Many wouldn't have predicted that we would still be talking about an Irish club scene in the year 2000. However, we now live in a cultural climate where Homelands and Creamfields are fixtures on the international festival circuit, and where decks outsell guitars. Seven nights a week throughout the year the nation is teeming with club nights featuring electronic music of all genres, from international guests of supercelebrity status, to local residents with long and fruitful track records in what it takes to really ignite a dancefloor. One of the most interesting and welcome features of dance culture in Ireland is how diverse and eclectic the scene genuinely is compared to the UK where superclubs and superstar DJs rule the roost. While we are still partial to the occasional Cream or Gatecrasher night, we don't share such an over-reliance on over-commercialised superbrands to dictate our clubbing habits. Local legends such as Johnny Moy, Glen Brady, Aran McMahon and DJ Sir Fla can pull a capacity crowd on their own merits and billing, not to mention Mark Kavanagh's astonishing success at home and overseas in both production and DJing. We're capable of producing our own smash hit records, as the success of independent labels such as RGB have proven, boasting a track record where every Agnelli and Nelson single to date has charted all over Europe.
This current success story would still be an impossible dream if it weren't for the superb range of resources available for clubbers, DJs, producers and promoters. These facilities are constantly improving, with more and more enthusiastic music lovers getting involved by the minute from manning the decks to giving out the flyers. The story of Impulsive Music Ireland Ltd. is a unique tale of a small close-knit dedicated group of DJs from Dublin with a simple mission to represent the very best in underground Irish dance music talent for the world's music markets. It exists today as primarily a record company catering for three world-class record labels (IR2, Landmass & Impulsive Records), music publishing, promotion & event management, plus a DJ/artist booking agency and PR division. The personnel behind this independent company are DJ/producers Dean Sherry, Barry Dempsey and Darren Nolan. Their recent contribution to the emerging scene was rewarded in Lush in Co. Antrim when the crew scooped the award for Best Southern Newcomer and were runners up in the Best Irish Record Label category.
Area 51 Studios have assisted the development of labels and producers such as Impulsive, and artists such as Mark Kavanagh, Robbie Butler, Darren Flynn, Casper and even the likes of Maire Brennan and Naimee Coleman. Area 51 producer Ken McHugh lists clients that truly reflect the eclecticism and rich variety inherent in the Irish scene, including David Kitt, who produce music that increasingly blurs the boundaries between simplistic and narrow-minded definitions of what constitutes electronica and guitar based music.
The growth in Ireland's dance culture is reflected by an increasing number of venues staging dance events of exceptional quality. Way out in the Wild West, Galway's vibrant nightlife has attracted many clubbers to its pubs and clubs over the years. No visit to the city is complete without a nice n' messy night on the tiles of the GPO and Drum Bar. One of Galway s original dance venues, the GPO has played host to such top Technics men as Dave Clarke, Darren Emerson and Fatboy Slim. It s also provided a shop window for local DJs, Ted and Aran McMahon, who both have regular nights there.
Just a few short miles down the road, Liquid in Salthill has been a specialist dance club for the last five years. The club has won the coveted Smirnoff Dance Club Award for the Best Club Night in Connacht for two years on the trot, with Paddy Dooley (Club Ur) taking the 98/99 award and Jay McGregor (Transfunk) picking up the 1999/2000 gong. The club has hosted DJs of the calibre of Jeremy Healy, DJ Heaven, Trade DJs Alan Thompson and Steve Thomas, Agnelli and Nelson, who have all waxed lyrical about the club's superb sound system and the proximity of the DJ booth to the crowd. Rob Murphy (Club Space), Frangois, Jay McGregor, Gary Colohan, Paddy Dooley and Mark Kavanagh are just some of the regular resisdents who have rocked the seaside club over the years. Liquid have scored a real coup in securing a New Year's Eve booking for the High King of Hard House in Ireland, Mark Kavanagh.
