Sheffield nightclub Gatecrasher One has partially collapsed in a massive fire.
Gatecrasher, formerly known as Republic, burned to the ground in a blaze which started at 5 pm on Monday. Two persons were believed to be inside the building when the fire started, but both escaped unharmed.
Police sealed off all routes to the Arundel Street venue as approximately thirty firefighters and seven fire engines battled to bring the blaze under control.
At approximately 7.20 p.m., the gable end of the hundred year old former steelworks collapsed. Structural engineers were called in later in the evening to assess the damage to the building.
Gatecrasher One in Sheffield is the flagship venue for the well-known Gatecrasher brand, responsible for the euphoric trance boom in the mid to late nineties. Gatecrasher began holding monthly nights at the venue in 1992. In 2003 the club underwent a £1 million redesign, changing its name from Republic to Gatecrasher One.
In a statement posted to their website, Gatecrasher vow to rise from the ashes this summer. “We will be moving forward to scope out how we put on our planned club nights in Sheffield during the summer,” says Managing Director Simon Raine. “We will be looking to continue all Crasher and Hed Kandi nights planned in Sheffield during Summer 2007 at a venue to be confirmed.”
Trance RevolutionGatecrasher is most famous for having kick started the trance revolution at the end of 1997 and the club helped forge the careers of DJs Tiësto, Armand van Buuren, Judge Jules and Paul Oakenfold.
It was also the first club that was attended by Gatecrasher kids – later shortened to crasher kids.
The fashion for wearing day-glo, furry leg warmers, bright colours and the costumes of children’s TV characters began at Gatecrasher, and it wasn’t long before it soon swept across clubland as the uniform of choice for trance fans – in America crasher kids became known as candy ravers.
The collapse of Gatecrasher One is by all accounts the end of an era – trance’s popularity has been dwindling in the UK since 2002, and despite a £1m redesign in 2003 the club has failed to capture the imagination of clubbers in quite the same way.
The club is now known for its cheesy student nights and Hed Kandi house sessions rather than for cutting-edge techno and trance
Links:
residentadvisor.net beatportal.com gatecrasher.com