london nightclubs 1990s
Hey Janine, I remember you well! 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. 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. Home. Must be sat looking pretty on a fair few coffee tables to this day, The cross & turnmills, nothing did or has come close. Had some amazing times in those clubs, never to repeated in TBA East London warehouses. Cramming into clubs packed with big hair, booze and pounding music was a rite of passage in the 1980s and into the 1990s. Nice article Tom, brought back some great memories. The West End establishment started out as a burlesque club but later became a staple for Central London's "fringe-culture" community. It was the image I had in my head before we got there of what Heaven might be like and then this guy walked in. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. 2. Madonna, Bjork and Kate Moss all turned up over the years and versions of Trade popped up in Ibiza, New York and LA. Anyway, as the corridor joined Soundshaft to Heaven (and Heaven being pretty legendry), I decided to go to the loo. I found some of the pictures a couple of weeks ago including some rather x-rated ones. 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. In the 90s, it was all about wild weekly. Would love to have a peek! Because of the sleazy, druggy, mischievous late night vibe (exactly what makes such haunts so exciting), we tend to reduce their cultural significance. Great article. Having recently celebrated its 50th birthday, Tramp has changed remarkably little in the half century since the small door on Jermyn Street in Mayfair opened its doors. 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 ! But we've been getting all nostalgic and wishing we could have a final drink at Limelight. 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/. It closed after an issue with underage drinking was reported in 2009, before re-opening as Electric Brixton. There was no place to hide. The small room was great. Hearing those tunes led to me pestering the record shops for a record I didn;t kow the name of, who it was by but it went something like this Mmmm, mmm,mm uh-uh dah-dah! Great article and very sad reading. Wonderful write up of some of the clubs that paved the way for the scene today. It was in King's Cross's golden triangle of night clubs which all shut down in the face of the area's redevelopment. We had amazing nights, including joint parties with labrynth and raindance. Enjoyed the trip into nostalgia very much.. I had some of the best days of my life there! Its the perfect lunchtime read. What I would say is be glad we are the ages we are. 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. To order the clip clean and high res visit http://www.kinolibrary.com. From the Kinolibrary archive film collections. Kids going out today wont realise its a tragedy, but it is. At Camden a Palace, I met my best friend, who is now the godmother of my 7 year old son. "Harlem Desire '89". Never crossed my mind that even the buildings would be gone. Memorable days and nights. Located in the west lodge outside Euston Station, it ran from 1995 to 2008. Pete.. It had its licence revoked after a "serious incident of disorder" in 2014 and its closure left many Londoners with heavy hearts. In its 80s heyday, Limelight was one of London's top nightclubs and a hangout for the decade's biggest celebrities. I was just chatting away, when I heard this rhythmic, squeaking sound, along with heavy, thundering footsteps. Sad to see the blandification of London continues. Last minute gifts? Top 5 Lost London Nightclubs of the 90s - The pace of progress eh? Fabric is the Only venue to stick to its principles avoiding putting in any old rubbish that draws a crowd. These cookies do not store any personal information. Every club claims that its all about the music but in Plastic Peoples case, the ideology really did manifest. I am now all grown up at 42 with a respectable job and look like I am, a middle aged mum. 6. Standouts would have to be Logical Progression and Gallery at Turnmills, Buzzin Fly, Ram and Underwater @ The End and Type and the mighty Peace Division @ The Cross happy, happy times. Peter Gatien is mentioned in the lyrics of three songs: 17. But sadly it never recovered from the initial closure and was put up for sale in 2010. Sat 30 May 2020 17.00BST 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. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. 18. 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. Lead singer of the pop group Visage Steve Strange (left) pictured with Boy George at London's Limelight. The likes of Oasis and Nirvana played there and it hosted regular LGBT club nights. 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. The works. (Photo by Carl Allen) 7 Sir George Robey/Powerhaus, Seven Sisters Road And since the turn of the Millennium some of our city's best party establishments have had to close. 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:). A real eye opener, that night. The massive warehouse club in King's Cross was a close as you could get to a legal rave. 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. 2. Before and during the Second World War, most lesbian bars and clubs were found in central London. The club was renamed Canvas in 2003, when Billy Reilly took over the club, also opening the Key and the Cross next door, creating a golden triangle of clubbing in N1. In 2010 a group which was known for squatting in large homes and embassies moved into the the building. 