THE GATECRASHER
Since Gate-crashers’ creation in 1993, Gatecrasher has rapidly become the UK’s most outstanding and influential dance club and youth culture brand, changing the face of club culture globally.
Sadly, its first venue, Gatecrasher One in Sheffield, burned down in early 2007. Plans are already underway to rebuild the club bigger and better than before.
Gatecrasher began as a one-off party at the Engine House in the West Midlands in 1993 and has since built up a worldwide reputation as a flamboyant, individual and hedonistic brand. From small beginnings, Gatecrasher went on to host several parties across the country before coming to reside at The Republic nightclub in Sheffield in March ’97.
Situated on the grounds of the Old Roper & Wreaks Steelworks, the venue still retains key features of its industrial heritage and has since undergone two major re-fits to meet the demands of today’s discerning clubber culminating in a £1.5 million re-design in September 2003 which also saw a change in name from The Republic to Gatecrasher One. This name change also resulted in a repositioning of the brand with the world-famous Gatecrasher Trance nights now operating under the name Crasher.
Gatecrasher has hosted some of the largest-capacity parties throughout the UK; Leeds, Cardiff, Milton Keynes, Glasgow, Dublin and Birmingham to name but a few. In a revolutionary move — and a clubbing first — one of the most talked-about events ever was Gatecrasher at Lotherton Hall, Leeds in 1999. Ten thousand people congregated to listen to over 20 leading DJs and artists from all dance genres.
Gatecrasher’s Summer Sound System event in June 2000 was hailed as the event of the year. The blazing sun accompanied the antics of 25,000 clubbers as they enjoyed the talents of 50 DJs. The same event in 2001 and 2002 saw an increased capacity of 40,000 people enjoying the music of a wide diversity of artists in addition to the usual top deejays, including acts like The Chemical Brothers, Craig David, Miss Teeq and Faithless.
Gatecrasher’s “2000GC” Millennium Eve event at the Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield is still possibly the most praised and talked-about event to date of any club. The massive arena held a sell-out crowd of 25,000, and had the look and feel of a stadium rock concert. The staging, musical enhancement and visual effects created an adrenalin-fuelled atmosphere and a night never to forget. According to Gatecrasher promoter Simon Raine, 2000GC was “10 years of promoting parties, 10 years of production knowledge and 10 years of contacts all put into one very special night.”
Due to the success and strength of the brand name, Gatecrasher launched a series of compilation CDs starting August ’98, through Sony: “Black,” “Red,” “Wet,” “Disco-tech,” “Global Sound System” and “National Anthems” to name a few.
The year 2001 saw the launch of Gatecrashers own record label and the first album, “Digital,” released in October went silver in the UK within the first 10 days and gold in Australia within the first week. All albums featured a 20-page clubbers’ booklet and were available with limited-edition packaging, triple vinyl and shipped worldwide. Gatecrasher’s albums draw inspiration from the dance floor and do not rely on “big name” DJ to endorse publicity or sales. To date Gatecrasher has had 11 releases with combined sales in excess of 1.5 million copies.
Gatecrasher is consistently pushing the boundaries of technology in club land with groundbreaking advancements in live internet broadcasting of events and the use of the most up-to-date, state-of-the-art production available. Gatecrasher continues to host numerous webcasts and in 2002 broadcasted live from the club monthly.
2003 saw Gatecrasher embark on an ambitious world tour, taking in such locations as Sydney, Singapore, Hong Kong, Amsterdam and Tokyo, to name a few. Gatecrasher also made inroads into North America, resulting in a series of monthly residencies: at Arc in New York, the cosmopolitan Space in Miami and the underground-feeling Turbo in Toronto. In total, 2003 saw over 1.4 million people attend a Gatecrasher event.
2004 saw the launch of “GCX, 10 Years with a Vengeance,” a series of events and club nights to celebrate the last 10 years of Gatecrasher. As well as moving into new territories including Russia, India, China and Lebanon, we’re also working in association with major beer brand Corona on a series of 10 UK and 17 World dates under the banner “The Ultimate Party Tour” including London, Manchester, Glasgow, Rome, Oslo, Rejakavik and Prague featuring some of the Worlds top artists including Tiesto, Paul Van Dyk and Ferry Corsten.
Other developments include a unique 10-year retrospective DVD that will feature never-before-seen footage of some of the greatest events in dance music history from the “2000GC” Millennium Eve event at the Don Valley Stadium, to road-blocked events at the NEC and Summer Sound System. They’re also re-launching the website which will feature member areas, music and video downloads, the launch of GC Records and a search for new residents.
On September 2008, Gatecrasher opened a “5 million pound superclub” on Broad Street in Birmingham at the former site of the Works nightclub.
Gatecrasher awards:
Muzik magazine’s “Club Of The Year.”
Ministry magazine’s “Club Of The Year” and “Best Website.”
M8 magazine’s “Superclub Of the Year plus “Event Of Year” and “Best Album.”
Disco International’s “Event Of The Year.”
Mixmag’s “Crowd Of The Year.”
If you are hoping for a taste of these clubbing pioneers, then hope no more: get yourself up and ready for the Ultimate Innovation of the Year as Gatecrasher’s “Innovation Black” will be hitting the Philippines with one memorable gig happening Friday, March 13 at A. Venue in Makati city.
Dress code will be black, as it’s the identity we all share. Sounds interesting?
Get your early tickets by calling 632-7762 or 634-8238. Or visit www.bigfish manila.com.
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For comments and suggestions feel free to e-mail me at rickydaker@gmail.com and stay tuned to Beat Generation every Friday in the Philippine STAR YS section. Your music, your beat.
