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Scotsman
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Where have all the Superclubs gone? A look back at the intuitions dance fans flocked to
Put your hands up in the air for the superclubs we loved and lost from the halcyon era of clubbing Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... They were the huge haunts where like-minded music fans came together and embraced in the warm glow of lasers. The 'superclubs' were tantamount to the clubbing scene in the '90s and '00s, with A-List residencies taking place in the UK and overseas. But after a period of economic downturn, or in some cases just plain bad luck, many of them disappeared - so what happened to them? It's Saturday afternoon, and for many of you, at one point in your existence, it meant that plans to go out clubbing were on the cards – and still might be, depending on your fitness level. But not at some of the late, great 'superclubs' that formed an important part of the 'Clubland' scene of the '90s and '00s, where DJs were superstars before The Chemical Brothers told the rest of the world that was the case, and some of the best threads clashed with boiler suits, face masks, and big, yellow smiley faces. Super, what now, old timer? The churches we used to throw shapes in, to quote a great episode of TV series 'Spaced,' and what happened to the superclubs that were beacons for dance music fans? | Getty Images/Canva The cheek of you to call me old, firstly... Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A superclub was a destination venue that transcended the normal nightclub experience, separating itself from other venues in both scale and cultural influence. They were massive, often with capacities of over 1,500 people, and defined by their high-quality production, from their huge sound systems to their cutting-edge light shows. These clubs were cultural hubs that pioneered new genres and set fashion trends, with people travelling from across the country – and sometimes across to Europe – to visit. They were also defined by their A-list residencies, where the resident DJs, such as Carl Cox at Space, became as famous as the artists they were playing, creating a sense of event and spectacle that was unmatched by smaller venues. Then they disappeared; come the mid-2000s, with younger generations drinking less (yes, it wasn't just a Gen Z trait), dance festivals became a more preferred choice for clubbers to let their hair down and with much stricter laws on licensing and noise complaints coming into place, many had to shut their doors. A report by the Night Time Industries Association noted that since 2020, over a third of UK nightclubs have closed. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Lesson learned? Maybe don't move into an apartment where a long-standing music venue used to be. But I digress. Let's get misty-eyed together and take a look at some of the great superclubs that older family members might regale you with stories about, why they shut down and if they managed to continue in some capacity – albeit not to the level of their 'superclub' peaks Gatecrasher One (Sheffield) Gatecrasher gave birth the 'Crasher kids' during its heyday, but a fire in 2007 led to its permanent closure. | Sheffield Newspapers Ltd Originally opening as The Republic in 1995, Gatecrasher held their club nights at the venue, having run evenings at The Leadmill, The Arches and The Adelphi before establishing a permanent Saturday residency at the venue in 1997. Over the years, the success of the Gatecrasher club nights became too big to ignore. With The Republic facing financial troubles, the promoters seized the opportunity, buying the venue in the late '90s for what was widely reported as a six-figure sum. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Gatecrasher was famous for its hugely successful Saturday night events and gave birth to the 'Crasher kids' subculture, attracting a dedicated following of trance fans, however a fire in June 2007 led to a partial collapse of the building - though luckily the small number of staff on site managed to evacuate safely. Gatecrasher initially expressed a desire to rebuild and "come back stronger," however, inspections by engineers revealed that the building was beyond repair and that any attempt to restore it would be unsafe. This made demolition the only viable option. The site where the club once stood remained vacant for a number of years before it was eventually sold and redeveloped into the Gatecrasher Apartments, a student accommodation block. Residencies: Judge Jules, Scott Bond, Matt Hardwick The Hacienda (Manchester) Though regarded for its place as part of the 'Madchester' scene, Manchester's Hacienda was pivotal in the growth of acid house in the United Kingdom. | Peter J Walsh/Peter J Walsh/PYMCA/Avalon/Getty Images The Hacienda was a nightclub and music venue in Manchester, England, which was the most famous club of the Madchester music scene. It was financed by the independent record label Factory Records and its bands, including New Order. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The club first opened on May 21, 1982, in a former yacht builder's warehouse and became famous for its industrial aesthetic and the incredible production inside as much as for the artists who performed there. Though the early years of the club were a commercial failure, it began to find its identity in the mid-1980s when it embraced the acid house scene ('acieeeeed.') In the late 1980s, the club became the epicentre of the UK's burgeoning rave culture and the 'Second Summer of Love." However, the club closed its doors on June 28, 1997, after a period of financial difficulties and drug-related violence - as documented in the book and film, '24 Hour Party People.' The venue was eventually sold and demolished, and a block of apartments was built on the site, with the building's name paying homage to its clubbing roots. