Yes! I thought Drum Club played!
Mid A Levels in Henley on Thames, seeing Aphex Twin, Banco de Gaia and East Staic at the Old Trout in Windsor, clubbing in Reading at Checkpoint Charlie, think that I saw Laurent Garnier and the Guv’nor there.
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That sounds very familiar! Checkpoint Charlie 93 regular here too.
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What was on at the other stages for this?
1993 was very much a transitional year for me. I went from full on alternative indie/grunge/guitars to 100% listening to just dance music. I missed the 88 summer of love (bit too young) but to be fair, the guitar scene around the early 90s was also pretty special too.
Anyway I left my hometown of Nottingham for Reading uni…was a bit of a shock initially - Nottingham had a strong music scene which Reading didn’t…until I also discovered Checkpoint Charlier and everything clicked. Man I loved that place.
The first volume of ‘Trance Europe Express’ with its accompanying book was my gateway into a lot of the early trance/Warp type groups already mentioned here. Even saw Aphex Twin at the Old Trout in Windsor that year. Fun times!
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I seem to remember the rap albums had to list the original source of the samples used at that time for legal reasons - that used to lead me down a path, discovered all sorts that way.
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Same was big Mega Dog / Club Dog devotee
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Sorry its a bit long
(The intro is important) 92 I finished at Sheffield Uni & moved back to Grantham & worked in a pallet factory which was my Uni summer job & near Xmas got promoted to Sales Office !!!
Owner was Mr Burns , he sold the heaters in Nov & at Xmas laid off everyone who didnt have 2 y employment & took them back on in Jan inc my 2 mates
They all couldn’t go to Xmas disco but I could & snogged Linda ( about 40) from office whilst slow dancing. The transport manager she was has having a fling with never forgave me
93 Started in Venus & Pete Tong played Janet & Luther at midnight - It wasnt as good as 91/92
Clubbing in Notts lots at Venus ( whci closed) & Miro ( shit)
Saw Tony Humphries at Renaissance who was amazing ( Djamin played for hours) , drove starigght to my friend Natahns & we went to Engine House (In sticks ?) & then Wobble until I swerved about 3am
Bit of an incident for Murk at Whicker Arches Sheffield but caught the 4 - 6 set
Went to ibiza in Summer - It was OK - Space was great but it was Blocko & Peasy everywhere
Autumn - New girlfriend was at Leeds Poly so up there every 2 weeks
Basics OK but I always found it edgy ( local lads noticing your accent) / Vague was great but shit music ( A Ocean Waterfall reminds me) / Hard Times v good but a drive ( M Watford (RIP) did a PA on the stairs & gave me a signed album / Dave Camacho on the R2Reel
I had to 'look after / manage ’ Sheffield office whilst Ray ( why arent there more younger Rays - great name) was on holiday , stayed at my friends & after Roger S playing Occasions I didnt open up at 730 & arrived at 10!
I had a temp company car as previous rep was sacked, She was Ian Ossia’s (Renaissance) GF & ashtrays were full of roaches ( Most 93 moment ever)
Club 4 Life on a mad London weekend was insane late 93 - It was a great club early on before JH became JH . About 15 of us ( boys & girls) stayed in our friends 1 room flat & went to Villa Stefano Friday & then C4L when Snowballs hit
May be 93 or 94 went to Sign of the Times in the Christine Keeler club which was insane, attempted to kiss mu BF GF ( she also later was my daughters primary school teacher) then Bagleys (terrifying) where his ‘friend’ was March Hare carried in & we finished at opening of Leisure Lounge at 6am with Breeze playing upstairs
Finished the year at Sign of the Times in Waterloo
At the time I was never interested in the Mega Dog scene but feel I missed out musically but liked clubs full of girls
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Some great memories there! Reminds me that I was at Vague on NYE end of 93. I have a vivid memory of them playing the Justin Robertson mix of Bjork Big Time Sensuality, being there with all my mates and thinking it doesn’t get much better than this 
Thats the only other record I remember from Vague!
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Those Snowballs first batch hit Cork and Dublin and I remember getting some from the usual guy in Cork and hearing these things are mad, really fast come up and you will be all over the place for the first hour then very triopy… Never forget that night. Even the security and djs said something ain’t right here… Lol
Ha, a lot of it was very forgettable. I defo remember Waterfall which was pretty symbolic of much of the cheese. I also remember T-Empo Saturday Night which I always had a soft spot for. I’m thinking also Nush you girls, Jnr Vasquez get your hands off my man, must have been a bit of Gat Decor. It was always such a mad, fun night that they seemed to get away with playing pretty crap music. We alternated between Vague and Basics for a while so you could get the best of both worlds
Upstairs at Vague was good music - lots of disco.
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I think I spent NYE 93/94 at The Corn Exchange - up your ronson? Possibly Mike Pickering DJing. It was a bit shit - terrible acoustics in there.
1993 I was 21 and a student at LCC in leafy Elephant & Castle. Going to Recession Session on a Monday which was perfect for us students. Was also the year we went to that Dance Europe weekender in Paris which was the weekend of my 21st, couldn’t have had a better one to be honest Back home in the holidays it was the monthly Rhumba Club with the likes of Weatherall, Darren Emerson, Justin Robertson and the occasional Saturday at the Sub Club.
Happy days!
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True, good little attic room too. I did often end up spending much of the night in there.
I loved the downstairs layout of the warehouse - square dancefloor with shallow steps on all sides iirc. Got everyone involved
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It was a great space but crap acoustics as you say. Went a couple of times including for a Sasha and M People (remember them!) night…
Just googling now and the nye I’m thinking of was a Soak night with Sasha DJing. 30 years ago … fuck!
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@jolyon - I went to the 1st night there Flying / Volante when the sound was terrible but it did seem amazing to be in that space
Probably the reason there arent many cone shaped clubs that are 100m high inside
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