heavy metal titans Def Leppard even supported icy electronic collective The Human League before either band made it big.
The B-52s played their first UK show at The Limit, while a then-unknown U2 performed to a crowd of 14 in November 1980. On the club's final night in 1991, punters were given free drinks in exchange for a £10 ticket in order to drink the bar dry.
Email Neil with your stories and photos of The Limit at neil@dirtystopouts.com
