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Nightclubs
Karim_myBagheri
Posts: 12,996
As it's a Saturday afternoon and I'm having a cuppa tea E beer after that performance, I've just been going through some of my old dance records. Got a bunch from the Fabric sessions. Used to go there a lot in my teens/early 20s. At the time it was voted as one of the best nightclubs in the world. Sadly closed down due to drugs but has come back in the last ten years though no idea if its the same.
I know we have a mix of different ages on here. Just thought I'll ask if anyone also did or still does frequent Fabric or any other night clubs? from any era where you might of cut up the dancefloors.
Of course i suspect The Venue (though they had quite a fair few bands in the earlier days) will be mentioned and some more dodgy places in the darker ends of London and the south east. Oh and not forgetting the raves as well. Which I know has had some what of a resurgence in recent years. My brother and sister used to go to Helter Skelter raves back in the 90s.
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I went Ministry of Sound a couple of weeks back. Raves there now are 2pm-10pm which suits me as getting in at 7am is no good at my age.
Was strange being pickled out me nut checking the Charlton score away at Wrexham on my phone.6 -
The Venue was a fantastic club.Was a regular from about 2008-2017, so unfortunately missed out on the days of the 90s indie acts that used to grace the middle floor. We had a different tribute act every week.
A lot of people used to slag it off, but looking back at it - I’ve nothing but great memories of that place.10 -
Back in the 90s we used to go to Dance Valley every year in the Netherlands (although I'm sure it was called Holland back then). The Hardcore and Techno tents were always banging.
These days I still tap my feet to the Prodigy every now and then.0 -
As a youth growing up in Sevenoaks, Amadeus nightclub in Rochester used to run a bus there and back on Fridays and Saturdays. I was never keen on clubs, but always went with the majority, so generally a group of us would go there and me and my other boring mate would sit up in the burger bar all night taking about football whilst my other mates failed to pull any birds on the dance floor.
Lived in North London aged 19 to 23. Used to go to Eros in Enfield. Had found a bit more enthusiasm for it by then - found I enjoyed it more if I got blind drink. Usually got chucked out around 3am when a bouncer would fine me asleep in the gents, and then, for reasons unbeknown to me, I'd always try to walk home to Palmers Green (an hour's walk sober, probably double with the zig-zagging).
Went to Home in Leicester Square once. Catastrophically drunk when I arrived. Chucked out quite quickly, and then apparently took me 4 hours to get home.
And did one holiday in Ibiza - went to some of the famous clubs, all completely wasted on me.
Had my wife's daughter staying with us in the summer, so had to endure a trip to a Latin Nightclub called Paradise in Vauxhall. Spontaneous decision and I had my flip flops on so feigned enthusiasm feeling confident I'd get turned away. They did initially say no, but the door supervisor happened to glance over and, looking at my age and reluctant demeanor, let me in out of spite.
Quiet pub with a pool table and a juke box has always been more my scene.
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went to the Marquee club same location. I have no idea what I was thinking. 3am. I somehow manged to get there and was by myself. The bouncer just shook his head but then he got a rather attractive girl to just tell me in the most sweetest way "hiya, luv, i think you've had enough tonight. why don't you go home yeah" I just said "yeah, i think your right" off i went and got home at reasonable hour of 4am.MrLargo said:As a youth growing up in Sevenoaks, Amadeus nightclub in Rochester used to run a bus there and back on Fridays and Saturdays. I was never keen on clubs, but always went with the majority, so generally a group of us would go there and me and my other boring mate would sit up in the burger bar all night taking about football whilst my other mates failed to pull any birds on the dance floor.
Lived in North London aged 19 to 23. Used to go to Eros in Enfield. Had found a bit more enthusiasm for it by then - found I enjoyed it more if I got blind drink. Usually got chucked out around 3am when a bouncer would fine me asleep in the gents, and then, for reasons unbeknown to me, I'd always try to walk home to Palmers Green (an hour's walk sober, probably double with the zig-zagging).