For pumping sounds in the greater Galway area if you are staying in during the week, Padraig Sir Fla Flaherty presents the Dance Experience show Monday through to Wednesday on Galway 95.8FM. The show follows a quality dance format that includes a dance floor classics hour, plus a tried and floor-tested tune of the week slot (or maybe that should read TUNE!). Alongside His Flavness' vital vinyl selections, Irish and international DJs guest on the show for exclusive mix sets. Mark Kavanagh is only one of a monthly cast of residents that has included the likes of Jeremy Healy, Tom Cole, Shane Johnson and Alan Pullen.
Soundhouse has only been open for the last six weeks, but has already built up a reputation as the leading dance night in Kildare. Situated just outside Naas in the premises formerly known as the Johnstown Inn, the Sacred Launch Party on Saturday 2nd December boasts a sterling cast of decks meisters, including Tim Deluxe (Ministry of Sound), resident Tony P (Red Box, Kitchen), and in the acclaimed back room, funky progressive house from resident Ben Carvasso (Red Box) and support from DJ Rab and Dave T (Velvet).
Clubspace at the Station, Camolin, Co. Wexford has been kickin' out the jams on Saturday nights since 1998. Clubspace has brought in acts such as Mark Kavanagh, Fergie, Steve Hill, Steve Thomas and The Boy Wannda, to name a small few who have played sets in the club. The biggest and utterly unmissable nights out at Clubspace recently have been the legendary Trade Eire tours.
Dublin's clubbers have been served well over the years with an intoxicating mix of styles, genres and nights to cater for dancers of all persuasions. Red Box have been instrumental in bringing the dance world's finest talents to an Irish stage in the shapes and sounds of Laurent Garnier, Daft Punk, the first Irish appearance of Fatboy Slim and just about anybody and everybody capable of setting the night on fire. Its one of Darren Emerson's favourite clubs in the entire world, and is internationally renowned for housing one of the finest PA systems to be found in any venue.
A recent addition to Dublin's clublife is Isaac Butt's on Store Street. While the venue has only really started staging club nights in recent months, the wealth of talent who have performed under its roof is absolutely phenomenal. Dave Angel, CJ Boland, Joel Mull, Kenny Hawkes and Ian Pooley have satiated the techno/house hungry brigade, while Basscape are staging drum n' bass events that have starred the likes of Nicky Blackmarket. Isaac s scored possibly the coup of the year in booking a one-off date from Berlin legend Paul Van Dyk plus the only Irish appearance of UK charttoppers The Truesteppers earlier this year. Anthony Mooney, Tom Cole, Eoghan Young, Rosman and Pat McMellow are just some of the local residents who bring their inimitable sounds and flavours to the Store Street decks.
Soul Clinic has become one of the capital's most popular and original nights in the year since it took up residence in HQ on Middle Abbey Street. Its distinctive blend of soul, disco, house and hip-hop has proved to be a huge Friday night hit, with the likes of DJ Ease (Nightmares On Wax) and the Dope Smugglaz dropping in for regular appearances.
The Irish dance scene really would not be the entity it is now without the pioneering work of Influx. The promotions agency and record label's day to day management is steered by Johnny Moy and Paul Davis, who were the very first Irish promoters to bring over The Chemical Brothers, Laurent Garnier, Fatboy Slim, Darren Emerson, Josh Wink and a host of others that have thrilled Irish audiences on dance floors large and small. Influx also have a huge input into staging the highly successful Homelands festivals at Mosney.
That s only a very small selection of the individuals, venues, DJs and producers who have made this party possible. Without such an infrastrucute of highly talented individuals and world class facilites, the fantastic success of a record like 'Bad Boy 2000' would simply not have been possible. The scene can only expand and improve in the years to come, and as long as we love a combination of loud music, good company and lots of lots of dancing, dance music will never die. The key to a vibrant and successful scene is participation. You don't have to be Carl Cox or Fatboy Slim dance music is about you and your friends and shaking your booty like a good thing. There is room for all of us to get involved at whatever level from spinning discs to designing and distributing flyers and posters, and most importantly, having an absolute blast. Without you, the scene is doomed so keep on dancin' in the free world