Some of the greatest nights of my life have been at FWD>> at Plastic People.. The plan was to go up there, see someone and come back. As you pointed out Fabric is the benchmark for a well organised, respected, profitable club in the modern era but you only have to look at the demise of Pacha to see what a dangerous game financially it is nowadays. The smell of leather was unmistakeable! Great memories of perhaps the greatest clubbing/club music period history has known! Remaining stock was given away free at the apocalyptically hedonistic farewell party so they do crop up online occasionally. Or did that go the way of the marbles?! Hope you are too. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Enjoyed the trip into nostalgia very much.. 6 great lost British nightclubs - mirror (1989) "Megamix". migrated from the Milk Bar around the corner, Danny Rampling ruled wednesday night, and Jon Pleased took over the tradition.Shoom, Pure, Glam, Pleased the weekends fun used to begin on a wednesday,,,,OMG !! With the post-lockdown future of so many live music venues in doubt, Paul Tallings new book is a timely reminder of what we have already lost. A great club pre-2001. 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. You had, in all probability, just left Turnmills, the first club in the UK to receive a 24 hour license. Darling, Fantastic article how about expanding the idea to the rest of the country. Thanks to this article I have found a local website for local people. However, I do hold dear the fact I took advantage of the last ever NYE at The End..needless to say Laurent Garnier did not disappoint:). Madame JoJos, Soho1960-2014The legendary nightclub once owned by porn baron Paul Raymond seamlessly mixed the burlesque glamour of Soho with Londons contemporary music scene. Hi Martyn! Anyone who is anyone has DJd there over the years (as the endless MoS series of album releases testifies), including Paul Oakenfold, Pete Tong and Armand Van Helden. OMG London clubbing in the 90s, was there ever a time in history that was better? A perfect storm of London property economics, redevelopment zones and major transport improvements (rather than any lack of interest from music fans) has seen off an unprecedented number of key venues in the last few years. But sadly it never recovered from the initial closure and was put up for sale in 2010. The West End night spot was based in a former chapel on Shaftsbury Avenue until its popularity declined and sadly, it was sold on and converted into a bar. (1989) " London Nights ". 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. Many clubs in London's West End (Gullivers, Gossips, Crackers, Africa Centre, the 100 Club) and areas like Hackney, Haringey, Brent, Ealing and Lambeth, were now creating a new experience of. But things turned sour after after a double stabbing took place in the club, leading to its licence being revoked. (1989) " London Nights " is British Europop duo London Boys ' biggest hit single, released in 1989 from their debut album, The Twelve Commandments of Dance. Even if we cant and possibly shouldnt prevent their almost inevitably fleeting existence. Great memories though. Despite the epic interior, or perhaps because of it, the venue struggled to pull in the punters during its later years, blaming the recession for its eventual closure. Do you want to stay up to date with the latest news, views, features and opinion from across the city? So sad to see it all boarded up. Simon brought the three nights that were being run at Sublime, Beatfix, Cargo and Voodoo and moved its DJs (including Peewee Ferris, Nik Fish, Craig Obey, Bexta and Kate Monroe) into Home's Friday night. Clubbing at 1990s Ministry of Sound Nightclub, London 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. I (just about) have wonderful memories of all 5 of those venues. Electroworks (I think this was the name?). Its a members only club but the present owners are open to granting membership to those who arent necessarily currently gracing the cover of Hello! Taking Ecstasy for the first time and experiencing the euphoria of the blissed out Balearic beats at Space nightclub, Oakenfold and his wife Jenni came home and tried to re-create it in a 300 capacity basement gym on Southwark Street. 13. But Crossrail was the final nail in the coffin for the much-loved Soho venue. In the 1980s some clubs opened up in Earls Court, where the rent was cheaper. 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. Bagleys started to go downhill for me after the drugs raid. London 1980s nightclub Stock Photos and Images - Alamy 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. it probably was ha ! Real friendships were made, some that lasted a few hours and some, decades. George Michael often arrived at the nightclub accompanied by a woman before he came out as gay. 10. The importance of the issue has been recognised in the Mayor of London's decision to appoint a Night Tsar with responsibility for the night-time economy and the debate surrounding the 2016 closure, and subsequent reopening, of Fabric one of London's most famous clubs. Sign up to our weekly email. The Cross, bouncers nicking you gear *unts. 