Went to Home in Leicester Square once. Catastrophically drunk when I arrived. Chucked out quite quickly, and then apparently took me 4 hours to get home.
And did one holiday in Ibiza - went to some of the famous clubs, all completely wasted on me.
Had my wife's daughter staying with us in the summer, so had to endure a trip to a Latin Nightclub called Paradise in Vauxhall. Spontaneous decision and I had my flip flops on so feigned enthusiasm feeling confident I'd get turned away. They did initially say no, but the door supervisor happened to glance over and, looking at my age and reluctant demeanor, let me in out of spite.
Quiet pub with a pool table and a juke box has always been more my scene.3 -
Fabric was magic back in the day. The sound system, the lights, the people you'd meet on the stairs... I'm sure the latter was never the same post-smoking ban because there was an endless procession of joints being passed around to smooth the harsher edges of whatever else you'd taken.
Used to go MoS as well but the bouncers were scum.
But brilliant days and glad I lived them, even if my brain never did quite feel the same again.
What's your name. What are you on. Reach for the lazers. Safe as fuck.6 -
The Venue was quality, as long as the bouncers let you in.cafctom said:The Venue was a fantastic club.Was a regular from about 2008-2017, so unfortunately missed out on the days of the 90s indie acts that used to grace the middle floor. We had a different tribute act every week.
A lot of people used to slag it off, but looking back at it - I’ve nothing but great memories of that place.
The DJ on the top floor was always happy to play Fools Gold or Blue Monday 🎧2 -
The memories are coming back.I remember we were at a D&B night somewhere central, when my mate came up to me on the dance floor saying: "Shit, you gotta come with me, I think this bloke is dead!"
I follow him towards the chill-out area, where there's an inanimate man flopped backwards over a chair. We start talking to him, trying to wake him up, but he doesn't respond. We shake him and get nothing. We start freaking out at this point, and we're shouting and trying to check for a pulse. He sits up, smiles at us, and asks 'What's going on?' We explain, and he's very grateful, he was just a bit fucked. The dead guy's name is Chris.
The night soon ends and Chris the Dead Guy says, "Come back to mine for an afterparty! I've got decks and everything." So we follow this guy through London and end up in Leicester Square. I'm looking at my mates thinking, what are we doing here!? The guy walks straight up to a pub and unlocks the doors. He's the landlord. We walk into the bar - it's probably about 6am at this point - and he says "Help yourselves!"
He leads upstairs to his living room, and he proceeds to play a four-hour set of absolute bangers. We're back and forth from the bar, and doing whatever else, before he abruptly announces he needs to go to bed because he's got to work later. We sit there for a while trying to gather the energy to leave, and we decide we should leave him a note. Being totally mashed, it takes us ages to decide what we could write to him, that would suitably describe the brilliant night/morning we've just had. So 25 minutes later, we leave him a letter with the words: 'Chris. Thanks.'
And we wandered off into busy central London, sunglasses on, chewing our gums, trying to blend in like we hadn't just had the session of our lives.20 -
No better place than Bon Bonnie’s2
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i've got a lot of hazy memories @Chunes but here's one..
remember getting out of KoKo at stupid o'clock. wasn't used to that part of London that much.
anyway this couple who I met that evening were like yeah we live just up the road. so we went up there to carry on.
They had one room in a basement with no furniture. even had a plastic sheet over the window. I was kinda thinking, "well, nice one Paul, this is how my life ends. In fucking Camden." few minutes later whilst I was still panicking trying to think of a polite way of saying i should be heading back down south without offending them too much, in walks in a couple from some band and their hangers on. I calmed down a bit then but was annoyed that not one of them had brought any booze. they were happy with other substances.
So me and my girlfriend at the time went out with directions of where the nearest offy was. apparently 5 minutes away, and it would of been had we not gone completely the wrong way. got back after near on an hour to find them all listening to Phil Oakleys electric dreams which I put on an hour before and they were just repeating it over and over.
we didn't stay much longer after that.3 -
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Cheeks in Deptford back in the day…. There was a photo of Marvin Gaye in there in the late 70s4
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Another shout for The Venue, early 90’s onwards it was an amazing place. Lost count of how many nights I spent in there.
