The Ad-Lib club and the Beachcomber club were two separate clubs. Only in 1970 did they become one Ad-Lib club.
The Ad-Lib club opened on Friday October 14th 1966. It was situated at 41 St. Mary’s-gate in the Lace Market, Nottingham. It was next door to the Beachcomber club which was numbered 47.
It was described as a late-night Discotheque, licensed to 2am with Buffet and a members club for persons 20 years of age upwards.
It opened every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Plans were made for a Monday night with Jazz entertainment.
Thursday April 2nd 1970 the new Ad-Lib / Kool Kat was launched. The new bars added from the old Beachcomber Club were called the Kool Kat bars.
By the late 70’s it became predominantly a reggae club but there were plenty of gigs too. I myself, saw local bands like Nick Turner and the Frogs (Nottingham band led by, later Chameleon venue manager Nick Turner), The Drains (Nottingham band), The Chimneys (Nottingham band) and national bands like the Method Actors, Inner City Unit (led by former Hawkwind man Nik Turner), The Soft Boys and Bauhaus.
The Ad-Lib would close and then reopen as The Garage in 1983 an enterprise led by Selecta-Disc man Brian Selby.
1966
The Beachcomber club next door was dominated by gigs featuring some of the great movers of mid sixties rock, blues and soul. Cream, Jimi Hendrix, John Mayall and many other now legendary names could be seen there but the Ad-Lib club was not that sort of club and was trying to reach a more “sophisticated clientele”.
1968
By the beginning of 1968 they had a gaming room for Roulette, Chemin de Fer, Poker, Blackjack and Brag. The club was now open Tuesday to Sunday 8.30pm – 2am.
1969
By 1969 the club was modernised, refurnished and re-equipped with three bars, a luxurious dining room seating forty with a full a La Carte menu and extensive wine list and relaunched as the new Ad Lib club.
1970
In March 1970 the Ad-Lib club acquired the premises of the Beachcomber club next door making it larger and the club most of us were used to during the seventies and eighties.
1971
1972
1975
