Whether you’re a local or a student, legendary stories aren’t too far away when you’re getting a round in at the Frog…
At 94 Division Street, the Frog and Parrott has been a piece of Sheffield furniture for well over 300 years now. It once housed the world’s strongest beer, and was the place where soul legend Joe Cocker signed his first record deal. Steeped in a wealth of local history, the Frog and Parrot is nothing short of a city institution and continues to provide a haven for locals and students alike to get their kicks.
It’s mostly synonymous with musical heritage. A line in the Arctic Monkey’s single ‘Cornerstone’ references the venue’s secret upstairs bar the Parrot’s Beak, where the cover star of that famous first album Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not Chris McClure was smoking a fag underneath the smoke alarm, prompting an evacuation before it was disabled using a mic stand.
I thought I saw you in the Parrot’s Beak / messing with the smoke alarm…
The band would regularly visit the boozer at 17-years-old for a few pints with some food, before their parents went in later on in the evening.
Some local musical royalty would even work behind the bar. The late Alexis Gotts of Wet Nuns fame would pull pints of ale and then practice on the venue’s drum kit on his breaks, eventually applying his craft to one of the most underrated bands this city has produced.
The likes of Roots Manuva and Boyzone have filmed there. Reverend and the Makers, Little Man Tate and Catfish and the Bottlemen have played during their respective musical journeys. Even Pete Doherty is known to nip in for a pint whenever he’s in Sheffield.
Just a pretty standard night out at the Frog and Parrot it seems…
Frog & Parrot // 94 Division St // Sheffield // S1 4GF // facebook.com/frogandparrot
