Pioneering UK superclub ravaged by fire
I read some sad news from the UK today. Gatecrasher One, formerly known as The Republic (I can never get used to calling it Gatecrasher One) caught fire yesterday and partially collapsed. The Republic was one of the UK’s most pioneering superclubs that saw the Gatecrasher trance night go from being an underground party to an established international brand. At one point, The Republic was the place to be, with DJs playing who were, at the time, the most groundbreaking in the scene. Oakenfold, Tiesto, PVD, Sasha – they all played to packed dancefloors at Gatecrasher and they made The Republic something special.
From the BBC:
A nightclub in South Yorkshire has partly collapsed in a massive fire.
Emergency crews were called to the Gatecrasher One nightclub – formerly The Republic – in Eyre Street, Sheffield, on Monday evening.
Two people were believed to be inside the building when the blaze took hold but escaped the premises unharmed after calling 999.
The Arundel Street end of the two-storey building later collapsed, narrowly missing firefighters.
Living in the south of the UK, I had always known about The Republic but didn’t get the chance to actually go there until 2001, by which time the Gatecrasher buzz had somewhat died down. Around 1997 I first took an interest in the UK clubbing scene, through the music and the media, and being a regular reader of Mixmag and DJ Mag there were certain nights that I was eager to go to (Godskitchen, ‘Crasher, Cream, PaSsion, etc.). I was not lucky enough to visit ‘Crasher during it’s prime, but the few occasions I did go were great times.
The Republic has also played host to great events from the likes of Hed Kandi and Drum ‘n’ Bass Arena, and everyone from Armand Van Helden to Roni Size has spun there at some point.
What a shame to see it come to this.
