Sat 30 May 2020 17.00BST 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. I dont think so. Reliving my 20s again still with a younger GF (cliche alert) and the new wave of EDM. 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. Thats brought back some memories. In the 1990s, the scene reverted back to Soho, revitalised by new style bars like The Village. Here are some of the South London clubs and bars that are sadly no more. The End on a Friday and Turnmill on a Saturday were more my thing. I (just about) have wonderful memories of all 5 of those venues. 16. 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. Turning around and seeing floor fountains and Mail on Sunday readers sipping lattes and eating Danish pastries made my heart sink. For more info on what we write about and why, see our About section. Sold out, obviously, although there might be a ticket on the door for 30. 9/10 you lose 1 point for making me feel old! No sensible drinking cautions, no smoking bans, and generally less moderation of everything. Astoria in Charing Cross Road was London's largest live music club for years. All rights reserved. it probably was ha ! Kids going out today wont realise its a tragedy, but it is. This week, Boris Johnson has been considering a decision that will affect the future of Londons most famous nightclub. 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. RM 2HTCTTN - Ace Cinema, Alexandra Avenue, Rayners Lane, Harrow, London, 1983. Do you want to stay up to date with the latest news, views, features and opinion from across the city? The plan was to go up there, see someone and come back. We WERE there, we DID live it, and now were sentimental old bastards. According to its owners, the time felt right to move on. I will be following developments closely. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. After all they shaped todays society in one way or another. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. 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. I love this article! The End and AKA, West End1995-2009A venue that just seemed to stick in the hearts of all who frequented it, the End was an intimate basement club run by Mr C and Layo, tucked just behind High Holborn. By the 90s, everyone from Desmond Dekker to the Prodigy had played there. The Kingsland Road venue was once "the coolest bar around." Great article and very sad reading. THANKS. Great article Tom. 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. Big small club! The Walkabout bar closed after its parent company went into administration in October 2009. What is the Cross Book? Salmon and Compass in Angel. Pete.. One for you beer and one for the otherThat place was magic. The immovable object of the London clubbing scene. 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. A bare room with the most rudimentary of bars at one end (cans of Red Stripe or nothing) in a Hoxton basement, the place came to prominence in the Nineties and Noughties as an incubator for dubstep and for possessing one of the greatest sound systems ever owned by a nightclub. Magic was created on those dancefloors and longstanding relationships and friends. Egg Sando, Panadera: Londons best 4.50 sandwich? Read more: Has Covid-19 ended Sohos indie spirit for good? I completely agree would be a fitting tribute to see them all immortalised appropriately in some way. So sad to see it all boarded up. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. 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. I think the concern is that given the way that redevelopment is happening across town, one day soon there wont be any suitable spaces where clubs can settle. In its 80s heyday, Limelight was one of London's top nightclubs and a hangout for the decade's biggest celebrities. And since the turn of the Millennium some of our city's best party establishments have had to close. Want the best food, film, music, arts and culture news in London sent straight to your inbox? 11. Bagley's, King's Cross (1990-2008) Instagram The massive warehouse club in King's Cross was a close as you could get to a legal rave. 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. 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 . 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. Thanks Julian. Black Sheep Bar, Croydon. Thanks Liam. 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. 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 article, had some great and messy nights at most of them. I frequented all of these bar Velvet and had many a great night in all. . Enjoyed the trip into nostalgia very much.. The licence was subsequently restored, but the business was unable to avoid going into administration. Great article. Isnt that, now, the Apple shop? These cookies do not store any personal information. 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. Cans of beer I lived in London back in the late 90s early 00s and went to all of these clubs. I worked at AKA for many years. 5. I half remember a night at Bagleys sitting in an ice cream fridge next to the dancefloor. But it was torn down in 2009 to make way for the new Elizabeth Line. Peter Gatien is mentioned in the lyrics of three songs: 17. Turnmills chutney still so much messy fun. The music, the mixing, the vibe. Glad to have been part of that London dance scene. In its 80s heyday, Limelight was one of London's top nightclubs and a hangout for the decade's biggest celebrities. Ah. Sign up to our newsletter and be the first to know about the latest fashion, travel, going out and lifestyle happenings, Subscribe to the Luxury London print edition, Celebrate the return of clubbing with a trip through the capitals infamous after dark drinking dens. 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. Perhaps its biggest night was FWD>>, which moved there after Velvet Rooms closed, and the club played a significant role for the the whole dubstep scene. Madame JoJo's closure was a massive blow to Soho 's nightlife scene. 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. Turnmills, Clerkenwell1990-2008Another one of Londons fossilised superclubs, Turnmills was the first venue in the UK to get a 24-hour dance licence. Excellent piece Tom. Its loyal following of drum and bass fans would flock there every Wednesday for Swerve, the legendary midweek session. The works. George Michael often arrived at the nightclub accompanied by a woman before he came out as gay. 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?) When Limelight fell out of favour as a celebrated nightspot it was sold and in 2003 became a Walkabout bar. They are where modern electronic music was crafted, where couples met then got married, where career paths changed and a whole generation learned about the highs and the lows of unbridled hedonism. Lots of good memories but it was living on borrowed time even back then in the early 00s. Bagatelle Card Club - One of Colonel Sebastian Moran's clubs in the Sherlock Holmes story The Adventure of the Empty House. You'll get 12 stories straight to your inbox at around 12pm. Dirty, worn, in your face, street cred with banging, hard but funky beats. 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. 