Do you want to stay up to date with the latest news, views, features and opinion from across the city? I will never stop thinking it was incredible. 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!! Want the best food, film, music, arts and culture news in London sent straight to your inbox? All the London clubs now are appearing and disappearing like mushrooms. 16. 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. Gilles Petterson on Monday, Kenny Hawkes and Luke Solomon on Wednesday, Bryan Gee on Thursday, Garage City on Saturday. Stealth on a Thursday night, marvellous http://wharferj.wordpress.com/2011/09/29/stealth-the-blue-note/ Im surprised The Gardening Club wasnt there. Sad to see the old clubs flattened, but everyone clearly took so much from their experiences there that I hope the post is also a real celebration. Egg Sando, Panadera: Londons best 4.50 sandwich? 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?) Plus I think Friction was there for a bit to. All rights reserved. The plan was to go up there, see someone and come back. The End was the brainchild of DJs Mr C and Layo. 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. So blessed to have lived through that experience and a special mention to my ex Alan and DJ Chris McKoy. Ministry of Sound. It was almost impossible due to vibration from the soundsystem Later feeling sick in the stomach because of the same reason. I remember them all so well!! I remember one of their selling points was drinks at pub prices. 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. Special times in special places all round though. I lost my marbles in all of these places in the 90s. 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. Arts charity Stone Nest began to restore and redevelop the former chapel into flexible performance space for theatre, dance, music, video and performance art in 2012. Nobody came to Plastic People for the glamour or dcor. 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. London's lost venues - in pictures | Music | The Guardian The MyLondon team tells London stories for Londoners. An earlier version said incorrectly that the Turnmills site was developed into flats. All rights reserved. With alternate Saturdays at Happiness Stan's/Fourplay at Smith's and the Jazz Bistro in Farringdon. At the Astoria I met a bloke who ended up being my significant other for a decade. 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. Wow, it was a long time ago. 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. The End on a Friday and Turnmill on a Saturday were more my thing. 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! It was hip long before Shoreditch was, and paved the way for the plethora of nightlife venues that have popped up in the area since. Never crossed my mind that even the buildings would be gone. The Astor Club was a nightclub which operated in Mayfair, London from the 1930s to the late 1970s. Fantastic times. Every club claims that its all about the music but in Plastic Peoples case, the ideology really did manifest. . Excellent piece Tom. We set the standard for many years I wonder.. What can we create next >?? Pubs and Clubs | Historic England London's night-time economy is estimated to contribute 17-26.bn in . A real eye opener, that night. Now the industrial area, which was once a high-density party hotspot, is the site of one of the capitals biggest modern developments. Great article, and Ill second and third and fourth what has been said here. 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. Velvet Rooms on Mondays was one of the only places to continue getting even more spangled Wicked. 13. By the 90s, everyone from Desmond Dekker to the Prodigy had played there. Nuff Said. 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Even more so for you, of course! Maggie's, 329 Fulham Road, SW10 9QL, maggies-club.com The Jazz Caf 5 Parkway Every Saturday night, the Jazz Caf hosts I Love the 80s v I Love the 90s, a retro night combining all the best bits of. Would love to break that story! Its a hardback coffee table monster, full of lovely photos and quotes. Sat 30 May 2020 17.00BST Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. 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. Glad to have been part of that London dance scene. 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. Oh, the most impressive handlebar tash I have ever seen on a Man. The Cross, bouncers nicking you gear *unts. 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. Reminded me of my mis-spent but highly pleasurable youth on the dance floors of a London. But things turned sour after after a double stabbing took place in the club, leading to its licence being revoked. Redferns/Getty Images . (1989) "Megamix". Nice article Tom, brought back some great memories. And there are also some intriguing facts about the nightclub's sister venues across the pond. End of story.. It has St Martin's Art College in Granary Square and Thomas Heatherwick's upmarket shopping centre Coal Drops Yard. ; 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 . Electric Daisy Carnival in Vegas this year was truly magical and a top clubbing moment, but some periods of your life can never truly be repeated. Pete x. Im good thanks Pete. People queuing to get into The Cross mid 1990s, Madame Jojo's in London's Soho closed after losing its licence in 2014, The O2 Arena was once a massive nightclub, The Good Ship supported emerging artists and comedians and was a gem of the London gig scene. Because of the sleazy, druggy, mischievous late night vibe (exactly what makes such haunts so exciting), we tend to reduce their cultural significance. Trying to find your mates Great article Tom. The history of London's 10 greatest live music venues The immovable object of the London clubbing scene. It was made for DJs by DJs and those who fumbled fumbled spinning the decks were quickly called out by the crowd. Hope you are too. To order the clip clean and high res visit http://www.kinolibrary.com. Memorable days and nights. Don't skip a beat and sign up to The 12 newsletter here. These might have often been dank, crumbling, smelly old places, but they are where countless people enjoyed some of the most intense and vital moments of their lives. Acts to have played The Scala include Foo Fighters, The Killers and Coldplay. 