Would love to break that story! 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.. 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. Electrowerkz was the name!!! Central to the Black jazz scene at the time, and closely linked with African. The Cross, bouncers nicking you gear *unts. You'll get 12 stories straight to your inbox at around 12pm. have always wondered where he is now and what hes up to. London Night Guide is your nightlife concierge for the most best clubs in London. Isnt that, now, the Apple shop? You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. It was like a small amphitheatre with the DJ the absolute centre of attraction, he says. R&B Clubs And Events In London. 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. Mike Nolan from Bucks Fizz appeared at the club in 1997, and boy band D.V.S and singing star Caprice also made memorable appearances. 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. And good to see you the other night (I was in the ridiculous blue jacket). By the mid-1990s the venue was no longer used as a cinema, instead functioning as a music venue, nightclub and snooker hall. Believe it or not King's Cross was once the party hub of London. Some partners do not ask for your consent to process your data and rely on their legitimate business interest. the cross in king cross the best partyever is vertigo italian style, thanks Joel glad you like Electric and the Van Dyk show smashed it. . Pete.. Home. Bagleys was always my favourite. 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. 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. 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. ; Beargarden Club - A St James's club in Trollope's Palliser novels; Bellona Club - Lord Peter Wimsey's club and location of a murder in Dorothy L. Sayers novel The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club Billiards Club - Setting for the improbably tall . Turnmills chutney still so much messy fun. 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. It was one of the premiere south London nightspots of the time, with Glenn Miller, Audrey Hepburn and Charlie Chaplin among the top names to grace its stage. You can withdraw your consent or find out more by clicking on our Privacy Policy link below. Killjoy councils, student debt and stolen phones: the slow death of British clubs, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Now can you expand on one for the rest of London please, would love to see Club UK brought back to life if only in words! lol, The tranny on stilts 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. Reminded me of my mis-spent but highly pleasurable youth on the dance floors of a London. Back then, the huge 2,000 capacity venue was a Saturday night lockout and one . 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.) Shelves in the loos. Keeping mine though , Sounds great, have been looking for a fb page for The Cross but cant find anything at all, would be amazing to see pics over the years, Its a hardback book called the cross 1993-2003 by j. cutting. The article was well written and for a change the comments are a nice read as well. A most excellent post Tom.. Thanks to this article I have found a local website for local people. 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. In one fell swoop, however, the Cross, Canvas and the Key were culled in favour of the regeneration of Kings Cross. The End was the brainchild of DJs Mr C and Layo. Today the building is, quite fittingly, home to an arts organisation with new plans afoot to take the arts venue into the future. Behind the clubs infamous pitch-black curtains, the dance floor was like the vortex that drew you bodily and consciously into a completely free space. Kids going out today wont realise its a tragedy, but it is. I will never stop thinking it was incredible. Regulars over the years have included Michael Caine, Keith Moon and Jack Nicholson. No sensible drinking cautions, no smoking bans, and generally less moderation of everything. The street was home to the 1980s Batcave nightclub where regulars such as Robert Smith, Marc Almond and Alice Coop. Peter Gatien produced the 1993 film A Bronx Tale after having produced it as a one-man play. Electric benefits from the amazing history of the Fridge. It was where world-famous artists like Adele and The XX cut their teeth, and was a gem of the North London nightlife scene. In the 1950s and 1960s, especially with the growing popularity of the Gateways nightclub in Chelsea, . 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. RM 2HTCTTN - Ace Cinema, Alexandra Avenue, Rayners Lane, Harrow, London, 1983. Thanks for the article, brought back awesome memories! I was there solidly for several years and partook in all you have mentioned above (and more). 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. 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. 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. 051. Peter Gatien is mentioned in the lyrics of three songs: 17. I half remember a night at Bagleys sitting in an ice cream fridge next to the dancefloor. It set the tone for mixed gay clubbing and for techno music especially to become more mainstream. I couldnt do it now, but I so glad I did it all then. 