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Residencies: Graeme Park and Mike Pickering, Dave Haslam, Jon DaSilva Sankeys (Manchester) Revellers gather at Sankeys, one of the biggest club in Manchester after the demise of The Hacienda. | Suzy del Campo/PYMCA/Avalon/Getty Images Sankeys was a renowned Manchester nightclub known for its raw, industrial vibe and its reputation for booking cutting-edge DJs and was founded by DJ Dave Vincent and Andy Spiro. The club first opened in 1994 in a former textile mill and quickly established itself as a key part of the city's dance music scene, standing in contrast to the more polished superclubs of the era. It was a no-frills, music-first venue that was a spiritual home for fans of house and techno. The club was famous for its resident DJs who were instrumental in shaping its sound. The most famous resident was Darius Syrossian, who held a residency there for over a decade. He was a key figure in the club's "Tribal Sessions" night, which became a global brand in its own right. Other famous DJs included Steve Lawler and Greg Vickers. The club closed its doors in 2017 after operating for 23 years. The reason for the closure was a dispute over the building's lease. The venue was eventually sold and redeveloped, ending Sankeys' legacy as a physical club. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Residencies: Darius Syrossian, Steve Lawler, Greg Vickers Space (Ibiza) The packed crowds at Space in Ibiza were not an unfamiliar sight for regular Euro-clubbers and were part of the 'Balearic Beat' movement popular with international ravers. | Marc Colomines Nadal/PYMCA/Avalon/Getty Images Space was a legendary superclub on the island of Ibiza. It was famous for being one of the first clubs to host after-hours parties and for its iconic open-air terrace, where clubbers would dance as planes roared overhead from the nearby airport. The club first opened in 1986. It was taken over by Pepe Rosello in 1989, and under his guidance, it became a global institution that won Best Global Club at the International Dance Music Awards five times. Space was famous for its resident DJs who were instrumental in shaping its sound, with the most famous being Carl Cox, who held his "Music is Revolution" residency there for 15 years. His final set in 2016 marked the end of an era for both him and the club. The club closed its doors in 2016 after a period of 27 years. The reason for the closure was the expiration of its lease, which was not renewed. The site was sold to the owners of the neighbouring Ushuaïa club, who have since opened a new venue on the site called Hï Ibiza. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Residencies: Carl Cox, Danny Tenaglia, Steve Lawler Amnesia (Ibiza) People reaching for the lasers at Amnesia in Ibiza back in 2000 - one of the few superclubs on the island that led to a huge surge in tourism from clubbers. | eelu/Getty Images Amnesia is a legendary superclub on the island of Ibiza. It's credited as the spiritual home of the Balearic beat, a free-spirited sound that combined an eclectic mix of genres and defined the island's unique clubbing culture. The club first opened in 1976 as a rural country house called "The Workshop of Forgetfulness," but its name was soon changed to Amnesia. It became famous for its open-air dancefloor, where clubbers would dance until the sun came up, a practice that defined the Balearic experience until a roof was added in the early 1990s. Amnesia was famous for its resident DJs who were instrumental in shaping its sound. The most famous was DJ Alfredo, who is now credited with pioneering the Balearic beat. His eclectic mixing style caught the attention of visiting British DJs like Paul Oakenfold and Danny Rampling, who then took the sound back to the UK, sparking the "Second Summer of Love." The club is still open, but its current incarnation is a very different experience from its early, free-spirited days. It remains a key part of Ibiza's club scene, hosting some of the world's biggest parties, but the closure of its famous open-air terrace and its shift to a more commercial sound have marked a significant change in its character. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Residencies: Paul Van Dyk, Sven Väth, DJ Alfredo Dorian Gray (Frankfurt) Dorian Gray was hidden inside Frankfurt Airport, offering quite the unusual setting for clubbers to queue outside for a Saturday night of decadence and tunes. | YouTube Dorian Gray was a legendary German superclub that was instrumental in the birth of the country's techno and trance scene. The club was famously located in a former terminal at Frankfurt Airport, a truly unique location that allowed it to remain open until the early morning hours. The club first opened on November 8, 1978, and was founded by Gerd Schüler and Michael Presinger to create an experience similar to New York's famous Studio 54. The early years of the club were defined by disco, funk, and soul, before it evolved into a mecca for electronic music in the mid-1980s. Dorian Gray was known for its incredible sound system and its resident DJs, who were central to the development of the "Sound of Frankfurt" that influenced the global trance and techno scenes. Key DJs included Sven Väth, Carl Cox, and Paul van Dyk, who all played there in their early careers. The club closed its doors in December 2000 due to a failure to secure fire safety certification from the airport inspectorate, marking the end of a legendary era in German clubbing history. Residencies: Sven Väth, Talla 2XLC, Frank Lorber
Daily Mirror
09-07-2025
- Daily Mirror
TikToker shares 'genius' travel hack for the best airplane sleep
@travelwithell It's your airplane hack bestie back again #flighttips #travelhacks #longhaul #economy #economyclass #nightflight #travellingtheworld #airplanemode ♬ Finder - Carl Cox Remix Edit - Ninetoes
The Sun
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
I partied at UK's biggest nightclubs in 80s & 90s…but, at 57, can I keep up with the ‘Gravers' at Gen-Z Ibiza hotspot?
