Raving and Clubbing In Ireland, Where and When do you reckon it started?

supply72

My own personal view is we can`t really say where it started. Think a lot of people who were living in London at that time came home to Ireland and brought the Rave/Club scene with them. In Dublin we had Sides and the Olympic first with the odd Rave in the Mansion house, in Cork they had Sir Henry`s and the odd Rave in their mansion house (Carl Cox in 91 was something special). And in Belfast they had Sugar Sweet, with David Holmes (Homer) and Ian Mc Creedy. You could even say the first Rave in Ireland was in 88 with the Rebel MC and Betty Boo. Doesn`t matter where or who started it, all that matters is it was a great time! For about 2/3 years it was great and all the people were great, then gangs got involved, pills went downhill in quality, clubs were shut and it was gone. But it was great while it lasted, and we will never see the likes of it again! It was a great scene, great music, great people and great nights! But all good things come to an end, just be happy you were one of the few that was there from the beginning. Rave to the grave people and Slave to the Rave!!!!!!!! Never Forget them good days! What do you lot reckon?

Helix

i reckon its a complete irrelevance, and its impossible to say

supply72

Of course it is relevant!!!! If we are talking about the subject it would be good to know peoples opinion on where they think it started! Just cause you probably haven`t a clue Helix doesn`t mean it`s not relevant! Probably never been to a club in your life! Bedroom mixer!:mad:

electro.ie

Things change, music changes, It's still all there. Maybe you grew away from it. The attitude prople adopt of "remember how good things were" is a load of b*llox imo. Sure club culture is different and the ecstasy honeymoon is well and truly over but the Music still hits hard. People are still good, the advent of the internet allows us a greater choice of music. Developments in hardware and software allowing anyone the option of producing music. We're not spoonfed the same set ten weeks in a row from the same old dj's and Pirate radio stations who must have shared a record box between all of them with the amount of repetition of tracks on air. Now is the time for music, not then. Tomorrow will be better tho.

supply72

Now thats just a stupid comment. I am not saying that was a better time for music, i`m just wondering about peoples opinion on when it all started in Ireland. And before you start banging on about music now, and how much better it is, just remember you wouldn`t have that music now, or the scene now if it wasn`t for the foreward thinking DJ`s of the late 80`s and early 90`s. A lot of them still going today! You always have to know where you came from to know where you are going! And if you condider yourself a fan of dance music now surley you would want to know the history of it! You can be sur that Rap and R&B fans know all about Grandmaster Flash, Run DMC, Sugarhill Gang and so on! Of course things have to move foreward but just remember that dance music is where it si now because of it`s past! And tell me this, if its so much better now why is it not as popular? Not as many clubs and people into it as there used to be. R&B seems to have taken over here and in the UK!:mad:

electro.ie

supply72 wrote:

Now thats just a stupid comment. I am not saying that was a better time for music,

eh yes you are

great music, great people and great nights! But all good things come to an end

i`m just wondering about peoples opinion on when it all started in Ireland.

In my opinion late 80's however forgive me if I don't hold these venues in the same regard as yourself. In my opinion it would have started in Ireland regardless of who, what, where or when supplied the catalyst.

And before you start banging on about music now, and how much better it is, just remember you wouldn`t have that music now, or the scene now if it wasn`t for the foreward thinking DJ`s of the late 80`s and early 90`s.

Can easily pose an argument to that.

They wouldn't have had that music without Blues, jazz, funk of the 60's onwards and then disco of the 70's onwards. You think dance music invented the four-on-the-floor hits? staccato piano play, breakbeat and sampling were around long before Altern-8.

A lot of them still going today! You always have to know where you came from to know where you are going!

Absolutely. Maybe you should remove the rose tinted specs and enjoy what it is now.

And if you condider yourself a fan of dance music now surley you would want to know the history of it!

Wrote my thesis on the origins of Dance music, It's in the DIT library

And tell me this, if its so much better now why is it not as popular?

Really now... do I have to go pulling statistics for Record Sales, Festivals dedicated to electronic music, Revenue generated from the scene now in comparison to then etc...
We'll just agree that's pants

Not as many clubs and people into it as there used to be

You named four clubs. There's more than that in Leitrim these days.

R&B seems to have taken over here and in the UK!

