. In the early 2000s it incorporated the successful Pitt Street club Sublime in the late 1990s, run by Simon Page. Councils across London are cracking down on late night licences. Will come back around and write more. Some partners do not ask for your consent to process your data and rely on their legitimate business interest. But it was torn down in 2009 to make way for the new Elizabeth Line. 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. Great memories though. Slightly off topic but I fear for the Camden Brewery bars license once the new posh flats open at Talacre. Fantastic times. Don't skip a beat and sign up to The 12 newsletter here. Then Dane Bowers went and ruined it all. 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. 3. Former DJ Magazine Deputy Editor Tom Kihl investigates what happened to the clubs that once dominated London's nightlife. MyLondon's brilliant newsletter The 12 is absolutely jam packed with all the latest to keep you keep you entertained, informed and uplifted. Velvet Rooms on Mondays was one of the only places to continue getting even more spangled Wicked. Since June 15, non-essential shops have been able to reopen and now leisure attractions are starting to open as well. 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. Ok, its technically a pub and Im not sure if we were going there in 90s. or one of his friends in the first arch of muscle-alley. It became louder and louder. Shelves in the loos. It is quite sad seeing a place that holds so many memories for whatever reasons e.g. I would also like to add The Blue Note to this list of sadly missed. The street was home to the 1980s Batcave nightclub where regulars such as Robert Smith, Marc Almond and Alice Coop. 5. Oh, the most impressive handlebar tash I have ever seen on a Man. I used to do the guest list at Freedom! Glad you like it Phil. In the 1980s some clubs opened up in Earls Court, where the rent was cheaper. 9. Weve picked our Top 5 such venues, all of which were in stumble-home-from distance for Kentishtowners (thats why theres no Club UK for example, if youre wondering). It most certainly is me. Its also a shame to lose 93 Feet East recently too. I used to go to Whoop it Up every Friday during 1998-2002; it was a fantastic place to go. In its 80s heyday, Limelight was one of London's top nightclubs and a hangout for the decade's biggest celebrities. He was a sound guy actually. Cans of beer Those Cranks days were the era that I fully embraced the concept of the 3-night sleepless weekender and other wonderous, if slightly unprofessional, ways to fill the hours between shifts. 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. 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. 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. 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But at least theres still Visions Video Bar. Our journalists cover all the news you need - from City Hall to your local streets, so you'll never miss a moment. London's lost nightclubs in pictures A new book by DJ and writer Dave Haslam offers a fascinating glimpse into London's clubbing history. Rather than join the party, Hackney council revoked the clubs licence following an undercover operation into drug dealing at the venue. A dominant hair design was de rigueur. Cue acid house, bucket hats, baggy T-shirts and lots of sweat. 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 club on the corner of Mount Pleasant and Brownlow Hill was one of the city's most famous venues in the 90s. Open till 5am and with no alcohol license, this, more than any other London club, marked the end of the sticky carpets and flock wallpaper design of clubs in the capital and triggered the beginning of nightspots being seen as somewhere to dance rather than a place to get hammered and attempt to grope members of the opposite sex. It closed in 2010 to make way for housing, flats and a theatre, in a high street regeneration scheme. I remember having to take my shoes off for them to be searched. Pete x. Im good thanks Pete. Anyone have a time machine so I can attend the all night Cox party or a Laurent Garnier night. With a capacity of barely 200, the vibe, somehow, always kept its intimate, non-exclusive air. Remember one night trying to adjust the needles for them not to jump on the vinyls. Surely he must be out by now. 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. 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. Central to the Black jazz scene at the time, and closely linked with African. Bagleys started to go downhill for me after the drugs raid. But in the 1990s it was plagued by bad publicity and following a drug-related . 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. Well, sort of in fairness as all venues involved being pretty blitzed. Thanks Julian. Boy George was a regular at this New Romantics haunt which hosted some of the capital's biggest gay nights. Pete.. Good to see http://givingupdrugsforlent.tumblr.com/ in full swing again this year. Ask Billy if there are more? This former gin distillery was home to one of Londons all time greatest club nights: Trade. 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. best dominic madden, Sundays @ The End with The A corner crew slapping the walls to Malcom Duffy. Reminded me of my mis-spent but highly pleasurable youth on the dance floors of a London. Unfortunately, I cant say I experienced all of them. Something went wrong, please try again later. Limelight in Atlanta was also a place to see and spot celebrities over the years. 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. 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. Dirty, worn, in your face, street cred with banging, hard but funky beats. It makes me feel quite sad how our communities are being transformed into bland faceless environments in some cases. 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 . 1. All the London clubs now are appearing and disappearing like mushrooms. The triple-bowed frontage of the Ace Cinema viewed from the south-west. 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. Excellent piece Tom. 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. I couldnt do it now, but I so glad I did it all then. Its the perfect lunchtime read. Breaks my heart to see whats happened. The Cross, bouncers nicking you gear *unts. Bagleys was always my favourite. Real friendships were made, some that lasted a few hours and some, decades. We had amazing nights, including joint parties with labrynth and raindance. Fantastic to look through it every so often and remember what wasa very much loved and much missed club . The article was well written and for a change the comments are a nice read as well. 