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. In 2010 a group which was known for squatting in large homes and embassies moved into the the building. I completely agree would be a fitting tribute to see them all immortalised appropriately in some way. In its 80s heyday, Limelight was one of London's top nightclubs and a hangout for the decade's biggest celebrities. The brand name is constantly evolving and the club continues to survive despite numerous threats of closure. Or many others, would not stop writing and remembering about them. I played at the cross several times .. 4 me one of best uk clubs where i played great memories , I have the Cross book. how about PLEASED on a wednesday at the Velvet underground !!! Turnmills was the first and best, never surpassed and so fondly remembered, well as much as my pitted brain will allow. 18 things that happened at former top West End nightclub - MyLondon We took a nostalgic look back at some of the capital's notorious nightclubs which have all closed since 2000. It most certainly is me. RIP Turnmills, Im glad I was there to experience it. So many wonderful memories, so many great pills. Top 5 Lost London Nightclubs of the 90s - The pace of progress eh? A former Goth club with 2/3 rooms over 2 floors. Four Aces, Dalston1966-1998In what was, ostensibly, a simpler time for Dalston, the Four Aces was the areas flagship club. Bagatelle Card Club - One of Colonel Sebastian Moran's clubs in the Sherlock Holmes story The Adventure of the Empty House. Sold out, obviously, although there might be a ticket on the door for 30. 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. 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). "Harlem Desire '89". The place has many special memories for many people. These exclusive extracts and photos tell the story of. But if you were part of that tiny privileged crowd then you would have been drinking, dancing and pestering David Bailey to take your portrait in Scotch of St. James. It had its licence revoked after a "serious incident of disorder" in 2014 and its closure left many Londoners with heavy hearts. Eight Liverpool nightclubs from the 90s everyone still remembers You had, in all probability, just left Turnmills, the first club in the UK to receive a 24 hour license. Home. Some of the greatest nights of my life have been at FWD>> at Plastic People.. A great article , and so sad that many of these truly iconic places may be but a memory in the minds of millions . Well, sort of in fairness as all venues involved being pretty blitzed. The cinema was never built; now locals have a block of fancy flats to enjoy instead. 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 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. so much fun should be illegal. 11 legendary London nightclubs that closed in the 2000s which are badly Remaining stock was given away free at the apocalyptically hedonistic farewell party so they do crop up online occasionally. A club with really innovative nights and for the hardcore Metalheadz on a Sunday night. Today the building is, quite fittingly, home to an arts organisation with new plans afoot to take the arts venue into the future. London 1980s nightclub Stock Photos and Images - Alamy The arcade room downstairs 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. But in London most places turf revellers out well before 4am and there's a severe lack of "after hour" options. But Crossrail was the final nail in the coffin for the much-loved Soho venue. Bagleys started to go downhill for me after the drugs raid. Shelves in the loos. If anyone sees them please can you let me know? Anyway, as the corridor joined Soundshaft to Heaven (and Heaven being pretty legendry), I decided to go to the loo. It later became the Cat's Whiskers club, the Ritzy then Caesars Nightclub. Wonderful write up of some of the clubs that paved the way for the scene today. 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. New venues although arguably more suitable in some considerations like Matter just dont possess the necessary special ingredient like the late great Turnmills anymore. http://www.amazon.co.uk/CROSS-1993-2003-Jonathan-CUTTING/dp/B0010786KI. 12. Nick, the big bald black guy who always had a smile on his face, pretty much the master of ceremonies at Turnmills. Find out what is now open where you live by putting your postcode into our handy widget below. -d(-L-)b-. Turning around and seeing floor fountains and Mail on Sunday readers sipping lattes and eating Danish pastries made my heart sink. It is quite sad seeing a place that holds so many memories for whatever reasons e.g. Lead singer of the pop group Visage Steve Strange (left) pictured with Boy George at London's Limelight. I found some of the pictures a couple of weeks ago including some rather x-rated ones. In pictures: The history of some of London's iconic music venues Clubbing at 1990s Ministry of Sound Nightclub, London It was around the corner