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We all know Hull’s Spiders nightclub is a Hull institution. Down the years, it has helped shape generations of people from the city.

For many, it hosted their rites of passage moment, visiting a club for the first time and, for the students who have come to Hull, from far and wide, it holds a special place in their hearts – even after they leave.

When I told my former editor in Bristol that I was moving to Hull, he said ‘well, you’ll be in Spiders most weeks’.

And, belatedly, last weekend I paid my first visit to the iconic venue with my colleagues from the Mail. I’ll admit, my memory of the night is a little sketchy, so I’ve requested the newsroom’s help to produce a guide to surviving Spiders - and the things you’ll always notice at the awesome club.

The Spiders checklist

So, these are the things you’ll encounter at Spiders which have become the norm over the last few decades:

1. Let’s get this out the way from the off: You will get lost in there, it is as simple as that – just embrace it.

2. There’s no point trying to ring your friends as the phone signal is non-existent. Just head to the bar.

3. There’s some weird and wonderful concoctions at the bar. Make sure you know which drinks to go for though – an Pangalatic Gargle Blaster will not be your friend the following day.

4. Every weekend is Halloween and you’ll see some very gothic outfits. There will always be some outrageous ones too. Anything goes. From a woman wearing just a top and thong to a man in a bustier, you really can wear whatever you like.

5. You might get told to ‘f*** off’ by the DJ if you’re in there looking for cheesy pop music.

6. But there’s music for everyone. Yes, some rooms might be a bit too rocky for some tastes but, don’t despair, you’ll soon stumble across indie and Motown elsewhere.

7. This will lead you to scream ‘Oh my god I love this song’ frequently.

8. Those who have been more often than you truly insist you’ll form friendships with strangers you’ll only ever see in Spiders. And they will last for years.

9. They will be saved in your phone as ‘someone from Spiders’.

10. Again, one of the regulars assures me this is the case: Spotting that one guy who is there in a PVC thong every single week.

11. Trying to write down your requests for the upstairs DJ and instead just writing an inane squiggle that will never be legible.

12. But you’ll later tell your friends, during a random song, ‘I requested this’.

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13. You’ll have passive aggressive battles with your friends and strangers as to who can remember the most lyrics to Bloodhound Gang when The Bad Touch comes on.

14. Getting the bus home when you’re worse for wear is a horrible experience. So, book a taxi in advance - it makes a lot more sense.

15. But before you go, make sure to grab some cheesy chips from the takeaway van. They even take card payments these days – dreamland!

16. Have a recovery plan in place for Sunday morning. Parcetamol, a Maccies breakfast and a duvet day watching films.

17. Once you’ve made your first trip, you are sure to be hooked and you'll discover their Halloween is something to savour.

Spiders nightclub opens every Saturday from 9.30pm until the early hours of Sunday morning.