Yeah I miss the days when top of the pops was blasting out Acid music from start to finish and you walked into your local and "Beyond the Dance" by Rhythim is Rhythim, "The Groove" by Suburban Knights, and "Illusion" by R-Tyme were playing...... It didn't happen. Dance music will never be mainstream. It is in itself a subculture. That's what gave it it's cult status back in the day.


oh and p.s. No you're stupid!

supply72

Bull! Dance music will never be mainstream? Dance Music was mainstream in the mid 90`s!!!!!!! You Muppet. Ibiza not mainstram? Played on all radio stations! Most of the cahrt hits of that time were dance! DJ`S were bigger than pop stars!!! And you are saying it was never main stream!!!!! And as for your thesis, well i could say that. And i am talking of Dance clubs!!! In Kildare they might have clubs but are they dance?
Here some info for your thesis tou muppet!

: : : : : : : : : : : History of Dublin Clubbing : : : : : : : : : : : :

1988, heralded as year zero in clubland. In the UK maybe but over here
our summer of love kicked off in true style some two years later. Before
the barrage of genre splicing in today's electronic music, the few
styles we had then fitted neatly in to two scenes, raving and clubbing.
The first true dance club in Dublin was Sides, residing in Dame lane,
owned by John Murphy and ran by Ken Kelly. In true form to the history
of club culture, sides was originally a gay club that opened in the mid
1980s. As the indie music policy began to take a back seat to more dance
orientated sounds, resident DJ's Martin McCann and Liam Fitz were
eventually joined by Johnny Moy, Liam Dollard, Billy Scurry, Dave Hales,
Dave Moore and Joe McHugh. By '91 the club really took off attracting
hoards of loyal regulars and dedicated house lovers.

At the other end of the spectrum and just up the road on Wexford Street,
was the Olympic Ballroom, a very popular and infamous venue for dancers
in the 50's and 60's. Owner Liam Ryan didn't need much coaxing to
realise the potential of refilling the Olympic with dancers of a new
generation. The first rave was held there in April 1990, the night was
called Orbit and Dave Hales, Johnny Moy, Mark Kavanagh and Niall
Comiskey took control of the ones and twos that night. Shortly after
that Marcus O'Neill took over to run a night called Dance Crazy which
ran for six weeks before passing the reins back to the owner. Ryan got
Mark Kavanagh back on board, who remained as head resident until a
series of raids in '94 which led to the venue losing its license.

Even two years after the biggest culture explosion had occurred, the
Irish media still hadn't really cottoned onto the fact that it was going
on in their own country and continued to copy scare stories from the UK
tabloids. It wasn't until promoters started staging events in the
Mansion House that the press really sat up and paid attention. They made
sure to cover one particular night when TD Tony Gregory and a select
committee lined the balconies of the Mansion House to determine just how
drug fuelled these raves were. They gave it the thumbs up. Unknown to
them at the time the very reason the night was bereft of any trouble was
the full-scale use of Ecstasy rather then the naively presumed lack of.
The Mansion house staged big extravaganza's rather then weekly regulars,
featuring state of the art sound and light systems, and acts such as
Shades of Rhythm, Altern8 and the Ragga twins. UK legends like Jumping
Jack frost, Grooverider and Tin Tin joined Dublin regulars like the
Banana boys, Brenda Morrisey and members of the the DFC, (Dublin funk
Collective) Speedy D, DJ Noel and DJ Bass.

What was it like then? Firstly, it's fairly important to paint a picture
of the dance scenes status in society back then. It hadn't much
representation in the media, no TV programmes, no books, no club
listings in evening papers and a far cry away from any full length
movies. Undocumented, unknown, underground. So to walk into a crowd of
1000+ nutters dancing like no one's watching, with lasers flying
overhead, music from the next century and strangers instantly becoming
best friends was an exhilarating slap in the face, like walking into
another dimension, let in on one big secret. Even buzzing about town on
a Saturday afternoon and catching the eye of someone similarly clad
would warrant a knowing smile. This is where the real magic lay, what
created such a gargantuan atmosphere, everyone on the same level, going
through that initial honeymoon phase together.

Just before the ballroom closed down, a new three level, all night club
called the Asylum opened and that's exactly what it was. It bore witness
to the first batch of E casualties, burnt out ravers desperately chasing
that initial rush, the dawning realisation that nothing this good lasts
forever painted across their jaded faces. However, a fresh batch always
arrived to fill the void and this new crowd kept the balance in check.
The Asylum also welcomed in a new batch of DJ's. Dilly, the then
Northern Ireland mixing champ, took residency in the Asylum along with
Dublin's Ed case, Warren K and Pressure. The clubs eventual downfall was
its very open display as a drug haven and was soon shut down.

