PETROL STATION ONCE PUMPED MUSIC
THERE’S a petrol station forecourt in Carmarthenshire that is fairly unremarkable. It has everything one would expect: a filling station, a shop, and a garage selling new and used vehicles.
But it’s home to more than just fuel, snacks and 4x4s; it’s home to a million memories of a place long gone, a place where hundreds of people would gather, rebel and party.
This petrol station forecourt was once the ceiling to an underground nightclub, one with a history that stretches from the Swinging Sixties to the rave scene of the Nineties.
A quarter of a century on from its last hurrah, nothing remains of a subterranean venue that at different times drew people from all over Britain to what is effectively a large lay-by on the A40 between Carmarthen and Llandeilo.
Initially called The Alamo, the club sat underneath a cafe called High Noon on the site of a filling station in a small Carmarthenshire village called Whitemill.
In the 1960s and 1970s people would go to The Alamo for dinner and a dance.
In the 1980s it was a bit of a disco venue for locals, but it seemed the club was lost forever when it closed down.
Until, that is, an idea was hatched to resurrect the old place in the early 1990s as a dedicated techno music venue, one that attracted DJs from all over the UK.
By the time it was brought back to life by a businessman named Peter Bavington, the old place had been closed for a number of years. He had taken it over and reopened it in 1994 but, when numbers dwindled, he sought a new audience.
He found it in a shop in Carmarthen. Stewart Cresser used to run Trance Music Clubwear and Promotions in the centre of town.
“Pete came to see me in the shop one day and we were talking about the club he had opened in Whitemill called Dungeons,” said Stewart.
“He said it wasn’t that busy and he wanted to try something different. I was selling tapes, vinyls and clothing in the store, everything to do with clubbing, so I had some contacts and Pete said he would manage the club side of it if I would take care of the promotion.”
With that, in 1995, Soundplanet was born: an underground dance club that would entertain the masses with a thump.
Before long Stewart was promoting special DJ spots at Soundplanet once a month, then once a fortnight. DJs including Vinylgroover, DJ Dougal, and DJ Vibes came from all around to turn tables underneath some concrete in a tiny village.
“The fact that it was underground was part of the appeal,” Stewart added. “It felt like a proper underground venue and it was special.”
Another man who remembers the scene is Justin Miller. He helped set up the sound system at the club as a technician and also went along to many of the infamous DJ nights held there.
“Thinking about it now it just sounds like it couldn’t happen but it did.
“It was great while it lasted but it was short-lived. It was something magical that happened at the time and that’s it; it’s something we won’t see again.”
Like all good things Soundplanet came to an end: the final night held at the club took place in 1996.
Stewart remembers why the club, despite its initial success, could not last for ever.
“A lot of people had to travel from far away for these special nights so maybe to have them too often just wasn’t going to work.
“There was also the issue of traffic. You had loads of cars travelling from Carmarthen to Whitemill on a Thursday or Saturday night, parking outside and above this club, so it attracted the attention of police.
“I was there one night when it got raided by police. We were all enjoying the night as usual and all of a sudden the police came through the door and searched everyone. Nothing came from it but the message got out. I think it put people off.”
Soundplanet, Dungeons, The Alamo – whatever it was known as to different people from different generations – the club is now gone. Since closed and filled in with concrete, you would existed.
“I’ve got fantastic memories of that place,” added Stewart.
“We never had any trouble in there whatsoever. We had it kitted out with sound systems and lasers and it was just euphoric.
“Looking back, it was incredible that it attracted so many people. It was just a spot in a tiny village and you had people coming down from London, Birmingham, Coventry, Swansea... it was an amazing achievement in many ways.”
After less than two years, almost as quickly as Soundplanet had appeared in people’s consciousness, it was gone.
All that remains today are the memories of a glorious period when Whitemill seemed like the centre of the world for people who wanted to be a part of something different, something unique, something special.
Think of the mid-1990s and you might think of Oasis, of Britpop, of New Labour. But for some the nostalgic sense tingles the most when they think of Soundplanet. never believe it ever