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. Heaven (nightclub) - Wikipedia but it went wrong after the terrible stabbing on a bank holiday sunday night. Historic Brick Lane: Black and white photographs depict the rapid The gay scene in London has always been centred around the West End, especially Soho. It was the trend-setting precursor to London's super clubs, and transformed the terrain of LGBTQ clubbing in the capital. I had some of the best days of my life there! Stir some memories with these photographs from the '90s Birmingham club and rave scene. We list 18 things you might not know about the Limelight club, the building it was in and its links to the US. SeOne, London Bridge2002-2010It was billed as Londons biggest nightclub, a 3,000-capacity venue set in a vast set of arches beneath London Bridge station, known for big-name Saturday nighters as well as regular Moondance raves. Lesbian Clubs and Pubs | Historic England The licence was subsequently restored, but the business was unable to avoid going into administration. 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. This former gin distillery was home to one of Londons all time greatest club nights: Trade. It was like a small amphitheatre with the DJ the absolute centre of attraction, he says. Top 5 Lost London Nightclubs of the 90s Former DJ Magazine Deputy Editor Tom Kihl investigates what happened to the clubs that once dominated London's nightlife By Tom Kihl March 1, 2013 T his week, Boris Johnson has been considering a decision that will affect the future of London's most famous nightclub. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. October 2018 the anonymous landlord of the former chapel won planning approval from Westminster council to upscale the venue into a major performance venue on the West End's arts scene with a restaurant and basement bar, run by Stone Nest. We do have to move on though and surely there are opportunities for a new generation of people who want to create new nightclub venues, with fresh ideas. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Written by. By the mid-1990s the venue was no longer used as a cinema, instead functioning as a music venue, nightclub and snooker hall. The End on a Friday and Turnmill on a Saturday were more my thing. A far cry from the likes of the Nest or Birthdays, the Aces filled an old Victorian theatre on Dalston Lane where it pioneered black music in the UK before becoming a permanent venue for rave promoters Labyrinth in the late 80s. Im amazed u didnt mention that John Newman was the father of both Danny and Paul Newman. "Harlem Desire '89". The Blitz Kids were the gang who unofficially ran the club, with members included Gary and Martin Kemp from Spandau, dance choreographer supremo-to-be Michael Clark and Siobhan Fahey (later of Bananarama). The best til last- no one did it like The End. Founded in an old bus garage in 1991, its far from salubrious location deep in pre-gentrification Elephant and Castle gave it genuine edge. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. All the new secret location parties `I work in these days are usually stuck in cold,dirty and faceless arches. We forgive all this because nightclubs in our fair city also provide some of the most euphorically happy moments of collective felicity and joy that well experience in the course of our lives. Losing those places feels like losing a family member never to return. These days? Every club claims that its all about the music but in Plastic Peoples case, the ideology really did manifest. Surely he must be out by now. Limelight in London opened in 1985 in a Grade II listed former Welsh Presbyterian church in Shaftsbury Avenue in the West End borough of Westminster. It had its licence revoked after a "serious incident of disorder" in 2014 and its closure left many Londoners with heavy hearts. 30 Photos That Show Just How Insane The '90s Club Scene - BuzzFeed From the weekly FWD>> nights, where the UK bass scene emerged, to the broken beat nights Co-op, this was a club that managed to evolve and change while somehow remaining the same for over 20 years, a run that ended only when long-standing manager Charlotte Kepel felt the time was right to pull the plug in 2015. Matter, Greenwich2008-2010It was perhaps always a slightly over-optimistic proposition opening a nightclub in Greenwich, let alone one inside the Millennium Dome, but if anyone was going to have a good stab at it, then it would be the pair behind Fabric: Cameron Leslie and Keith Reilly. 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. Something went wrong, please try again later. Clip ref DW0126681990s Ministry of Soun. Killjoy councils, student debt and stolen phones: the slow death of British clubs, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. It became louder and louder. 051. Home. Unfortunately, I cant say I experienced all of them. In one fell swoop, however, the Cross, Canvas and the Key were culled in favour of the regeneration of Kings Cross. Former DJ Magazine Deputy Editor Tom Kihl investigates what happened to the clubs that once dominated London's nightlife. 