We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Paul Tunkin, who ran the club night Blow Up, which took over the running of the venue in 2001, significantly raising its profile, said at the time: It is another nail in the coffin for central Londons live music and club scene.. We put a swimming pool onthe terrace one night, fairground rides another. House night Freedom ran at the club for years and Philip Sallons Mud Club also took place there, as well as the Pussy Posse Party, which included mud-wrestling. A great club pre-2001. The site on Curtain Road is now the uber-cheesy Sunset cocktail bar and offers VIP Packages underneath a branch of the burger chain Hache. Peter Gatien's daughter Jen Gatien made a documentary called Limelight in 2011, about New York City night life in the 1990s and the rise and fall of her father's club empire. London Night Guide is your nightlife concierge for the most best clubs in London. A great article , and so sad that many of these truly iconic places may be but a memory in the minds of millions . The Shim Sham Club, which opened on Wardour Street in the mid-1930s, was described as 'London's miniature Harlem'. You can head back to a mate's house and lounge with a cold one until your party mood completely fades, but what if you still have itchy feet and the urge to dance? Electrowerkz was the name!!! Now the industrial area, which was once a high-density party hotspot, is the site of one of the capitals biggest modern developments. Stars from the world of the music who were regulars at the nightclub included Boy George, Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet and Steve Strange. Ch N. Katz In Brick Lane was a small string and paper bag supplier until the late 1990's. Rising rents forced out the Owner after 57 years. Top 5 London Nightclubs of the 90s - Kentishtowner Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. hope youre well? It was made for DJs by DJs and those who fumbled fumbled spinning the decks were quickly called out by the crowd. Councils across London are cracking down on late night licences. Top R&B Clubs And Events In London | DesignMyNight These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. London nightclubs facing 'perfect storm' of threats . Whats in the new July issue of Kentishtowner? I walked into the toilet and my brother was stood at the urinal. Something went wrong, please try again later. However, a thumping set and fab laser show by the master PVD at the re-invented Fridge aka Electric Brixton a while ago demonstrated, with the right amount of desire, opportunity and application it can still be done. Those that were there will never forget and those that werent would wish they were if they knew. The Walkabout bar closed after its parent company went into administration in October 2009. Getting lost I found some of the pictures a couple of weeks ago including some rather x-rated ones. The smell of leather was unmistakeable! So move I did, all the way from Helsinki. "Harlem Desire '89". Depressing isnt it? The massive warehouse club in King's Cross was a close as you could get to a legal rave. The clubs licence was suddenly revoked after a serious incident of disorder outside the venue, in which, according to the police report, bouncers used baseball bats to fight off a customer who had been throwing bottles at them. Have some great memories from that place when the people from Hooj used to celebrate their parties there. The likes of Oasis and Nirvana played there and it hosted regular LGBT club nights. thanks for the article, spent many crazy nights/days in all of these places, Velvet Underground aside. We could party on until 1pm without worrying if the police were going to turn up, says Smokin Jo, who was resident DJ at the night. After searching for ages Ive just stumbled across an archaic website that still has photos and even videos of all three Kings Cross clubs Canvas, The Cross and The Key. Copyright 2023 London Belongs To Me Ltd|All Rights Reserved|More info: With your agreement, we and our partners (click on 'Find Out More' below for a list) use cookies or similar technologies to store, access, and process personal data like your visit on this website, IP addresses and cookie identifiers. In the past 15 years, some of best-loved venues of the London club scene have shut their doors, for reasons ranging from crime to gentrification and Crossrail. London's lost venues - in pictures | Music | The Guardian It was like a small amphitheatre with the DJ the absolute centre of attraction, he says. Its hours ran from 3am to 1pm on a Sunday afternoon, handily catering to the predominantly gay crowd who wanted to carry on partying after clubs like G-A-Y and Heaven closed. Believe it or not King's Cross was once the party hub of London. It closed after an issue with underage drinking was reported in 2009, before re-opening as Electric Brixton. With alternate Saturdays at Happiness Stan's/Fourplay at Smith's and the Jazz Bistro in Farringdon. The brand name is constantly evolving and the club continues to survive despite numerous threats of closure. Bring your dancing shoes and prepare for a night packed with tunes from the likes of Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Drake, Beyonce and Jay-Z as we introduce the best R&B events . So goooood memories!!!! Finally closing after 18 years in 