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. Zen's Dartford First Flicks in the 1980s and later Zen's, the nightclub on Essex Road was more recently known as Air & Breathe. Gilles Petterson on Monday, Kenny Hawkes and Luke Solomon on Wednesday, Bryan Gee on Thursday, Garage City on Saturday. London Boys singles chronology. The licence was subsequently restored, but the business was unable to avoid going into administration. My favourite break-time activity was to go up to the rafters and watch everybody raving. And since the turn of the Millennium some of our city's best party establishments have had to close. 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. Acts to have played The Scala include Foo Fighters, The Killers and Coldplay. After all they shaped todays society in one way or another. 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. The arcade room downstairs Ive worked in Turnmills from 1996 right to the very last night in 2008. Dirty, worn, in your face, street cred with banging, hard but funky beats. Its also a shame to lose 93 Feet East recently too. Egg Sando, Panadera: Londons best 4.50 sandwich? Ask Billy if there are more? I completely agree would be a fitting tribute to see them all immortalised appropriately in some way. 9. Our journalists cover all the news you need - from City Hall to your local streets, so you'll never miss a moment. 7. I remember them all so well!! 2. Hilarious times. A producers first booking at the club was a serious rite of passage. surprised Heaven isnt in thereas well as SoundshaftGood article though! The Soul City nights in Covent Garden were also really good. These cookies do not store any personal information. 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. Sorry the plaque should be pale blue with a Dove on it. In 2010 a group which was known for squatting in large homes and embassies moved into the the building. 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/. Fantastic to look through it every so often and remember what wasa very much loved and much missed club . 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. 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!! Great article. First there was Matter and then there was Proud2. A single noise complaint from posh new residents would threaten their licence and spell the end of one of the last remaining superclubs from the 1990s dance music explosion. 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. It was made for DJs by DJs and those who fumbled fumbled spinning the decks were quickly called out by the crowd. Velvet Rooms, Soho1993-2003Ibiza party man Nicky Holloway kickstarted this central London club originally named Velvet Underground after his previous project, Milk Bar, lost its lease. With a capacity of barely 200, the vibe, somehow, always kept its intimate, non-exclusive air. 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. But in London most places turf revellers out well before 4am and there's a severe lack of "after hour" options. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. 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. 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. I was just chatting away, when I heard this rhythmic, squeaking sound, along with heavy, thundering footsteps. Luxury London is not responsible for the content of external sites. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. The venue hosted international DJs as well as some seminal club nights such as broken beat fix Co-op and dubstep-founding FWD>>. We had amazing nights, including joint parties with labrynth and raindance. In Berlin you can rave for days at the Berghain without ever having to leave and in Madrid no one hits the "discoteca" before 4am. I was the promoter of Double Dipped at Bagleys on Friday nights around 91 93 It makes me feel quite sad how our communities are being transformed into bland faceless environments in some cases. Crazy night. (Photo by Carl Allen) 7 Sir George Robey/Powerhaus, Seven Sisters Road 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! 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. Sign up to our weekly email. It was the place to go. Despite pioneering an anything goes party culture in London, by the late noughties, the buzz was fading. I found some of the pictures a couple of weeks ago including some rather x-rated ones. Great article Tom. Those that were there will never forget and those that werent would wish they were if they knew. I (just about) have wonderful memories of all 5 of those venues. 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. 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. Jon Cook. But things turned sour after after a double stabbing took place in the club, leading to its licence being revoked. In the middle years of the 60s this was the place to be seen. In the 1980s some clubs opened up in Earls Court, where the rent was cheaper. The Moonstone, St John's Precinct, 1974, from The Lost Pubs and Clubs of Liverpool City Centre DVD by John Harrison Barry Fairfield said: "Great memories, my favourite club was The Beachcomber." 53. 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. 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 . #5 Where could you find warehouse raving complete with funfair rides right in the heart of the capital? Hope you are too. He was about 50 years old and massive. Special times in special places all round though. Today, bar the indefatigable fabric, its secret warehouse parties all the way invariably cold, austere and over crowded, with awful sound and non existent facilities (one toilet between 500, anyone?) The Shim Sham Club, which opened on Wardour Street in the mid-1930s, was described as 'London's miniature Harlem'. A great club pre-2001. But sadly it never recovered from the initial closure and was put up for sale in 2010.