Also remember, Stars in Greenwich, T’s in Erith and Zens
Great times to go out4 -
T’s, and Flicks in the early days, along with Goochies at what is now the Harvester at Falconwood. Also TOTS & Mr D’s in Southend. Graduated to Trip at the Astoria, Land of Oz at Heaven and Promise Land at the fitness centre near London Bridge when the acid house scene started. The Venue was always good for a late drink, as was Flamingos in Woolwich.6
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Went to Corsica studios couple of weeks back, sadly that was a closing down party, put on by tectonic records, mainly go clubbing in Berlin: Berghain and Tresor.1
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Practically lived on the top floor of the venue from the early to mid nineties. Metal/indie/rap kid so was like an oasis of halfway decent music compared to all the other shite around. Got a bit more wide reaching tastes and went Turnmills and Fabric a bit more in late 90s - did all the other indie clubs as well like Automatic, Bedrock, Hellfire etc. Much preferred live gigs to clubs though. Can't be arsed with them any more, but used to do 3 or 4 a week back in the day.1
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Caesars in streatham , paid at the end of the month and group of us who worked together would meet in the Prince Arthur in Lee Green then a cab to the club , flat fee to get in and drinks and a bit bit of grub free for the night .0
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Venue regular, sometimes Fri & Sat from summer 1992 after GCSEs all the way through to about 2 weeks before my daughter was born in 2006, so 14 years.
Used to love the club night at Uni of Greenwich, Dizzy @ Avery Hill on a Fri until 1am, went straight to the Venue, night bus back to Welling and would start my shift at the Co-op at 8am. The good old days.
Honourable mentions to Bon Bonne, Gin Palace (£15 to get in and unlimited drinks, seems unreal now), Blue Orchid at Croydon, Stars at Greenwich, Bridewells before they lost their licence in the mid 90s. Ministry of Sound, Hippodrome, Kalidescope at KCL just off the Strand was a Sat night Indie club was brilliant fun and was a guaranteed pull, Car Wash, Strawberry Moons off Regent St, too many to recall.
Zens on a Thur night was absolute shite as was T's on a Fri & Sat, although went there regularly too.
By contrast, my 19yo daughter, her boyfriend and any of their friends have set foot in a club since they started going out. Seems mad.4 -
Oh the memories.
In order of preference (accepting these were more like discos than the megaclubs that followed):
Bon Bonnies
Le Trecs , Beckenham
Cinderellas, Purley
Ts, erith
Zens
Studio (streatham)
Flamingos
Any pub with a dance floor goes to near the top-
E.g. Drayman
Then rave culture came along and I couldn't wear a tie anymore so that was that.
Mind you have since been Koko, Egg, a place at Vauxhall under the arches, and one at Elephant, for back to 88 type things, and most gone now I think.
I'd like to try one of these day time sessions when my feet are better and provided there is somewhere to sit down and none of that awful trance or Eurobeat shite being played.
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Goldmine at Canvey Island was always a jolly good night/morning out from what my blurred memory can remember.
Also the one in Leysdown, Stage 3 as far as I can remember. A few of us went down there one time in a mates old builders van which subsequently over heated going up Medway Hill. We all took it in turn to piss in the radiator to top it back up. Heater didn't smell none to pleasant. Got us there but I've no idea how I got back. Great times and memories.0 -
There’s some places I remember from that list. Cinderellas was a bit of a posh night out as they did food I vaguely remember. Wasn’t Flamingos the old cinema in Woolwich? Dancing where you used to queue up for ice cream. I remember seeing a male strip show there. Very disappointing from what I remember.swords_alive said:Oh the memories.
In order of preference (accepting these were more like discos than the megaclubs that followed):
Bon Bonnies
Le Trecs , Beckenham
Cinderellas, Purley
Ts, erith
Zens
Studio (streatham)
Flamingos
Any pub with a dance floor goes to near the top-
E.g. Drayman
Then rave culture came along and I couldn't wear a tie anymore so that was that.