2008, Trade never again found a permanent home as Turnmills itself was demolished; the site is now home to the most anonymous possible looking corner office block. musical boundaries being broken, relationships being formed, inspiration etc, is then taken and truned into something else. Great article. It was where world-famous artists like Adele and The XX cut their teeth, and was a gem of the North London nightlife scene. It was around the corner from Angel station. Last modified on Tue 2 Jun 2020 05.49BST, Photograph: Ray Stevenson/REX/Shutterstock, Photograph: Dick Barnatt/Redferns & Paul Talling, Photograph: Paul Talling & Ilpo Musto/REX/Shutterstock, Photograph: Ray Stevenson/REX/Shutterstock & Paul Talling, Photograph: REX/Shutterstock & Paul Talling, Photograph: Paul Talling & Marc Sharrat/REX Shutterstock, Composite: David Corio/Redferns & Paul Talling, Photograph: Paul Talling & David Corio/Redferns, Photograph: Brendan Beirne/Rex Shutterstock & Paul Talling, Photograph: Alan Davidson/REX/Shutterstock, Photograph: Paul Talling & Ray Stevenson/REX/Shutterstock, Photograph: Suzie Gibbons/Redferns & Paul Talling, Photograph: Ray Stevenson/REX/Shutterstock & Paul Talling, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every Have to confess my favorites were Frantic at the Academy, and The Fridge. Electroworks (I think this was the name?). how about PLEASED on a wednesday at the Velvet underground !!! This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Sign up to our weekly email. The place was a really important hub for the fledgling dubstep family, says 6Music DJ Mary Anne Hobbs, who went to FWD>> religiously in the mid-2000s. The place declined to the point that, by the 1980s, it was a strip club but was bought out and re-styled as a members only A-list speakeasy in 2012, now attracting Noel Gallagher, Mark Ronson, Harry Styles et al. Turnmills building being totally destroyed is the ultimate, inexcusable vandalism though. List of gentlemen's clubs in London - Wikipedia Best London Club and Rave Venues that are now closed This week, Boris Johnson has been considering a decision that will affect the future of London's most famous nightclub. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Great article. 9. We had amazing nights, including joint parties with labrynth and raindance. (Photo by Carl Allen) 7 Sir George Robey/Powerhaus, Seven Sisters Road Bagleys started to go downhill for me after the drugs raid. 30 Photos That Show Just How Insane The '90s Club Scene - BuzzFeed In 1979 it was from this Covent Garden spot that the New Romantic movement came forth to rescue England from a music scene of lumpen post-punk mediocrity. From sweaty rave spots to Soho institutions, these are the iconic nightlife haunts we most miss. 59 old bars and nightclubs we wish we could bring back for one last Glad you like it Phil. Demonstrators protest against the closure of Madame JoJos, in 2014. mixed the burlesque glamour of Soho with Londons contemporary music scene, Speaking to the Guardian after its closure, Marcus Harris, Hackney council revoked the clubs licence, the capitals biggest modern developments, stand in the way of the Crossrail development, taking the scalp of the Metro with the same swoop of the sword that ended the Astoria. Read more: Has Covid-19 ended Sohos indie spirit for good? I love this article! LuvDup were djing (one of them fell over on the stage), Princess Julia was stood by the decks dancing. Memories of its glamorous showbiz past as one of the places to be seen in London in the 1980s echo around through the wall of this beautiful piece of architecture. At Camden a Palace, I met my best friend, who is now the godmother of my 7 year old son. Lead singer of the pop group Visage Steve Strange (left) pictured with Boy George at London's Limelight. Home (nightclub chain) - Wikipedia Nice article that has brought back some wonderful memories. Astor Club - Wikipedia A perfectly acceptable thing to do at the time. This labryinth of a club was under the arches of London Bridge station and got packed out with sweaty 20-somethings without fail every weekend. Turning around and seeing floor fountains and Mail on Sunday readers sipping lattes and eating Danish pastries made my heart sink. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. The Soul City nights in Covent Garden were also really good. Memories from each venue for sure. Breaks my heart to see whats happened. Nice article Tom, brought back some great memories. The single was written and produced by Ralf Ren Mau, and its cover artwork features . Surely he must be out by now. Those Cranks days were the era that I fully embraced the concept of the 3-night sleepless weekender and other wonderous, if slightly unprofessional, ways to fill the hours between shifts. Because of the sleazy, druggy, mischievous late night vibe (exactly what makes such haunts so exciting), we tend to reduce their cultural significance. Proud2, Greenwich 2011-2012Following the closure of Matter, Alex Proud became the next investor to have a go at making a nightclub at the O2 work. Even if we cant and possibly shouldnt prevent their almost inevitably fleeting existence. Sad to see the blandification of London continues. Electric benefits from the amazing history of the Fridge. Over the next few pages, we show you whats become of these former nightlife hotspots, and pay tribute to the glorious madness they once hosted. Velvet Rooms on Mondays was one of the only places to continue getting even more spangled Wicked. Something went wrong, please try again later. Bagleys/Canvas, Kings Cross1991-2007Like a legal rave, Bagleys was a huge multi-room warehouse club that held some of Londons biggest Saturday night parties. 