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. Plastic People, Shoreditch2000-2015The new year started with a shock for clubbers, when renowned east London bass-cave Plastic People announced it was closing, pretty much instantly. Much better than the cross! Would love to have a peek! I do remember my first time in Trade and deemed it like the descent into Soddom and Gomorrah .. and there were many happy times there after!! Turnmills building being totally destroyed is the ultimate, inexcusable vandalism though. Throughout the 90s and 00s the venue attracted party-lovers from far and wide and also played host to a number of big-name acts. http://www.moviemakersguide.com/data/c/cross0630/cross0630a.htm. The councils motives were questioned soon after, however, when it was revealed the club had already been ringfenced for demolition and development over the next few years by the owners. The five-storey building is rather wonderfully detailed inside and out. Happy days. Many a themed student bash was hosted at London Bridge's notorious Cable Club in the mid 2000s. Maybe we can campaign to put a blue plaque up on the inevitable bland glass front of its replacement I wonder what on earth it would say?! Timeline of London Bars and Clubs - LGBT Archive Plus Lion & Unicorn and LGBTQ History Month, Black History Month 2022: 5 picks across Camden, Foodscape: own a vertical plot in Londons first urban farm, Queer Jubilee: Drag at Zabludowicz, Queer Britain and Mighty Hoopla, LGBTQ History Month 2022: top 10 Camden & Islington highlights, My Boy Danny: the acclaimed play tackling LGBTQ hate crime, Where to find the summer special issue and whats in it. From the Kinolibrary archive film collections. The regulars often spent hours preparing for the night, and the morning the night morphed into. Turnmills chutney still so much messy fun. Will come back around and write more. If you were staggering down the Clerkenwell Road on a Sunday afternoon at around 4pm in the early 90s then you can consider yourself a true nightclub pioneer. 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. The sound shaft and heaven where legendary , as was the London Astoria, Fascinating to read about the origins and teams behind such monumental moments in Londons clubbing history. Then Dane Bowers went and ruined it all. 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. Since June 15, non-essential shops have been able to reopen and now leisure attractions are starting to open as well. Pretty sure the very last ones got dished out at the end of that rather special final bash, Xmas 07. Top 5 Lost London Nightclubs of the 90s - 88to98 The duo ran the popular basement club in Holborn for years. 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. Ask Billy if there are more? club uk was awesome, so was the complex, leisure lounge, the cross, turnmills, home in leciester square, camden palace, ku club in leicester square.. All gone I was there though so the memories stay ! He then says, whilst his tash does this little dance/shuffle thing, in the deepest booming, bass-like voice Awighht, Lads, you havin yerselves a good night, then? Me and my brother just cracked up. Jon Cook. Velvet Rooms on Mondays was one of the only places to continue getting even more spangled Wicked. Still, this wasnt the reason the venues got turfed; the bailiffs were eventually called in as a result of long overdue rent and bills. Its really not surprising nobody has any sense of ownership or love for these places, because both promoters and punters are using them on such an ad hoc basis. Renowned for their sexy vibes, pumping playlists and heaving dancefloors, we've been out to track down the very best places for music in London. (Photo by Carl Allen) 7 Sir George Robey/Powerhaus, Seven Sisters Road Black Sheep Bar, Croydon. Mass was a particularly important south London club, notably as the home of DMZ, which turned the venue into a pilgrimage spot for dubstep fans from way beyond the capital. 16. Nice article Tom, brought back some great memories. The massive venue had a 24 hour drinking licence and a 4,0000 people capacity. Its the perfect lunchtime read. I frequented all of these bar Velvet and had many a great night in all. With increasing interest in the 'pink pound', gay pubs and clubs proliferated in London and other cities and towns across the country. Had some amazing times in those clubs, never to repeated in TBA East London warehouses. LuvDup were djing (one of them fell over on the stage), Princess Julia was stood by the decks dancing. 15. have always wondered where he is now and what hes up to. I discovered house music whilst on holiday in Ibiza in 1990 and after that London was the only place on my to move to list. Great memories for me toobut pickling clubs in aspic is a sign of ld age, new generations inven their own vibes in new venues.Some of those big clubs that are eulogised here were seen at the time by older clubbersd as too corporate and bland. Back then, the huge 2,000 capacity venue was a Saturday night lockout and one . 15 South London clubs and bars from the 2000s we all really miss 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. 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 . Last minute gifts? If you were staggering down the Clerkenwell Road on a Sunday afternoon at around 4pm in the early '90s then you can consider yourself a true nightclub pioneer. We also ran revesceen magazeen Wonderful write up of some of the clubs that paved the way for the scene today. 