'balearic' question!
Out For The Count
Sat, 30/06/2012 - 09:16
Hey all. I know this whole subject has been done to death a million times over on this site and many others but please humour me...
Until discovering this site and Bill's books two years ago, I was stuck firmly in the 'nothing good ever happened before house/techno' camp. Obviously that's changed considerably and I feel I am playing catch up on all the amazing stuff that came before which I am loving.
I've basically been nerding out and feverishly reading anything I can get my hands on about dance music pre 88 and have a pretty good grasp on it all. One thing which puzzles me though... We all know the story about Amnesia supposedly dying on its arse until Alfredo started playing music in the morning which changed the fortunes of the club etc etc. So to my mind, Amnesia was always a day time/after hours club. However in any recounts I read by any of the South London folk who were all out there at the time the descriptions always paint a picture of being there at night. Did Amnesia quickly change back to a night time club once it became popular or were Rampling and co heading out there at 6am or what ever and if so, did they go there after being in other clubs?
Until discovering this site and Bill's books two years ago, I was stuck firmly in the 'nothing good ever happened before house/techno' camp. Obviously that's changed considerably and I feel I am playing catch up on all the amazing stuff that came before which I am loving.
I've basically been nerding out and feverishly reading anything I can get my hands on about dance music pre 88 and have a pretty good grasp on it all. One thing which puzzles me though... We all know the story about Amnesia supposedly dying on its arse until Alfredo started playing music in the morning which changed the fortunes of the club etc etc. So to my mind, Amnesia was always a day time/after hours club. However in any recounts I read by any of the South London folk who were all out there at the time the descriptions always paint a picture of being there at night. Did Amnesia quickly change back to a night time club once it became popular or were Rampling and co heading out there at 6am or what ever and if so, did they go there after being in other clubs?
In the 70's Amnesia didn't open until 6.00am. It was the club you went to after Pacha and Ku shut, so most people didn't get there until 8.00-9.00am. The playlist was much wider than the other clubs and the crowd was more of a 'musical' audience probably due to the wider playlist. It was the Ibiza equivalent of the Boca Chica in Key West really. Lots of stoners, bikers, local musos and the occasional few tourist die-hards (like me LOL).
I believe that had completely changed by the 80's when Alfredo got there and it was operating as more of a conventional club probably opening much earlier than 8.00am but I''m sure someone can confirm.......
Ian D
"Amnesia was a farmhouse converted into a club, a place for musicians and Indian gurus. It was freer than other places, and cheaper. Background or social class didn't matter. I was the only DJ. We opened at 3am and went on until midday, so people would come down after the other clubs shut. It had a very special atmosphere."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2007/aug/12/electronicmusic
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