The Temple of Sound opened soon after and was in complete contrast to
the Asylum. Along with G1, another legendary club in Phibsborough and
the later to come Kitchen, it had a full bar. By then many clubbers
re-embraced alcohol as the drug of choice, laughing off the days of
chastising the demon liquid. Manager Ken Kane gave a new home to Scurry,
Moy, house maestro Mark Dixon and introduced Stephen Mullhall and Paddy
Gallagher as well as top class international guests. Like Sides, after a
couple of years the Temple sadly changed management and in turn, the
DJ's and music policy, before eventually closing down altogether.

Taking this more professional standard to the next level John Reynolds
opened the POD. With an award winning interior design and
re-incarnations of club 54 bouncers on the door the original ethos was
somewhat lost. Granted it boasted a pristine sound system but was
strictly for the ears of the beautiful people. In 1996 the POD's sister
club the Red Box opened next door which thankfully had a slightly more
relaxed approach and a more varied music policy.

Two clubs that worked away in the background, slowly building from the
ground up were McGonagles and UFO. In '88 McGonagles started off with a
mixture of indie, acidhouse and popdance under the banner of the Voodoo
club, and later as En-duce giving residence to the Banana Boys (Mark Cee
and Dave MCDonald). The venue eventually got a facelift and thrived for
a few years as The System. UFO started off as a small affair in the UCD
bar in 1989 and moved to the Rock Garden in Temple Bar three years
later. After a brief stint in Powers hotel, the brainchild of François
Pittion and Mick Heaney finally moved to Columbia Mills (on Sir John
Rogerson's Quay) in 1994 where it gained a religiously loyal crowd, one
key to atmospheres of such electric status. Columbia Mills also played
host to the Beat club, the early incantations of Influx boys Paul Davis
and Johnny Moy, with guests such as Andy Weatherall, Darren Emerson and
regular Dublin visitor David Holmes (then known as Homer). The Beat club
was like a re-incarnation of early sides, nights put on in style with
cutting edge sounds attracting devout music lovers and was a recipe for
success.

Today, Influx, the Redbox and the Kitchen are still thriving and people
like D1 and Ultramack continue to push the original idea of quality
music in a friendly atmosphere, by music lovers for music lovers. Almost
ten years later now, clubs are still opening and closing and no matter
how big or small, all face the constant battle against Ireland's archaic
authorities. A major cheers to all who've fought the battle and
apologies if I couldn't fit you into this space, you know who you are.

supply72

That is a little history posted a few years ago by a man who was there.
Just a pity yoy seem very pissed off you were not! So you decide to dis the time instead! :mad:

electro.ie

What are ya like.......

Copy and pasting arguments of no relevance whatsoever, did you even read it?
You're talking complete rubbish, complete lack of substance or reference. As I said dance music was not mainstream. Certain Acts had entries into the charts and enjoyed some limited chart time. There's always gonna be a few dance acts/dj's in the charts but there has never been a time when the charts was clogged with Dance acts. Dj's more popular than Pop Stars... nope. And regarding clubs I stand by what I said.


calling me a muppett and stupid.... well that's just mature.
I'm not going to reply any more.

It's not my fault the scene changed passed you by. You can keep your memories, I'll take the music

supply72

Quote "They wouldn't have had that music without Blues, jazz, funk of the 60's onwards and then disco of the 70's onwards. You think dance music invented the four-on-the-floor hits? staccato piano play, breakbeat and sampling were around long before Altern-8."

Well if you look at the Origional question it was about the IRISH scene and IRISH CLUBS and DJ`S. Think you have gone off the point mate!!!!!!!:mad:

beans

Why don't we just setup a '1990s Nostalgia' subforum and be done with it?

There's a few regular posters here who have clearly partied too hard in the days of Sides et al :rolleyes:

supply72

electro.ie wrote:

What are ya like.......

Copy and pasting arguments of no relevance whatsoever, did you even read it?
You're talking complete rubbish, complete lack of substance or reference. As I said dance music was not mainstream. Certain Acts had entries into the charts and enjoyed some limited chart time. There's always gonna be a few dance acts/dj's in the charts but there has never been a time when the charts was clogged with Dance acts. Dj's more popular than Pop Stars... nope. And regarding clubs I stand by what I said.


calling me a muppett and stupid.... well that's just mature.
I'm not going to reply any more.