051. London's lost nightclubs in pictures - Time Out London Cans of beer Here are some of the South London clubs and bars that are sadly no more. There is no place for this kind of establishment in Hackney. Ok, its technically a pub and Im not sure if we were going there in 90s. We took a nostalgic look back at some of the capital's notorious nightclubs which have all closed since 2000. I would also like to add The Blue Note to this list of sadly missed. I DJed at the Cross 13th birthday and was given a copy of the book on my way out. But its about the memories though, for me. Boy George worked the cloakrooms, Spandau Ballet played their early gigs here and you simply (for better or worse) would never have heard Ultravox or Visage were it not for the Blitz Club. 3. next. I was the promoter of Double Dipped at Bagleys on Friday nights around 91 93 Limelight in London was one of a string of Limelight clubs owned by Canadian Peter Gatien - other Limelight clubs in the chain were in Hallandale in Florida, Atlanta, Chicago and New York City. The Fridge, Brixton1981-2010When it opened, the Fridge was the club of the New Romantics Boy George was a regular before becoming famous for its nights hosted by Soul II Soul. RM 2HTCTTN - Ace Cinema, Alexandra Avenue, Rayners Lane, Harrow, London, 1983. Mass and Babalou, Brixton1996-2012Bearing in mind this pair of venues were hosted within Brixtons St Matthews Church, which leased the space to them, it was always pretty cheeky for Mass to host Torture Garden events in the crypt. Even Prince Charles has been to the Limelight club - he was snapped getting out of the royal car as he arrived to attend a reception for the Prince's Trust at the venue in December 1997. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. 10. THANKS. What I would say is be glad we are the ages we are. Salmon and Compass in Angel. The Black Sheep Bar in Croydon High Street (Image: David Cook) This High Street venue in Croydon, which was loved for its alternative club nights and live music, closed in 2013 after 15 years in service. But many of the places that clubbers flocked to every weekend in their thousands in the post-Criminal Justice Act heyday are being erased from todays landscape. He looked down at me, then to my brother, we both leant forward in unison, looked at each other, as if to say Have you seen this, dude? and then back up at him. London's night-time economy is estimated to contribute 17-26.bn in . Im rambling anyway. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. I Did the lighting and laser systems at turnmills for many different promoters. You had, in all probability, just left Turnmills, the first club in the UK to receive a 24 hour license. The huge venue, which filled six arches, brought a Balearic party vibe to a run-down corner of London, with club nights including Glitterati and Cheeky People. . I remember me and my brother went up to Soundshaft one night (I was about 22), with, erm, a couple of associates.. Historic Brick Lane: Black and white photographs depict the rapid The clubbing map: What has happened to London nightlife? My favourite break-time activity was to go up to the rafters and watch everybody raving. MyLondon's brilliant newsletter The 12 is absolutely jam packed with all the latest to keep you keep you entertained, informed and uplifted. Its really sad that the times have achanged and in a reflection of this, all these fantastic places are being bulldozed. After all, it did have a capacity pushing 4,000 people and a 24-hour drinking licence. A club with really innovative nights and for the hardcore Metalheadz on a Sunday night. Speaking to the Guardian after its closure, Marcus Harris, who co-ran the venues long-running indie night White Heat, described it as a community of fringe culture. For more news and featuresabout London directly to your inbox sign up to our newsletter here. Thanks to this article I have found a local website for local people. Same here. 5. The MyLondon team tells London stories for Londoners. I remember them all so well!! Want the best food, film, music, arts and culture news in London sent straight to your inbox? circa 1990. The venue stopped running the events to save its licence, but as a result lost a lot of money through cancelled bookings and by March 2010 was broke. Thats brought back some memories. Oh, the most impressive handlebar tash I have ever seen on a Man. 7. The venue reopened as Electric Brixton the following year, but as owner Andrew Czezowski told the South London Press when it was put up for sale: Whoever buys it, if they buy it, they are only getting bricks and mortar., Cable, London Bridge2009-2013This cavernous 1,300-capacity club, located beneath the railway arches of London Bridge station, was as renowned among clubbers for its airport-style security as for its bass-heavy parties and rapid rise as a significant dance music brand. A most excellent post Tom.. When it opened, the Fridge was the club of the New Romantics - Boy George was a regular - before becoming famous for its nights hosted by Soul II Soul. Luckily they are putting up a great fight, so Ministry wont find itself demolished just yet. It hosted huge weekend parties that were at hit with House music fans. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. Ive loved reading ur write up about the old clubs and the memories came flooding back with the pics!! We then went our seperate ways. Hope you are too. Jon Cook. Located in the west lodge outside Euston Station, it ran from 1995 to 2008. I frequented all of these bar Velvet and had many a great night in all. The Astor Club was a nightclub which operated in Mayfair, London from the 1930s to the late 1970s. Sold out, obviously, although there might be a ticket on the door for 30. He was about 50 years old and massive. Vauxhall became the locus of gay clubs from 2000. In the 1980s some clubs opened up in Earls Court, where the rent was cheaper. For a year or so, this was an explosion of androgyny, increasingly bizarre and fabulous homemade fashion and lashings of clunky, proto synths. Cue acid house, bucket hats, baggy T-shirts and lots of sweat. Luxury London is not responsible for the content of external sites. I was just chatting away, when I heard this rhythmic, squeaking sound, along with heavy, thundering footsteps. 27 photos from the '90s Birmingham club scene Worse than that, advanced ticketing is now the only option promoters are now willing to risk, destroying that brilliant spontaneous thing of being in the pub and deciding who you wanted to see and where (knowing you had a good choice of reliable venues that you knew inside out.) The award-winning print and online title Kentishtowner was founded in 2010 and is part of London Belongs To Me, a citywide network of travel guides for locals. We WERE there, we DID live it, and now were sentimental old bastards. Glad to have been part of that London dance scene. Dirty, worn, in your face, street cred with banging, hard but funky beats. So many wonderful memories, so many great pills. In its 80s heyday, Limelight was one of London's top nightclubs and a hangout for the decade's biggest celebrities. The reality of the Swinging Sixties was that about 45 people were having an incredible time around Carnaby Street while the rest of the country continued drinking stout in working mens clubs and listening to Val Doonican. There are now just 1,733 venues compared with 3,144 in 2005 and in the last 10 years London has lost 10 top clubs. The history of London's 10 greatest live music venues Founded in an old bus garage in 1991, its far from salubrious location deep in pre-gentrification Elephant and Castle gave it genuine edge. Herbal, Shoreditch2000-2009It was small (and sweaty) but Herbal consistently pounded out some of the best drum and bass in the capital, filling out every Sunday for Grooveriders seminal night, Grace, as well as regularly hosting the likes of Goldie and the Metalheadz crew. The very social cafe upstairs, the dense dry-ice on the main floor with the mesmerising lasers, hottest guys, new bizarre sounds, the knowledge that the rest of England was sleeping and had no idea that such hedonism was taking place on a Sunday morning and night (you missed out Warriors) all fuelled after an initial polite and orderly wait in line to see Nick (is he out yet?) I couldnt do it now, but I so glad I did it all then. The demise of seminal clubs like Shelleys In Stoke, Quadrant Park in Liverpool and Coventrys Eclipse should also be documented. A dominant hair design was de rigueur. The Cross, Kings Cross 1993-2007Speaking to Time Out after its closure, Billy Reilly, who ran a road haulage company in Kings Cross before opening warehouse venue the Cross, admitted that back in 1993 he, didnt know Judge Jules from Judge Dredd. I lost my marbles in all of these places in the 90s. 2021-2023 - Luxury London. Cheers Mike. The clientele these days is more likely to include the sons and daughters of sheiks and potentates quaffing Cristal and dancing to mainstream RnB but the restaurant area (yes, this is one of those kinds of nightclubs) still sees the odd A-lister float by when theyre in town. Weve picked our Top 5 such venues, all of which were in stumble-home-from distance for Kentishtowners (thats why theres no Club UK for example, if youre wondering). Bob Geldof had his stag do at Limelight before he married Paula Yates, George Michael (pictured here in 1992) was often seen at Limelight with a woman on his arm, Inside the former Welsh chapel which was once home to the Limelight nightclub. This former gin distillery was home to one of Londons all time greatest club nights: Trade. Crazy night. So while we salute the nightspots that have weathered the Covid storm, lets now recall the clubs that have fallen, not just during the pandemic but way, way before that, all of whom, in their day, contributed to the aching limbs, sore feet and empty wallets of hedonistic Londoners of yore. However, its worth taking a moment to remember that nightclubs, by their very essence, shouldnt outstay their welcome. Trying to find your mates I wouldnt even know where to go nowadays for a night out. No sensible drinking cautions, no smoking bans, and generally less moderation of everything.
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london nightclubs 1990s