THE last easyJet flight of the night from Luton touched down in Ibiza to a round of applause and shouts of 'Oi Oi!' It was 11.40pm, I was ready for a nice cup of chamomile tea and bed, but the two Essex ravers, who looked barely out of their teens, in the seats ahead had other ideas. 5 5 5 'We're going to Amnesia, mate' one gurned — that's a nightclub, not the condition experienced by some middle-aged folk like me. While I was with the young clubbers in spirit, my 57-year-old dad bod said a firm no. I was saving myself for the big one — UNVRS, the world's first hyperclub, later in the week. Pronounced 'universe,' it is the recently opened king of clubs on an island that helped launch acid house, which morphed into the rave phenomenon that swept Britain in the late 1980s. UNVRS may not have many vowels but it has a lot of punters — 10,000 can cram into its labyrinth of bars and dance floors. Its superstar DJs including David Guetta, Carl Cox and Fisher attract clubbers from all over the planet. Footie ace Jude Bellingham was at the opening night last month. So, staring down the barrel of 60, would I be able to cut it at clubland's hottest ticket? And would I be the only relic from the halcyon days of Eighties and Nineties clubbing still trying to throw shapes? Known as Gravers, I was interested to talk to survivors from the rave era for whom the party won't stop until the Grim Reaper calls. I'm the UK's oldest clubber - I still wear a bikini at 86 & spent my summer partying with my granddaughter, I'm the last one standing at 3am I haven't been to a nightclub for decades, but back in the day I graced London clubs Ministry Of Sound, Heaven, Sin and Bagleys. With Cardiff -born superstar DJ Jamie Jones on the UNVRS decks on Wednesday, I headed to this pinnacle of modern clubbing, hoping to rekindle the rave era spirit. I bought an early-bird ticket for 55 euros, which means you must arrive at UNVRS before midnight. VIP tickets go for £425-plus. As you journey inland towards San Rafael de la Cruz, the club's mammoth, red-glowing dome dominates the skyline like St Paul's Cathedral in London. I joined the queue with thousands of women in barely there skirts and boob tubes and well-honed guys in shorts and tees. Most looked young enough to be my grandchildren. Security thoroughly patted me down, then I entered another world. Intense white light cascaded from a mirror ball into my eyes as the unrelenting bass seemed to rattle my chest bone. This being Gen Z clubbing, there was an immediate opportunity to update your socials at the transparent selfie booth. A sweeping staircase leads to a huge dance floor with a raised DJ booth at the far end, and it was soon a swarming mass. Just like the old days, the hands are in the air when the music reaches a crescendo, but now thousands of phones are held aloft, recording every beep and thud for posterity . . . and Instagram. UNVRS began life as Club San Rafael in the 1970s, later changing its name to KU Club and then Privilege. 'DON'T EVER CHANGE DAD' Celebs who once partied there include Bowie, Madonna, Kylie Minogue and Tina Turner. In the 1990s, it hosted the infamous Manumission night, which featured live sex acts on stage. UNVRS is less decadent for a different age, drawing a very glam and British — crowd. With my back aching from too much standing, it was time for a beer and a sit down at the cavernous Dome Bar. I wince at the price list. A 33cl bottle of Heinken? That's £15, guv. A bottle of water is nearly £13 and a vodka- redbull around £23. Also catching some air were clubbers approaching my own age. Department store manager Jose Antonio, 55, his wife Maria, 56, and their son Alonso, 21, were on holiday from Marbella in Spain. Asking Jose what brought them to the hyper club, he revealed: 'We like electronic music and know Jamie Jones and, of course, we are going to dance and will stay for two or three hours.' Student Alonso, meanwhile, points out a decent advantage to going clubbing with your parents, revealing: 'They paid!' But Andrew Killin, 56, from North London, who has been to Ibiza ten times over the years, said he wasn't impressed by the sprawling size of the club, finding it a little 'soulless'. 5 5 In the main room I spot a greying figure with large specs nodding his head as if entranced by the beat. Skegness dad-of-four Matthew O'Connor, 57, tells me he's been 'havin' it' since 1988. I'd found a bone-fide Graver. 