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. Between 1987 and 1990, when police pressure forced its closure, Shoom was where the London dance club as we know it today was born. When record producer and DJ Paul Oakenfold went to Ibiza in 1985 to celebrate his birthday, he hired a villa and invited then-unknown DJs Nicky Holloway, Pete Tong and Danny Rampling. But the party was brought to an abrupt end after a stabbing there led it to lose its licence and subsequent closure. I was there solidly for several years and partook in all you have mentioned above (and 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 ! I am now all grown up at 42 with a respectable job and look like I am, a middle aged mum. Have some great memories from that place when the people from Hooj used to celebrate their parties there. 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. lol, The tranny on stilts So sad to see it all boarded up. Turnmills was the first and best, never surpassed and so fondly remembered, well as much as my pitted brain will allow. 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. By the 1990s gay venues across the country started to transform. I had some of the best days of my life there! Gaz ran a weekly night there from. It later became the Cat's Whiskers club, the Ritzy then Caesars Nightclub. If anyone sees them please can you let me know? End of story.. People from across the capital will flock to Herbal, an exposed brick warehouse which regularly hosted big name DJs. Joe Blogs, Great article Tom and indeed sad loss for Londons once outstanding clubland. Salmon and Compass in Angel. By the mid-1990s the venue was no longer used as a cinema, instead functioning as a music venue, nightclub and snooker hall. Thanks Liam. Ministry of Sound. 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. Ah. Cramming into clubs packed with big hair, booze and pounding music was a rite of passage in the 1980s and into the 1990s. RIP Turnmills, Im glad I was there to experience it. Its really sad that the times have achanged and in a reflection of this, all these fantastic places are being bulldozed. Find out what is now open where you live by putting your postcode into our handy widget below. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. I think great venues have heritage. 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. 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? This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. It was almost impossible due to vibration from the soundsystem Later feeling sick in the stomach because of the same reason. The massive venue had a 24 hour drinking licence and a 4,0000 people capacity. All the new secret location parties `I work in these days are usually stuck in cold,dirty and faceless arches. However, a thumping set and fab laser show by the master PVD at the re-invented Fridge aka Electric Brixton a while ago demonstrated, with the right amount of desire, opportunity and application it can still be done. There was no place to hide. Acts to have played The Scala include Foo Fighters, The Killers and Coldplay. I wouldnt even know where to go nowadays for a night out. Isnt that, now, the Apple shop? For more news and featuresabout London directly to your inbox sign up to our newsletter here. Vauxhall became the locus of gay clubs from 2000. Read more: Has Covid-19 ended Sohos indie spirit for good? Reading this article has caused me new inspiration watch out London. Killjoy councils, student debt and stolen phones: the slow death of British clubs, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. The End on a Friday and Turnmill on a Saturday were more my thing. 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. Reliving my 20s again still with a younger GF (cliche alert) and the new wave of EDM. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. how about PLEASED on a wednesday at the Velvet underground !!! For more info on what we write about and why, see our About section. Great article, and Ill second and third and fourth what has been said 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. Sir Bob Geldof had his stag do at Limelight before he married Paula Yates in 1986. Ruby Violet: NW5s pioneering ice cream parlour to close, Let It Roll Records closes. Turnmills, Clerkenwell1990-2008Another one of Londons fossilised superclubs, Turnmills was the first venue in the UK to get a 24-hour dance licence. The licence was subsequently restored, but the business was unable to avoid going into administration. The End just had to be #1 You can withdraw your consent or find out more by clicking on our Privacy Policy link below. Fictional clubs. A perfectly acceptable thing to do at the time. 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. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. It was the venues teen parties that got it into hot water, however, when police found evidence of underage drinking there in 2009. Would have kept going there for anniversary, shame its closed but glad weve done it all at the best times, Im an Aussie that worked the doors at imperial garden, car wash gigs, sunny side up, cafe de Paris (wanky but fun). 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. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. In the 1990s, the scene reverted back to Soho, revitalised by new style bars like The Village. Constant disagreements on how to regenerate the land behind Kings Cross Station went on for years. Didnt boy george have a residency there? We list 18 things you might not know about the Limelight club, the building it was in and its links to the US. Now, is that the same Tom Kihl I employed in the heady days of Covent Garden based vegetarian restaurants? Anyway, as the corridor joined Soundshaft to Heaven (and Heaven being pretty legendry), I decided to go to the loo. I half remember a night at Bagleys sitting in an ice cream fridge next to the dancefloor. 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. Enjoyed the trip into nostalgia very much.. ; 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. 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. 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. R&B Clubs And Events In London. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. The MyLondon team tells London stories for Londoners. A string of London's best-loved night clubs have closed since 2000. Back then, the huge 2,000 capacity venue was a Saturday night lockout and one . 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. 4. Oasis performed their debut London show at The . 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. 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. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.