‘Greaser’ is the word, or ‘rocker’

We used to call them ‘greaser’ (or ‘rocker’ or ‘biker’) pubs. There was a lot of them about, early 80s, around the time yours truly set forth on his epic voyage around the pubs, WMCs and discotheques of this parish.

Good pubs, as a general rule, even for the non-greasy bus rider who thought Bat Out Of Hell was terrible.

And this latter was a major consideration, back in the day. One of the best things about your greaser (or rocker or biker) pub was the fact it invariably had a decent jukebox.

Duff 70s heavy, obviously, for the most part, but lots of good stuff from the 60s, the 50s even.

First heard The Doors in a greaser pub, Iggy Pop, probably Hendrix, too. Steppenwolf.

I’d owe them a great debt had these musical gifts not come wrapped in Meatloaf. For every The Passenger, Paradise by the Dashboard Light, all eight mins 30 secs of it, followed by Bat Out Of Hell, full length, twice...

Never much by way of trouble in your average greaser pub either.

Fearsome though the shaggy clientele might at first glance seem, in truth you couldn’t drink with a more peaceable laid-back bunch. Only ever seen one fight in a greaser pub. And they were non-greasers. The greasers were nonplussed.

Not so many of them around now, neither greasers nor their once profuse pubs, and those which remain have moved with the times.

Probably heard a good 10 hours of Meatloaf in Friargate’s Dog & Partridge down the years (yet, despite this shocking ordeal I bear the place no ill will), but more likely to get a wallop of death metal up yourjumper if you pop by now.

This remains, however, a price worth paying (deafened by time’s dulling hand, the modern din is in fact substantially easier to bear than the endless baby, baby, let me sleep on its of yore), to spend time in this famously friendly, Preston pub.

Come one, come all, and in the D & P of a busy Fri-Sat night you always find one and all. Old and young, greying greasers, the veteran ted, old non-greasy bus riders who think Cradle of Filth are terrible. Good people. Great pub. Rock on.