Mackem Folk Singer creates song in tribute to Sunderland nightclub

Wearside music man Dave Murray is achieving social media success with a song all about a legendary Sunderland nightclub.

The man known as the Mackem Folk Singer first composed 'Did Yeh Ever Gann To The Mecca?' in 2017.

Lang hair and bell bottom jeans

But it has suddenly become a Facebook hit with thousands of people listening to the song about nights out on Wearside in yesteryear.

It has lines such as;

Did yeh ever gann to the Mecca, did yeh ever gann to Genevieves,

Did yeh ever have lang hair or wear an Afghan coat, and bell bottom jeans,

Did yeh ever dance away the hours,

Mecca memories included scampi and chips

At the Mecca on a Friday and Saturday night,

Did yeh ever walk round in circles,

Up and down them stairs a hundred times a night'

More than 3,000 views of the song have been recorded recently and Dave's online following has surged.

He told the Echo: "Mecca is a funny little song about what we would wear, drink and eat during our visits to the late night local dance hall,

Babycham and Cherry B

"Everyone would walk round and round in circles chatting to each other as they passed on the stair case. Or we'd stop off to chew on some scampi and chips in the basket.

"It was great dancing the night away to our favourite artists and many a time we could see them live on stage as the Mecca was also a well know live venue."

Other lines from the song include;

Drinking Tartan beer and Lorimer’s scotch, Bacardi and Coke - on the rocks,

Babycham and Cherry B,

Scampi in a basket, chicken and chips, hot dog burgers, Oxo crisps,

Did Yeh Ever Gann to the Mecca just like me.”

More to come - on school dinners

Dave added: "I hope my song brings back loads of happy memories for the listeners."

Share your own memories of the Mecca by emailing [email protected]

Dave was also the brainchild behind open mic nights at the Steels Club, as reported in the Sunderland Echo last year.

He will be back soon with another new song about school dinners and is no stranger to composing.

His other songs include Merry Christmas 1966, River Wear Bairns, and Fish and Chips (all about his childhood memories of chips and pattie on a Friday neet’).