9. best dominic madden, Sundays @ The End with The A corner crew slapping the walls to Malcom Duffy. Nowadays the capital's former red light district is swanky. Regulars over the years have included Michael Caine, Keith Moon and Jack Nicholson. Lots of good memories but it was living on borrowed time even back then in the early 00s. Great article, and Ill second and third and fourth what has been said here. 12. (1989) " London Nights ". Heaven is a Gay superclub in Charing Cross, London, England.It has played a central role and had a major influence in the development of London's LGBT scene for the last 40 years and is home to long-running gay night G-A-Y.The club is known for Paul Oakenfold's acid house events in the 1980s, the underground nightclub festival Megatripolis, and for being the birthplace of ambient house. Nice article that has brought back some wonderful memories. And some ex-boxer DJ? 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. 3. 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!! Went to all of them, I think Turnmills shades it for me for atmosphere, but I probably had my best nights out at the End. In its 80s heyday, Limelight was one of London's top nightclubs and a hangout for the decade's biggest celebrities. So goooood memories!!!! Great article Tom. I worked at AKA for many years. The haunt of royals and car dealers, gangsters and landed aristocrats, it was a fixture in London nightlife, with the most famous years of the club being the decades between 1950 and 1970. Ill email you! I DJed at the Cross 13th birthday and was given a copy of the book on my way out. It has St Martin's Art College in Granary Square and Thomas Heatherwick's upmarket shopping centre Coal Drops Yard. Clubs in Mayfair London are the most prestigious nightclubs in town. It later became the Cat's Whiskers club, the Ritzy then Caesars Nightclub. Ultimate . 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. We went to the opening night of Fabric. A linchpin in London's dubstep scene, it was a shock for bass-loving partiers when the Shoreditch venue announced its sudden closure in 2015. The music, the mixing, the vibe. Lashana Lynch: Its inspiring to see a young black woman on screen not be perfect, The biggest films coming out in 2023 and when theyll be released, Bulgari to open Serpenti exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery. The demise of seminal clubs like Shelleys In Stoke, Quadrant Park in Liverpool and Coventrys Eclipse should also be documented. Depressing isnt it? In the early 2000s it incorporated the successful Pitt Street club Sublime in the late 1990s, run by Simon Page. 15. It was the trend-setting precursor to London's super clubs, and transformed the terrain of LGBTQ clubbing in the capital. Stars from the world of the music who were regulars at the nightclub included Boy George, Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet and Steve Strange. It was almost impossible due to vibration from the soundsystem Later feeling sick in the stomach because of the same reason. I used to be the membership girl at Freedom. I lost my marbles in all of these places in the 90s. Memories from each venue for sure. 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. In the 1950s and 1960s, especially with the growing popularity of the Gateways nightclub in Chelsea, . Nice read Scary thought that Ive actually worked at all of them!!! 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 . Amen. The End, The Cross, Turnmills and Bagleys were all favourites. I Did the lighting and laser systems at turnmills for many different promoters. If anyone sees them please can you let me know? 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. When a property developer came along offering to buy the End and its sister bar next door, AKA, they decided to accept the offer. Doesnt seem that long now. But the party was brought to an abrupt end after a stabbing there led it to lose its licence and subsequent closure. 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. 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 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. Were you a Crank? Excellent piece Tom. People may rave about London's nightlife, but compared to other big cities, clubs and bars shut early and are expensive. The plan was to go up there, see someone and come back. http://www.amazon.co.uk/CROSS-1993-2003-Jonathan-CUTTING/dp/B0010786KI. We then went our seperate ways. It makes me feel quite sad how our communities are being transformed into bland faceless environments in some cases. I was there solidly for several years and partook in all you have mentioned above (and more). It is quite sad seeing a place that holds so many memories for whatever reasons e.g. Many a themed student bash was hosted at London Bridge's notorious Cable Club in the mid 2000s. I was the promoter of Double Dipped at Bagleys on Friday nights around 91 93 There were a couple of years I was there 8 nights out of the Christmas/ New Year season. Surely he must be out by now. By the 1990s gay venues across the country started to transform. And there are also some intriguing facts about the nightclub's sister venues across the pond. Now, is that the same Tom Kihl I employed in the heady days of Covent Garden based vegetarian restaurants? 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. 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. It closed in 2010 to make way for housing, flats and a theatre, in a high street regeneration scheme. Many thanks My walk to work takes me past what used to to be the entrance to Turnmills every morning it never fails to bring a smile to my face when I think of the good times I had there. Was often at Bagley's but it was never my first choice. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. A great club pre-2001. Something went wrong, please try again later. Ive worked in Turnmills from 1996 right to the very last night in 2008.