Some of us here may be getting a little old to party all night, but that doesn’t stop us from reminiscing about the old clubs of yore. From massive megaclubs to members-only venues that we knew were gonna close some day, here are the places we’ve all probably been before.
1. The Arena: This was one of the first club tenants as part of the newly-revamped Clarke Quay. It had live bands and some pretty trashy Top 40s tunes, but it was a hit with young clubbers. The most memorable nights came when the club hosted its shot competitions on stage, complete with vomit buckets on the side.
2. Balcony in The Heeren: Back when The Heeren had a huge HMV, it was also home to this second-floor club tucked behind heavy velvet curtains. You could see revellers from the windowed balconies from Orchard Road and the place was always brimming with short-skirted, tube-topped party-goers.
3. The Butter Factory: One of the frontrunners in changing the club scene when it first opened that offered things like bottle service and themed music rooms. It was also an unofficial gathering spot for the LGBT crowd. Its relocation to One Fullerton was a swanky move, and also how we last remember it.
4. Cafe del Mar: One of the first swish beach bars to open on Siloso Beach, this place was Ibiza transplanted to our shores. While it used to hold super cool daytime and evening parties, the club-lounge quickly fell into disrepair and was subsequently occupied by Mambo Beach Club, which also closed.
5. Club Momo: Once upon a time, Central Mall had a club and Momo was it’s name. Think private dance platforms and the run-of-the-mill hit music. It also attracted pretty young things who were interested in partyin till dawn.
6. dbl-0: Remember when Roberston Quay was home to a bunch of clubs? Well, this corner unit club always had lines out the door and people strewn all over the streets, many of whom were NSFs.
7. Fire Disco: Orchard Plaza had a club? Yep, this place opened in 1989 and occupied a whopping three-story space. It was also home to a series of clubs like Sparks and Neverland afterwards.
8. Happy: Occupying the space where Taboo used to be, this name needs no introduction. Opened in 2004, it was a pioneer for the gay club scene, bringing in a host of international DJs.
9. Home Club: A little dingy but all parts cool, this was the club to go to if you were the alternative type. They had a series of popular drum’n’bass nights despite the fact that the Riverwalk location was full of seafood restaurants. It’s now been replaced as Canvas.
10. Kandi Bar by Hed Kandi: This one’s a little hard to remember. Occupying the narrow space in Clarke Quay, it’s gone through a bunch of tenants like Filter and the Yellow Submarine Bar. This one had a huge international record label (the one that’s famed for the illustrated women in fancy swimsuits) behind it.
11. Madam Wong’s: This place opened at around the same time as Club Momo and is housed in Central Mall. Think lush Oriental decor with retro and Top 40s music.
12. Ministry of Sound: One of the first international clubs to set up shop in Singapore, the two-story space was divided into three or four different rooms, including one with psychedlic disco floors. Unfortunately, a breach in contract saw it shutter in the mid-2000s.
13 & 14. Mink & Royal Room: We fondly remember these combined spaces as the place Eduardo Saverin (one of Facebook’s founders) used to party. While it was a little trashy and smelled a little funky, but it was definitely a place to pop bottles. The area is now occupied by Bang Bang and Lulu’s Lounge.
15. Play: Another institutional gay club, this one used to occupy a space in Tanjong Pagar. It’s known for its classic and Top 40s dance anthems, as well as a rowdy group of clubbers. Thursdays were always the roughest nights.
16. Sparks: Remember when Ngee Ann City used to have a nightclub? We’re a little hazy on that too, but this place really brought in the revellers way after the shops closed back in 1993.
17. Mad Monk’s Pub: This short-lived Boat Quay institution was all about the Top 40s and moody R&B numbers, not least because it was also an unofficial ground zero for lesbian flirting through its regular and well-attended women-only nights.
18. Sugar: Apparently, a lot of our ex-staff used to hang out at this Mohamed Sultan club. It’s most well-known as a gay club but it attracts all kinds of bohemian, hip and artsy types. The place also had a penchant to overhaul its decor every few months, keeping it cutting edge way back when.
19. Venom: Many don’t know that Pacific Plaza has long been a hotspot to open clubs. Venom was one of the first to open in the mall way back in 1998 and has gone through a host of different club concepts like The Mansion, High Society and Cloud.
20. Zirca: Now occupied by Zouk, this place was the most packed club in all of Clarke Quay with lines snaking around the corner of the carpark. Think pretty young things trying to slink their way into the club packed with dance tunes on both floors.
