Fellow Crazy Canuck, JJ and I were talking about our hometown prior to the start of recording an episode of the podcast the other night. He mentioned his high school reunion, we giggled reminiscing about P.M.S. and s-l-a-y-o-R. Those familiar with school district 36 will know what we’re talking about.

The topic originated from a discussion about music played at certain clubs, which we don’t really patronize anymore but just the thought brings memories of more innocent days flooding back. Those songs that you’ve heard over the last decade while sharing pitchers, doing shots and getting your shoes all sticky on the disgusting dance floors of certain establishments. You know all the words, of course, you’ve heard the songs enough times and so has everyone else, and they make that quite evident by singing along at the top of their lungs. Because of these guilty pleasures, (come on, you know you sing along too) and the memories conjured just thinking about this post, I put together a little list. You don’t have to have feathered hair, wear tapered jeans or popeye pants to appreciate the pure cheese that follows:

Surrey Top Ten:
Pour Some Sugar On Me
Thunderstruck
Living On A Prayer
Sweet Home Alabama
Sweet Child Of Mine
Hurts So Good
Jessie’s Girl
Mony Mony
Sweet Caroline

Okay so there’s only 9, but I’ll leave number 10 up to you. These are the top songs you’ll hear when you head out on the town, mid-week (because hey, Wednesdays are wing nights) or on the weekends. People young and old sing along, and it’s either because a) you remember the songs and had the album when it came out, hung posters of the band on your wall and air guitared b) you remember going to these pubs and clubs and hearing these songs, over so many years, it reflects back on all those good times - and bad c) it’s just hilarious.

To add your pick for number 10 (Scorpion, Whitesnake, Vanilla Ice…oh boy!) feel free to comment or use the contact form. Thanks for letting me use ‘Surrey Top Ten’JJ!

I’m totally late on this but it wasn’t until we actually drove down the King George about a week ago that I discovered that the Ozone Nightclub (and consequently, Delanie’s Show Lounge) have been razed. Now it’s nothing but a big gaping hole (no… pun… intended…)

While we were having a drink with J.J. from the Canucks Hockey Blog last night he and I talked about the ‘old days’ in Surrey. Oddly enough, 3 of 5 hosts of The Crazy Canucks Podcast grew up in Surrey, but I digress. This summer the city went through with plans to develop 7300 King George Highway and the Newton Inn, show lounge and club were no longer the right fit for the neighbourhood.

(Photo is property of DragonsMaw on Flickr)

As reported last year:

A Surrey landmark of sorts will soon move from strippers to strip mall… City council gave preliminary approval Monday to a proposal that would see the Newton Inn give way to a shopping centre anchored by Save-On-Foods. The redevelopment of the 2.5-hectare (6-acre) site on King George Highway near 72nd Avenue would see the hotel, Delanie’s Pub and the Ozone nightclub demolished [SurreyNow]

I think to get into the Ozone you had to be between 16 and 18 years old. Cheap high balls, strip club ‘exotic show lounge’ next door, dirty (and I mean dirty) acts on the dancefloor being encouraged by the DJ oh yes, it was quite the place.

You’d often hear about our favourite Canuck bad-boy, Gino Odjick getting in trouble outside the Ozone on a Saturday night. In recent years, the club attempted to become a venue for music acts in the heart of Surrey, hosting concerts from Bif Naked to Skid Row. Meanwhile the ‘lounge’ next door hosted the likes of Ron Jeremy and the Guinness World Record holder for the largest breast implants.

It was always a high school reunion on the dance floor and by the time that 20th shard of glass from the swampy sticky carpet made it into your shoe you’d remember why this was the place to go before you knew any better.

Even though I’m so late on the news, this allowed me (and any readers) to reminisce about creepy, sketchy, sleazy, stabby, shooty times at the club. Hey, at least it wasn’t pretentious and didn’t have drinks that would cost as much as a Yaletown mortgage. I just hope Maxi Mounds was able to find a new home.