'I couldn't be on the island, in light of all the hype, and not come to UNVRS,' he told me. 'I wanted to see it and I'm quite wowed.' So are his kids embarrassed that he is still raving as he approaches his seventh decade? 'Quite the opposite,' he insists. 'They tell me, 'Don't ever f***ing change, Dad'.' Matthew — aka DJ Chinny — turns out to be a great raconteur who still 'loves' this party island. 'I came out here in 1988 raving then in 1989 went to Tenerife where things also f***ing exploded,' he revealed. ' Since then I haven't been to Ibiza every year, but it's a love affair that's lasted.' 'IF IT'S IN YOU, IT'S IN YOU' He's still DJ-ing while running a decorating business, and I ask if his clubbing was ever fuelled by drugs? 'I've experimented over the years,' he added. 'It was all about ecstasy and LSD. 'That's back in the day. 'I'm proud now that my weapon of choice is alcohol. 'I'm of the age now where I really need to slow down!' Finally, I asked this fellow 57-year-old if we are too old to rave? 'I'm the same age as the parents of some of the guys I travelled out here with. I'm like the old fossil,' he reveals. 'If it's in you, it's in you.' With Matthew's assurance ringing in my ears I head back to the dance floor and throw my arms in the air to the pumping music.
Dublin Live
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Dublin Live
The Prodigy announces return to Dublin with headline 3Arena show
The Prodigy have announced their return to Dublin with special guest Carl Cox by their side. They're coming to Ireland as part of the Ignition tour next year, with shows in Dublin's 3Arena and the SSE in Belfast. They'll be playing the hits from their seven number one albums with Carl Cox spinning the tunes creating a two hour set for punters. The announcement comes as the group plan to return to Glastonbury for their first performance at the iconic festival following the passing of Keith Flint in 2019. This will be their fourth performance at the festival, bringing the weekend to a close on The Other stage on Sunday and follows stunning sets at Coachella and Summer Sonic. Tickets go on sale this coming Friday, June 27 and presale will begin on Wednesday, June 25. They can be bought on Ticketmaster and The Prodigy website. The Prodigy's Liam Howlett said: 'We're bringing back that full experience of non-stop noise and beats from doors to getting chucked out. It will be that full Prodigy ruckus as it was then and how it continues to be now… and droppin' new tunes for the people… We've got our old friend Carl joining us so expect full attack mode, factor 9…Let's go !' Carl Cox added: 'I love working with these guys and it's such a long time since I have. They knew me that last time I was out playing 3 turntables, and the type of music I was playing was hardcore rave music, so that's what I'm going to be doing, playing that sort of sound and into the new skool, I'm really looking forward to it, so here we are Carl Cox and The Prodigy back again to rip up the dance floors." Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice . For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.
Glasgow Times
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Legendary British 90s band announced Glasgow concert
The Prodigy will perform at the city's OVO Hydro on Wednesday, April 15, 2026. The English electronic music group, which formed in 1990, is currently made up of Liam Howlett and Maxim. They are known for their megatunes, including Breathe, Firestarter, Omen, and Voodoo People. At their gig at the West End venue, the band will be joined by the 'iconic' Carl Cox, who will be playing a two-hour set. READ MORE: Brit band to host one of its 'biggest' gigs in Glasgow to celebrate anniversary READ MORE: 'One of the UK's biggest bands' announced Glasgow gig ANNOUNCED 📣 The Prodigy are coming back to the OVO Hydro on 15 April 2026... this time joined by the iconic Carl Cox who will be playing a 2 hour set from doors 🤩 #OVOLive presale | 9am, 25 June Tickets on sale | 12pm 27 June ➡️ — OVO Hydro (@OVOHydro) June 23, 2025 Tickets for the band's Glasgow show will go on sale from 12pm on Friday, June 27. However, fans will be able to grab presale tickets for the concert from 9am on Wednesday, June 25.
