In the 1980s there was a bar on Queen Street just down the road from the Odeon called The Helsinki. The Helsinki was an alternative venue at the time where people dressed up and wore make up (including the blokes) and the DJ played new romantic music as well as 78s and rock as well. The bar was very long and I spent a lot of time queening behind it waiting for a drink! It was light, had a wooden floor and battered and bruised furniture but it was a great place to go and I spent many a fun night in the back room with my friends drinking Pimms with loads of fruit in the glass!
On a recent trip back to Leicester I passed the new theatre ‘Curve’ and coming out of the back door realised I was on Queen Street opposite what used to be The Odeon. As I walked down the road before turning onto Humberstone Gate, I passed the Helsinki and saw that it was still there. The windows were blacked out and it seemed more like a night club these days but I was surprised to see it still going and it brought all the memories of going there each week flooding back. The Cure were very popular at that time and ‘Close To Me’ which is today’s song was regularly played on those Saturday nights and as a result it is the song that I most associate with that venue and those times.
I still love ‘The Cure’ and I love this song too.
Now listen to the song….
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