2. Nice article that has brought back some wonderful memories. The Grosvenor Cinema opened in 1936. Andy Warhol, Tina Turner, Rod Stewart, Grace Jones, Debbie Harry, Village People's Randy Jones and Tom Cruise were all names seen at the Atlanta club, which closed in 1985. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. 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. The music was smooth and progressive, which moved into a feeling of just less than trance. I used to be the membership girl at Freedom. I was there at the closing parties on the last two nights without leaving! You can withdraw your consent or find out more by clicking on our Privacy Policy link below. After all they shaped todays society in one way or another. Great article. In the early 2000s it incorporated the successful Pitt Street club Sublime in the late 1990s, run by Simon Page. In the 90s, it was all about wild weekly. Lead singer of the pop group Visage Steve Strange (left) pictured with Boy George at London's Limelight. 11 legendary London nightclubs that closed in the 2000s which are badly In pictures: The history of some of London's iconic music venues Great article, had some great and messy nights at most of them. No sensible drinking cautions, no smoking bans, and generally less moderation of everything. The Norman-style Welsh Chapel was built in 1888 by James Cubitt for inner London's Welsh community and was empty for 15 years before it found new life as nightclub Limelight. The End, The Cross, Turnmills and Bagleys were all favourites. I used to go to Whoop it Up every Friday during 1998-2002; it was a fantastic place to go. What I would say is be glad we are the ages we are. If the Mayor grants planning permission for a huge development of flats opposite Ministry of Sound, club bosses know their days at the Elephant & Castle bus depot cum internationally renowned temple of DJ culture will be numbered. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. 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. A real eye opener, that night. Egg Sando, Panadera: Londons best 4.50 sandwich? So many wonderful memories, so many great pills. The basement of 69 Dean Street, Soho, housed Gossips (formerly Billy's) nightclub, which hosted various one-nighters, the best known being Gaz's Rockin' Blues. Fact is we WERE around when these incredible bastions of modern culture were in their pomp negotiating a route through the tunnel room at Turnmills, walking up that incredibly long slope towards the cab rank at 5am after The Cross and getting hopelessly lost in those pokey rooms at the bottom of Bagleys. No Bar Rumba though? thanks for the article, spent many crazy nights/days in all of these places, Velvet Underground aside. So blessed to have lived through that experience and a special mention to my ex Alan and DJ Chris McKoy. The article was well written and for a change the comments are a nice read as well. The history of London's 10 greatest live music venues During the 1990s, photographer Steve Eichner documented the rowdy, over-the-top debauchery that was New York City's club scene and nightlife. As I looked up from the urinal, there was this dude, about 6foot 6, clad in all leather, not too dissimilar to that of the guys in the Blue Oyster bar in the Police Academy films, peaked cap, studded peak, leather trousers, jacket. The MyLondon team tells London stories for Londoners. 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. Must be sat looking pretty on a fair few coffee tables to this day, The cross & turnmills, nothing did or has come close. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Hope youre healthy and happy The Blow Up Metro Club, Soho2001-2009Crossrail dealt the West End club scene another blow, taking the scalp of the Metro with the same swoop of the sword that ended the Astoria. As of today, we can once again form outdoor queues seemingly without point or purpose, lose our cloakroom tickets and get furiously sweaty to throbbing, seductive and oft just downright filthy beats in darkened rooms until the earliest of hours. End of story.. Despite a big campaign to save it, the club fell victim to a compulsory purchase order from Hackney council to build a new cinema. A most excellent post Tom.. It didnt last long though. Want the best food, film, music, arts and culture news in London sent straight to your inbox? best dominic madden, Sundays @ The End with The A corner crew slapping the walls to Malcom Duffy. Madame JoJo's closure was a massive blow to Soho 's nightlife scene. I dont think so. It hosted huge weekend parties that were at hit with House music fans. 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? 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. The club on the corner of Mount Pleasant and Brownlow Hill was one of the city's most famous venues in the 90s. 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?) The small room was great. Where to find the February issue of Kentishtowner, Where to find the January 2019 issue of Kentishtowner, Where to find the December issue of Kentishtowner, http://www.amazon.co.uk/CROSS-1993-2003-Jonathan-CUTTING/dp/B0010786KI, http://wharferj.wordpress.com/2011/09/29/stealth-the-blue-note/.