Flashback
The clubs that changed dance music forever…
Marc Ved
AAA
o’s homecoming
ACCESS
ALL
AREAS
FINAL
FRONTIER
CLUB UK, LONDON
(WANDSWORTH)
1994 – 1996
DJS: Mark Spoon, Billy
Nasty, DJ Dag, Sven Väth
& Gayle San
undertaken and they really used to follow
their DJs. They’d turn up in the room 15
hen it comes to minutes before their DJ was on, fi nd their
W
seismic shifts within spot and not leave it.”
the history of UK
Gayle San
It’s an energy and devotion that resident
club culture, 1994 and the unoffi cial favourite of Final
goes down as one of Frontier regulars, Gayle San, remembers.
the heaviest on rave’s Richter scale thanks “Before us, the UK’s biggest techno night “As soon as you entered, you just felt this
to the iron leylines of that year’s Criminal was Lost which was monthly for 1000- huge surge of energy hit you — it was
Justice bill. Essentially railroading the people,” remembers Shurey. “But we were dark, intense and debauched ,”
spirit of acid house culture indoors and proposing a weekly event in a club that remembers San.
inner city, the government was hoping to held over 2000. Everyone thought we were “Every weekend was like a special event
sedate and contain all that had gone completely insane.” — it was just mayhem. Even now, if people
before it. Fat chance. ask me my favourite gig, I still tell them…
Pretty much roadblock from day dot, the Final Frontier at Club UK.”
In the most unlikely corner of London, only thing insane about Final Frontier was
deep in the caverns of a Wandsworth ethos — both in terms of what we were the atmosphere.
shopping centre, one weekly party was giving by way of entertainment and just A steaming, sweat-licked, semi-shamanic
fi ring up the rave spirits with all the the spirit behind it. We were evangelists celebration of the DJ Gods of its day, Final TIMELESS MOMENT:
carnival diversity and devil-may-care of rave in every sense.” Frontier was a pseudo-religious Josh Wink making his UK debut
debauchery of the best outdoor raves experience for every clubber that passed and dropping the interminably
before it. Specifi cally, Final Frontier at From the very start of its journey, Final through its doors. Over its two years, Carl escalating 303 frenzy of ‘Higher
Club UK — a global techno Mecca, Frontier pushed the boundaries of the 4/4 Cox, Laurent Garnier, Billy Nasty, Dave State Of Consciousness’ just
mentalist’s playground and anarchistic techno beat harder and faster than just Angel and Josh Wink all played in the two weeks after it had taken the
three-arena rave den. about any other party of its day. Void of main arenas, while the sweatbox third — scene at large by storm.
“After the Criminal Justice bill, the the techno snobbery that affl icted its the Shangri-La — hosted sets from The
authorities tried to sanitise rave by other contemporaries, Final Frontier Chemical Brothers and Andrew Weatherall. DEFINITIVE TRACKS:
bringing it into the clubs,” explains Final instead united the classic sci-fi funk of “In terms of techno, our clubbers were * Plastikman ‘Spastik’
Frontier’s Paul Shurey, who had spent the Detroit techno with the more rugged, very open-minded,” remembers Bela * Odyssee Of Noises ‘Firedance
early-‘90s promoting the legendary tranced-out and tripped-out techno that Molnar, who joined Paul on the promotion (The Sunrise Mix)’
outdoor Universe raves. was dominating Europe and the boxes of team. * OT Quartet ‘Hold That Sucker
“But Final Frontier rebelled against that DJs like Dag, DJ Tanith and a tie-dyed “But they were very proud of being a Down’
whole vibe. We had a far more honest Sven Väth in his Eye Q Records days. clubber. That was the route they had
DRIVING FORCES
The promoters behind the dancefl oors
Biggest achievements as a promoter How are things changing in the What’s the biggest pitfall of putting
so far? promotion game? on parties?
“Working with my partner Wilf in taking “Web marketing plays a bigger part than “Too many late nights, eating badly and
Metropolis from a small club night to a ever. Social networking such as drinking too much!”
global brand. Also launching Reclaim Facebook and Twitter are great free
the Dancefl oor in Ibiza in 2009. In a marketing tools, as well as forums and What are the big plans for 2010?
season where everyone predicted credit blogs.” “Metropolis-wise, we’ve got huge shows
crunch doom, it was amazing to start lined up for Leeds, Sheffi eld and
something completely new and have the What advice would you give to an Edinburgh, as well as festival arenas.
success we had with dubstep and d&b.” upcoming promoter? We’re also launching in new UK cities.
“Keep on plugging away, there are With Reclaim the Dancefl oor 2010 in
What has been the biggest factor plenty of lows before the highs come Ibiza, people will be really surprised at
behind Metrpolis’s rapid success? about. I managed to lose my full how massive the line-up will be. I’ve
“Acting professionally and building a student loan (£10k!) running events at also just taken over Fridays at The
MARK NEWTON good relationship with agents and uni, so ended up having a full-time job Faversham in Leeds — we’ve got Mr
METROPOLIS (ALL OVER UK)
artists is important — that way they whilst at uni as well! But we wouldn’t Scruff, Adam Freeland, David Rodigan,
trust your new projects and ideas.” have got to this point otherwise. ” Joy Orbison and Floating Points.
www.djmag.com
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DJ482.AAA_3.indd 59 14/1/10 14:10:19
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