It's not my fault the scene changed passed you by. You can keep your memories, I'll take the music

Of course it was mainstream in the mid 90`s!You dont fill clubs like M.O.S., Cream and many other super clubs with over 5000 people every Fri and Sat if the music is not mainstream. Underground is a few hundred in a few clubs and maybe a big meet of thousands now and again. It started off underground and a sub culture as did Hip Hop. I know you want to believe you are part of a sub culture but you are not. Its very main stream now. You will have the same prometer bringing pop acts into the country as dance acts.
And as for comparing now and then, well i can do it, you can`t. I went clubbing in the early days, mid ninties, and still go now so i am in a position to compare the different vibes, crowds, chemicals and DJ`s. You are not. Never said the music went downhill, as there will always be some cracking new tunes out there.

jonny68

Helix wrote:

i reckon its a complete irrelevance, and its impossible to say

How is it a complete irrelevance :rolleyes: and impossible to say,the history of the rave scene is amongst the greatest of all time.

In response to your question mate...
Dance music in Ireland first came about when there was an illegal acid house rave in a disused warehouse in the docks sometime around 1989, ive spoken to people who were at this and it was all word of mouth and only a select few in the know people heard about this, in fact hardly anyone then as far as im aware really knew anything about the scene apart from what the read in the gutter press and seen on the tv.

I was well into acid house at that time but if never been to a rave and had never taken any sort of chemical but i built up a vested interest in the scene and Ecstasy, i used to see wll these ravers on the M1 in England on ITN news blowing their horns and jumping about on their cars listening to acid house and i knew this was really something special.

1990 say the first ever "legal" rave in Ireland Fun City in the Point and i was there and by then i was a fully fledged raver having been to London and taken my first E at that time Sides was the only club in Ireland staging regular nites playing Acid House/Bleed and Techno, Sir Henrys was soon to follow, the were also occasional raves in the Mansion House and McGonagles so it really took off from there, you had clubs like The Asylum, Temple Of Sound, Ormond Multimedia Centre, Waterfront. G1,etc,etc.

Anything else you want to know just ask, ive been around since these heady days

jonny68

beans wrote:

Why don't we just setup a '1990s Nostalgia' subforum and be done with it?

There's a few regular posters here who have clearly partied too hard in the days of Sides et al :rolleyes:

referring to me by any chance are we then :rolleyes: im as much into dance music thesedays then i was back then therefore i don't know why you feel the need to make smart comments.

supply72

jonny68 wrote:

How is it a complete irrelevance :rolleyes: and impossible to say,the history of the rave scene is amongst the greatest of all time.

In response to your question mate...
Dance music in Ireland first came about when there was an illegal acid house rave in a disused warehouse in the docks sometime around 1989, ive spoken to people who were at this and it was all word of mouth and only a select few in the know people heard about this, in fact hardly anyone then as far as im aware really knew anything about the scene apart from what the read in the gutter press and seen on the tv.

I was well into acid house at that time but if never been to a rave and had never taken any sort of chemical but i built up a vested interest in the scene and Ecstasy, i used to see wll these ravers on the M1 in England on ITN news blowing their horns and jumping about on their cars listening to acid house and i knew this was really something special.

1990 say the first ever "legal" rave in Ireland Fun City in the Point and i was there and by then i was a fully fledged raver having been to London and taken my first E at that time Sides was the only club in Ireland staging regular nites playing Acid House/Bleed and Techno, Sir Henrys was soon to follow, the were also occasional raves in the Mansion House and McGonagles so it really took off from there, you had clubs like The Asylum, Temple Of Sound, Ormond Multimedia Centre, Waterfront. G1,etc,etc.

Anything else you want to know just ask, ive been around since these heady days

I was around from Fun City too, good times. I remember all the clubs you mentioned and a few more..lol...i was just wondering when other people reckoned it started and where. Agree with you 100% thou on the history. A lot of clubbers now dont think its relevant and still think its a underground scene. But it was only really underground in the esrly 90`s here. Early 91 in Sides and the first Rave in the Olympic till about late 93 when the Garda clamped down and the big clubs started opening. Some ppl thought i was slagging the scene now by starting the post, but i was just looking for opinions. Think a few are miffed they don`t know as much about the scene as they thought. Thanks for your input mate. There is a good article a few posts by a mate that runs through the whole beginning as we see it. But other ppl might have another time they believe it began.