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. Some of the greatest nights of my life have been at FWD>> at Plastic People.. Ok, its technically a pub and Im not sure if we were going there in 90s. Founded in an old bus garage in 1991, its far from salubrious location deep in pre-gentrification Elephant and Castle gave it genuine edge. They also gave these out at the closing party in a goodie bag with a poster and a sleeping mask! Pete x. Im good thanks Pete. All this created the friendliest and most fun crowd on the clubbing scene. 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. In 1987, Rachel Macmillan, granddaughter of the Conservative prime minister Howard Macmillan, died aged 31 after a night at the Limelight. 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. A string of London's best-loved night clubs have closed since 2000. You can withdraw your consent or find out more by clicking on our Privacy Policy link below. Rather than join the party, Hackney council revoked the clubs licence following an undercover operation into drug dealing at the venue. New venues although arguably more suitable in some considerations like Matter just dont possess the necessary special ingredient like the late great Turnmills anymore. Constant disagreements on how to regenerate the land behind Kings Cross Station went on for years. It was where world-famous artists like Adele and The XX cut their teeth, and was a gem of the North London nightlife scene. The massive venue had a 24 hour drinking licence and a 4,0000 people capacity. The first Limelight club opened in Hallendale, Florida in the 1970s and after a devastating fire later that decade, Gatien opened his next Limelight venue in Atlanta. Great article. The Shim Sham Club, which opened on Wardour Street in the mid-1930s, was described as 'London's miniature Harlem'. End of story.. I will never forget it. 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. 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 . Since June 15, non-essential shops have been able to reopen and now leisure attractions are starting to open as well. 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 ! I used to be the membership girl at Freedom. The arcade room downstairs 3. next. It hosted huge weekend parties that were at hit with House music fans. The End just had to be #1 In 2018 it was bought by chain The Deltic Group and given a. 6. Im amazed u didnt mention that John Newman was the father of both Danny and Paul Newman. We set the standard for many years I wonder.. What can we create next >?? A former Goth club with 2/3 rooms over 2 floors. Bagleys moody security also trying to half in your gak. 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?! In the 1950s and 1960s, especially with the growing popularity of the Gateways nightclub in Chelsea, . MyLondon's brilliant newsletter The 12 is absolutely jam packed with all the latest to keep you keep you entertained, informed and uplifted. With a capacity of barely 200, the vibe, somehow, always kept its intimate, non-exclusive air. It was like a small amphitheatre with the DJ the absolute centre of attraction, he says. How weve missed it all: the overly zealous bouncers in high vis jackets by the entrance, the larcenously overpriced plastic bottles of water, the sweaty bloke in the gents toilets who rents the watered down cologne and Chupa Chups lollies concession and the DJ whose pretence of being a serious artist is such that he spends his six hour set peering down at his decks in the manner of an A Level geography student cramming for the final exam. OMG London clubbing in the 90s, was there ever a time in history that was better? It was 2 for a beer which was great value at the time. The brand name is constantly evolving and the club continues to survive despite numerous threats of closure. 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. With alternate Saturdays at Happiness Stan's/Fourplay at Smith's and the Jazz Bistro in Farringdon. After all, it did have a capacity pushing 4,000 people and a 24-hour drinking licence. Was often at Bagley's but it was never my first choice. An earlier version said incorrectly that the Turnmills site was developed into flats. (Photo by Carl Allen) 7 Sir George Robey/Powerhaus, Seven Sisters Road 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. The Grosvenor Cinema opened in 1936. London Night Guide is your nightlife concierge for the most best clubs in London. It closed in 2010 to make way for housing, flats and a theatre, in a high street regeneration scheme. Shelves in the loos. Great memories of perhaps the greatest clubbing/club music period history has known! When the lease ran out, Turnmills left amicably, leaving the buildings owners to develop the site into an office block. "Harlem Desire '89". Want the best food, film, music, arts and culture news in London sent straight to your inbox? 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. He was about 50 years old and massive. 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. hope youre well? Fictional clubs. 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. Anyway, as the corridor joined Soundshaft to Heaven (and Heaven being pretty legendry), I decided to go to the loo. Love it, smiling from ear to ear thinking about some of them. This article was amended on 11 September 2016. 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. You had, in all probability, just left Turnmills, the first club in the UK to receive a 24 hour license. I wouldnt even know where to go nowadays for a night out. This made me rather emotional. But before it was shut down to make way for King's Cross redevelopment, The Cross Club's six arches would fill with partygoers every weekend. Trying to find your mates 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. 13. And some ex-boxer DJ? Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Thanks for the article, brought back awesome memories! 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 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. I was the promoter of Double Dipped at Bagleys on Friday nights around 91 93 Killjoy councils, student debt and stolen phones: the slow death of British clubs, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. thanks for the article, spent many crazy nights/days in all of these places, Velvet Underground aside. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. There are new plans to take the building into the future - but we really miss how it used to be. 15. so much fun should be illegal. 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. It closed after an issue with underage drinking was reported in 2009, before re-opening as Electric Brixton. 4. The spot is now a lap dancing club called The Red Rooms. 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. LuvDup were djing (one of them fell over on the stage), Princess Julia was stood by the decks dancing. Reading this article has caused me new inspiration watch out London. But I will never forget the fabulous nights and camaraderie that I shared with friends and total strangers whilst waving my hands in the air like I just didnt care x, I met my husband at The Cross in 2004, now happily married with kids. He was a sound guy actually. morning, Available for everyone, funded by readers. 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. It was around 2000 and I remember those times as probably the best of my life. Ive worked in Turnmills from 1996 right to the very last night in 2008.

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