Were you a clubber back in the day? We profile town’s lost nightspots
Maidstone has always been one of the most popular places in Kent for a night out. But over the years, some of our most loved venues have closed, leaving just memories. Suz Elvey revisits 10 of Maidstone’s lost nightspots
1 Jumpin Jaks, Lockmeadow Leisure Complex, Barker Road
If you went out in the “Noughties”, chances are you ended up doing the chacha slide on the stage at JJs, possibly while wearing a pink, glittery cowgirl hat. Known for cheesy music, fancy dress, colourful alcohol and dancing bar staff. Famous faces included The One and Only one-hit wonder Chesney Hawkes in 2004. Now home to Hollywood Bowl.
2 Atomics, Hart Street
In 1991, Maidstone DJ Mick Clark converted an old warehouse into a nightclub and one of the biggest dance music venues in the country was born. Top DJs graced the decks including Boy George, Carl Cox, Paul Oakenfold and the county town’s Nic Fanciulli cut his teeth there. Home to the infamous Club Class nights, it looked different every week, with banners, inflatables and lasers. Clubbers danced to hardcore, happy house, drum ‘n’ bass and house. Atomics closed after 11 years and is now flats.
3 Union Bar, Union Street
If you were into indie, rock or metal, you’ve probably stood in the dark depths of Union Bar with beer-fragranced condensation dripping into your hair. Everyone knows someone who’s seen Nineties indie band Ash there and other big names include rockers Terrorvision, punk pop band Symposium, ska group Bad Manners, punks Snuff and, we think, Coldplay, before they were famous. Also the place to discover local talent such as Los Salvadores and One Day Elliott.
4 Banks Bar, Bank Street
Clubbers of more recent generations will have fond memories of standing in Maidstone’s largest patio garden with a cocktail or cool beer and the smell of barbecue in the air as big-name DJs played house, electronica, dub and techno. As the sun set a bright white marquee filled with people moving to tunes by Sasha, Mark Knight, Freemasons, Mr C, Slam and Nic Fanciulli. 5 Ikon, Liquid and Envy and Wonderland, Lockmeadow, Barker Road
OK, these were three separate clubs but they’ve all occupied the same building. Ikon opened at the end of 1998, known for euphoric trance on a Saturday, student parties and Club Class nights inherited from Atomics. Judge Jules and Ferry Corsten among the big names. Within 10 years the club split in two with Liquid offering dance tracks and Envy providing chart tunes and a bit of indie. Wonderland opened in 2012, playing commercial dance music with famous guests including Radio 1 presenter Nick “Grimmy” Grimshaw, rapper Professor Green and Internet celebrity and football fan The Wealdstone Raider. It closed last summer and trampoline park Gravity opened in December.
6 The Loft, Gabriels Hill
The two-storey building was once home to Warehouse II, a smaller version of the riverside club of the 1970s-90s. But for most of its life it was known as The Loft and featured a host of musical genres. Club Class moved there from Ikon towards the end of the ‘90s, record label Hed Kandi held nights, Pete Tong played, and who remembers the awkward silence when Radio One DJ Zane Lowe failed to mix two tracks together while headlining the Mixmag tour in 2009? R‘n’b night Rude launched in 2003 and bands to play there included Scottish indie
group The View. 7 Chicago Rock Cafe, High Street
Less about the music and more about drinking, dancing and going “out on the pull”. The bar served burgers and chips and showed football matches. Closed in 2013 when owners of the chain went into administration. The building was later occupied by squatters. 8 Davinchis, Liquid Lounge and Beluga Bar, Bank Street
This started out as Davinchis in the late 1980s, offering an underground feel but played catchy “handbag house.” Near the end of the Nineties Liquid Lounge opened, with an r‘n’b room and commercial music in the main room. Became Beluga in 2009 following a £2m revamp. Celebrities, including former Radio 1Xtra DJ Tim Westwood and reality TV star Joey Essex, appeared, but the popular chart songs stopped last year. The building is for sale.
9 Royal Star Hotel, High Street
The place to dance the night away to live bands from the late Forties until the 1960s. Big band leader Ted Heath performed during the 1950s, as did Acker Bilk, and in 1968 Status Quo played. Once visited by Queen Victoria, it was absorbed into the Royal Star Arcade shopping centre in 1989. 10 Warehouse, alongside the River Medway
We have to mention Warehouse. Described as the birthplace of British dance music, the club rivalled London venues from the 1970s-90s. Opened in 1979 in a former industrial warehouse, opposite where the Fremlin Walk car park now stands, DJs played cheesy Eighties jazz funk, soul, disco and house. A rave club when it closed in 1991. Music would be lighthearted until 11pm, then it would be hard rave music until 2am.