Mind you have since been Koko, Egg, a place at Vauxhall under the arches, and one at Elephant, for back to 88 type things, and most gone now I think.
I'd like to try one of these day time sessions when my feet are better and provided there is somewhere to sit down and none of that awful trance or Eurobeat shite being played.3 -
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Used to absolutely love a club night out
remember one year getting tickets for Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve at T’s and queuing up to get in, mental really
Most have already been mentioned but also used to go to hollywoods, Charlie Chans, circus tavern all over the dark side
further afield was strawberry moons Maidstone, Amadeus, casino rooms I think somewhere, TOTS Southend
prob missed out a few too
in the rave days it was mainly labyrinth at Dalston which was a proper sweatbox
been thrown out of most of them at one time or another
now I’m indoors on a sat night watching strictly 🤣4 -
One of the best clubs in London atm is in an old MOT garage on an industrial estate behind The Den. Another, Fold, is tucked away on an industrial estate in Canning Town.
Fabric still draws great events but the crowd is too often aggy and security well OTT.2 -
Have you been to Else in Berlin? Would highly recommendEugenesAxe said:Went to Corsica studios couple of weeks back, sadly that was a closing down party, put on by tectonic records, mainly go clubbing in Berlin: Berghain and Tresor.
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I used to go to Fabric, 15 years or so ago. I never made the end of a night. Lasting til 10am was my record.
I went to Berlin several years ago and hated it. For somewhere so 'inclusive' it's so pretentious & exclusive. We weren't allowed in clubs because we're male and British, even though our friend DJ'd and produced and lived in Berlin!0 -
Is on my to visit list, love Fold, for me the best London clubs are these kind, Corsica was same.Croydon said:
Have you been to Else in Berlin? Would highly recommendEugenesAxe said:Went to Corsica studios couple of weeks back, sadly that was a closing down party, put on by tectonic records, mainly go clubbing in Berlin: Berghain and Tresor.
Outernet is worth checking out, Three storeys below ground and no sound restrictions.1 -
Had some of the very best nights of my life at The End (Holborn) in the early 00's to '07 (when I left London). Especially the smaller room next to the main one where they were spinning tech-house on Saturday nights/Sunday mornings. DJ's like Layo & Bushwacka, Nathan Coles, Craig Richards, Lee Burridge, Terry Francis, Eddie Richards would spoil you with decent underground tunes. Nice to pop up to AKA Bar for a breather sometimes during a heavy night.
Also absolutely loved The Egg (Kings Cross). Great outdoor area in the summer.
Fabric and Turnmills were good, but The End and The Egg were my go to clubs.
So much fun!
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The Loft in Camden on a Wednesday night.0
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One night a few of us met in the Foresters pub in Forest Hill, I then drove around 5 or 6 of us to Lautrecs in my Dad's Mini Clubman estate and some were smoking weed on the way there. I parked right outside the club in the station car park.
After a few hours in the club, I'd decided that I needed to eat something and went to the Morleys on the bridge.
I took the food back to car and as I was diving into the chicken and ribs combo, a ton of Old Bill (including German Shepherds) pulled up and proceeded to carry out a drugs bust on the club.
Thought it would be a good time to get out of there so looked for any discarded joints, put them in the now empty chicken box and dumped it in a bin and walked home.
Never found out what happened inside the club.1 -
Never much of a clubber but a night out in Chelmsford also meant a visit to Dukes or Zeus, as long as you remembered to wear "shoes". There were occasions where you could put socks on over your trainers, and sometimes the bouncer would let me go home and change them and get in free. Such was the desperation. Memorably I was refused entry to a club in Colchester, because I wasn't wearing a shirt... So they leant me one. Classy. went to a few in Edinburgh when I was at uni there, other than that went to Tresor in Berlin that's quite famous0
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Tiger Tiger, SE One, Ministry, Fabric, Matter, Printworks, Studio 338 are all clubs I've been to. Not huge into the scene but it was always something you'd end up doing in a group of mates in your late teens/early 20's
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