Our favourite Lancashire nightclubs from back in the day from Tokes to Utopia
We're feeling nostalgic!
Last updated 6th Mar 2024
If you're of a certain age then there's now doubt you'll remember the likes of Tokes and Feel in Preston, or Utopia in Blackburn and The Gamebird in Chorley.
Here we remember some of Lancashire’s biggest nights of the 90s and 00s, and the big tunes you could expect to hear in them, or the acts you might see performing.
Preston - Tokyo Jo's
From The Hitman And Her to Take That, Girls Aloud to Corrie Stars and everyone in between – they were all at Tokyo Jo's along with thousands of clubbers from all over the UK. Calvin Harris, Lethal Bizzle and 99 Souls also all played at the club that was affectionately called Tokes by clubbers past and present.
Sadly in 2006, Tokes closed down, reopening under names such as Lava Ignite and Evoque before the building burnt down in May 2022, much to the sadness of many who had passed through its doors.
Preston - Feel @ University Of Central Lancashire
Feel was born as a small gathering in the backroom of the university bar that grew into a ‘super club’ and became famous nationwide. DJs and performers included Dave Seaman, Paul Oakenfold, Tony De Vit, Judge Jules, Paul Van Dyke, BT and Full Intention, who all played alongside residents George Thompson, Da Mentalist, Matt Bell and Luv Dup.
Chorley – The Gamebird
Sunday nights in Chorley were all about one place in the mid-90s. Jonny Jones played the tunes for a mixed and musically switched-on crowd from the celebrity supermodels to the local builders.
Everyone dressed to impress and the night was dubbed ‘posers paradise’. It truly was the place to be seen.
Southport - Bliss
Mondays were the stand out night at Bliss in Southport. Three floors with Berlins Bar on the ground for an early drink and meeting point, the first floor for chart and party with the manic Jay Mathews.
Big tunes of the time included Rui De Silva ‘Touch Me’ and Modjo ‘Lady’. It was a full on party night, on a Monday!
Blackburn - Utopia
Our weekly Friday Night Live was a concert-sized affair. With two rooms and 2,000 clubbers every week, the DJs featured many who worked on this radio station including Andy Roberts, Glen Hunt, Brian Moore and Danny Bee. East Lancs partied hard, the foam parties are the stuff of legend! Tunes like Alice Deejay, ‘Better Off Alone’, and Lock n Load, ‘Blow Ya Mind’ bring back great memories!
Wigan – Liquid
When trance music hit Wigan, it went off big time! King Street was renowned for being a great Saturday night. The inside was painted bright white with a state-of-the-art sound system, lights, lasers and video wall. It felt like the whole of Wigan was in the club, a brilliant atmosphere with great people.
Burnley - Angels
A nightclub hidden in a multi-storey car park on Curzon Street was the blueprint for the 90s dance boom and one of the very first clubs to embrace the scene. Sasha, Carl Cox, Pete Tong, Boy George and Judge Jules were some of the top guests there. In the 90s the club was led by resident DJ, and the man behind 'Retro', Paul Taylor. The BPM club TV show with Dave Seamen and Dave Dorrell was also broadcast from Angels.
Bolton - The Temple
A dance club with a swimming pool on the first floor, an indoor stream running through the club and a wind tunnel to cool down hot and sweaty ravers! It drew clubbers from all over the North West for many years. DJs from Tim Lennox to Jon Of The Pleased Wimmin performed weekly.
Lancaster - The Sugarhouse
A nightclub owned by Lancaster University that hosted student nights on Mondays and Wednesdays. But on Saturdays, it was hired out by club promotors. Acts such as Carl Cox, Kevin Andrews, Jon Pleased Wimmin and Shades Of Rhythm all performed.
Wigan - Wigan Pier Nightspot
Famed for its bounce nights in its later years, this iconic club was home to rock nights in the 80s believe it or not! It was a raver's paradise - glow sticks, whistles and bouncing tunes! A great atmosphere, with Ben T and Bowa the fantastic DJs there. The club finally closed its doors in 2010 and was bulldozed in 2015.
Take a look through acts who performed in Preston BEFORE they were famous:
Calvin Harris
He might be a BRIT Award winner now, but many years ago, just as he was starting out, Calvin Harris performed at 53 Degrees, the Student Union venue at the University of Central Lancashire.
Calvin later reminisced about his first gig in the city telling us backstage at T in The Park, "I got pelted with a pint that day, I remember it well!"
However, despite that unfortunate welcome, Calvin did say that 53 Degrees "was a great venue".
Luckily being pelted by a beer didn't put the superstar DJ off Preston as he later returned a couple of times to perform in the city.
Rihanna
Back in 2007, Rihanna was on the cusp of becoming a mega star in the music industry with her hit 'Umbrella' reigning at the top of the charts, for weeks on end, but before that she performed in Preston's Moor Park.
Ed Sheeran
We all know how successful Ed Sheeran is now, but back in 2011, the 'Perfect' singer was about to take to the stage in the Mad Ferret on Flyde Road.
Tweeting his fans, Ed asked if anyone could give him a cup of tea and a shower, in exchange for a tune! Seems unbelievable now!
Later that year he had several Top 10 singles.
David Guetta
Admittedly David Guetta had released plenty of singles before he performed at a festival on Moor Park in 2007, but it wasn't until 'When Love Takes Over' featuring Kelly Rowland, in 2009, that his career really started to take off.
Since then, the super star DJ has has many Number 1 singles, many of them collaborations, with the likes of Zara Larsson, Justin Bieber and Sia - 'This One's For You', '2U' and 'Flames', to name just a few.
Spice Girls
They're about to go on tour again this year, across the UK, but it was back in 1996, when the Spice Girls were just starting out, that they first performed in Preston's Avenham Park.
Taking to the stage, Mel B, Mel C, Victoria, Emma and Geri entertained the crowds with their debut single 'Wannabe'.
Melanie Chisholm then returned to Preston in 2018, where she performed a DJ set on the Flag Market.
Dizzee Rascal
At the moment Dizzee Rascal appears in a TV advert, but he's had a popular career as a rapper, including hit singles, 'Dance wiv Me', 'Bonkers' and 'Holiday'.
However, a few months before his success at the top of the charts, in February 2008, Dizzee was in Preston to perform songs from his 'Maths + English' album.
The 1975
The 1975 have had three Number 1 albums in the UK, including, 'The 1975', 'Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It', and 'A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships'.
Before they had success with their first album, and songs such as 'The Sound', The 1975 performed at UCLan's 53 Degrees in 2013.
Biffy Clyro
Scottish rock band Biffy Clyro are known for their Top 10 hits, 'Mountains' and 'Many of Horror', but before they became popular in 2008, they performed a few times in Preston.
Back in 2003, they performed at The Mill, later returning for a gig at 53 Degrees and again at a one day festival on Moor Park.
Oasis
Back in the mid-90s Oasis were just beginning to become popular and it was in December 1993 that the band first performed in Preston's club The Mill, supporting The Verve.
They later returned to Preston in the summer of 1994, performing in Preston's Avenham Park as part of their 'Definitely Maybe' tour.
The Beatles
The Liverpool band first performed at Preston Public Hall, now 1842, also known as the Corn Exchange, back in 1962, after 'Love Me Do' was released and before Beatlemania hit.
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