from Angel station. Ask Billy if there are more? It hosted huge weekend parties that were at hit with House music fans. The Astoria, Soho1976-2009Not even Londons largest live music club could stand in the way of the Crossrail development. Central to the Black jazz scene at the time, and closely linked with African. The licence was subsequently restored, but the business was unable to avoid going into administration. From sweaty rave spots to Soho institutions, these are the iconic nightlife haunts we most miss. Peter Gatien produced the 1993 film A Bronx Tale after having produced it as a one-man play. The Walkabout bar closed after its parent company went into administration in October 2009. For me it was just a little bit over a year that I lived in London. These cookies do not store any personal information. It became louder and louder. Great article. The smell of leather was unmistakeable! Anyone have a time machine so I can attend the all night Cox party or a Laurent Garnier night. The club was also hugely important for the capitals LGBT scene, hosting sellout weekly bonanza G-A-Y, known for getting stars as bright as Kylie and Britney on stage, as well as for dropping balloons on everyone at regular intervals. Thanks Julian. Reading this article has caused me new inspiration watch out London. Keep us up to date with how your inspiration is getting on. Gaz ran a weekly night there from. I love this article! I would work a ten hour shift at a newspaper then drive to Bagleys to spend 5/6 hours talking to ravers, taking photos of people, checking they werent eating their tongues and giving out free condoms (Durex sponsors had given us hundreds of boxes of the things). 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. And while theres nothing worse than the club bore going on about how the music and the parties were so much better back in the day, we should give these classic institutions more reverence. 5. Joe Blogs, Great article Tom and indeed sad loss for Londons once outstanding clubland. So move I did, all the way from Helsinki. R&B Clubs And Events In London. 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. Then of course there was The Fridge, Studio 33, and some fantastic railway arch clubs buried away around London (Imperial Rooms in Camberwell New Road a particular memory). Madame JoJo's closure was a massive blow to Soho 's nightlife scene. 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. Between 1987 and 1990, when police pressure forced its closure, Shoom was where the London dance club as we know it today was born. You'll get 12 stories straight to your inbox at around 12pm. A brief history of London's most legendary nightclubs - Luxury London Lots of good memories but it was living on borrowed time even back then in the early 00s. London, became a popular lesbian bar at the end of the 1990s. 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. The historic venue, which hosted game-changing concerts from the likes of Oasis, Manic Street Preachers and Nirvana, was bulldozed in 2009 to make room for a bigger ticket hall at Tottenham Court Road tube station. 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.. (Photo by Carl Allen) 7 Sir George Robey/Powerhaus, Seven Sisters Road List of gentlemen's clubs in London - Wikipedia Thanks to this article I have found a local website for local people. I was there solidly for several years and partook in all you have mentioned above (and more). Limelight in Atlanta was also a place to see and spot celebrities over the years. Nights spent on the VIP/guestlist gate were also quite entertaining as was the office at 5am in the morning when I went to pick up my wage before driving home to my university campus in Watford. I was a fresh of the boat straight laced Kiwi lad who was let loose in London in the mid nineties , I was lucky to become a promoter of Fevah and Fahrenhite ,I was blessed with bring able to run events in most of the iconic venues , experience the glamour and the seedy side of all , to me the cream was either the sound shaft or the London Astoria , but have so many sensational memories and adventures from most . 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. Despite quality residencies from the likes of Hospitality and a body kinetic dance floor, the club eventually closed due to financial difficulties, blamed on delays with the upgrade to the Jubilee line. 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 the 1980s some clubs opened up in Earls Court, where the rent was cheaper. Founded in an old bus garage in 1991, its far from salubrious location deep in pre-gentrification Elephant and Castle gave it genuine edge. I used to do the guest list at Freedom! But at least theres still Visions Video Bar. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. We list 18 things you might not know about the Limelight club, the building it was in and its links to the US. Do you remember these South East London nightclubs? We WERE there, we DID live it, and now were sentimental old bastards. Some partners do not ask for your consent to process your data and rely on their legitimate business interest. But the party was brought to an abrupt end after a stabbing there led it to lose its licence and subsequent closure. Ill email you! We also ran revesceen magazeen #5 Where could you find warehouse raving complete with funfair rides right in the heart of the capital? 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. The West End establishment started out as a burlesque club but later became a staple for Central London's "fringe-culture" community. Great article. 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.