Chucky the tree

Lay off the cocaine supply72. Its making you far to agressive.

supply72

Chucky the tree wrote:

Lay off the cocaine supply72. Its making you far to agressive.

Now thats one thing that is better quality than back then and a lot cheaper.:)

beans

Just a general observation of the trend of this forum to dwell on the past, and to get emotional and drift towards hyperbole in relation to the 'good old days'. Sorry jonny68, I guess it was aimed at you in a roundabout way, rather at your posts.

I was just venting 'cos it's been done to death, doesn't advance the dialogue about electronic music, and frankly IMO it's a bit of a bore. No offence meant.

Scubadevils

beans wrote:

Just a general observation of the trend of this forum to dwell on the past, and to get emotional and drift towards hyperbole in relation to the 'good old days'. Sorry jonny68, I guess it was aimed at you in a roundabout way, rather at your posts.

I was just venting 'cos it's been done to death, doesn't advance the dialogue about electronic music, and frankly IMO it's a bit of a bore. No offence meant.

In fairness though beans a lot of posters here may not keep up with current electronic/dance music or the current club scene. I for one dont as I now have a family and never get a chance really to get out to clubs anymore. I dont know much about current labels, what the club scene is like, DJs or anything really with regards to the current scene. In that respect, we like to reminisce on the good ol days which there is nothing wrong with. I do to some extent buy current electronic music but only on CD and I just wouldnt know as much about the new artists and labels that I did back then.

A new scene will always be remembered fondly by the people who were part of it...as the 60's will always be for hippies, Woodstock and the summer of love, the late 80's and early 90's will be for Acid House, Raves and the evolution to trance, techno and numerous other genres of electronic music.

supply72

Felixdhc wrote:

In fairness though beans a lot of posters here may not keep up with current electronic/dance music or the current club scene. I for one dont as I now have a family and never get a chance really to get out to clubs anymore. I dont know much about current labels, what the club scene is like, DJs or anything really with regards to the current scene. In that respect, we like to reminisce on the good ol days which there is nothing wrong with. I do to some extent buy current electronic music but only on CD and I just wouldnt know as much about the new artists and labels that I did back then.

A new scene will always be remembered fondly by the people who were part of it...as the 60's will always be for hippies, Woodstock and the summer of love, the late 80's and early 90's will be for Acid House, Raves and the evolution to trance, techno and numerous other genres of electronic music.

Well said mate:) And if they bore you Beans then don`t read them. Simple.:D

supply72

Felixdhc wrote:

In fairness though beans a lot of posters here may not keep up with current electronic/dance music or the current club scene. I for one dont as I now have a family and never get a chance really to get out to clubs anymore. I dont know much about current labels, what the club scene is like, DJs or anything really with regards to the current scene. In that respect, we like to reminisce on the good ol days which there is nothing wrong with. I do to some extent buy current electronic music but only on CD and I just wouldnt know as much about the new artists and labels that I did back then.

A new scene will always be remembered fondly by the people who were part of it...as the 60's will always be for hippies, Woodstock and the summer of love, the late 80's and early 90's will be for Acid House, Raves and the evolution to trance, techno and numerous other genres of electronic music.

Here are some links to OLD SKOOL RAVES...if you don`t like old skool well don`t look at them cause some of them are banging...:)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsnCfGGYv0M&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pge8LqtuWrs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5ad1MYBgeg&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IzMQ9KU6vs&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUwlpj9ar3g&mode=related&search=

supply72

Some VERY dodgy mixing in some of these but the tracks will bring back a few memories:D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTKHQVx5ABM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ0Cw6Ffkjw&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbDYjKaHswM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlW-e1IgW0k&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5crrBTf2d9g&mode=related&search=

supply72

[/BAnd the daddy of them all, last but by no means least....enjoy:D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IXQF_ksc3g&mode=related&search=

jonny68

beans wrote:

Just a general observation of the trend of this forum to dwell on the past, and to get emotional and drift towards hyperbole in relation to the 'good old days'. Sorry jonny68, I guess it was aimed at you in a roundabout way, rather at your posts.

I was just venting 'cos it's been done to death, doesn't advance the dialogue about electronic music, and frankly IMO it's a bit of a bore. No offence meant.

sound no problem mate.