Night Club in Kharkov, Ukraine. Services include: slot machines, jackpot, entertainment events.

Laser lights illuminate the dance floor at a Gatecrasher dance music event in Sheffield, England

A nightclub (or "night club" or "club") is a drinking, dancing, and entertainment venue which does its primary business after dark. Gatecrasher (later Crasher) is a Dance music event formerly held at the venue Gatecrasher 1, previously Republic in Sheffield England. This article is about music for dancing in general You may also be looking for Electronic dance music. Dance (from French danser, perhaps from Frankish) is an Art form that generally refers to movement of the body usually rhythmic A music venue is any location regularly used for a Concert or Musical performance A nightclub is usually distinguished from bars, pubs or taverns, by the inclusion of a dance floor and a DJ booth, where a DJ plays recorded dance and pop music. A bar (also called a Pub or Tavern) is a business that serves drinks especially Alcoholic beverages such as beer liquor and mixed drinks for consumption A tavern or pot-house is loosely a place of Business where people gather to drink Alcoholic beverages and more than likely also be served Food Dance (from French danser, perhaps from Frankish) is an Art form that generally refers to movement of the body usually rhythmic A disc jockey (also known as DJ or deejay) is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience Pop music as a genre features a noticeable rhythmic element catchy melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and conventional structure Some nightclubs have other forms of entertainment, such as comedians, "go-go" dancers, a floor show or strippers (see strip club). Go-Go dancers are Dancers who are employed to entertain at a Discotheque. A striptease or Exotic dance is a form of erotic entertainment usually a Dance, in which the performer known as a "stripper" gradually undresses A strip club is a Nightclub or bar that offers Striptease (the erotic removal of a performer's clothing and possibly other related services such as The music in nightclubs is either live bands or, more commonly a mix of songs played by a DJ through a powerful PA system. A concert is a live Performance, usually of Music, before an Audience. A disc jockey (also known as DJ or deejay) is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience A public address or " PA " system is an electronic amplification system with a mixer, Amplifier and Loudspeakers used to Most clubs or club nights cater to certain music genres, such as house music, garage, Hip-Hop, or salsa. A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other House music is a style of Electronic dance music initially popularized in mid-1980s Discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino Hip hop is a cultural movement which developed in New York City in the 1970s primarily among African Americans and Latinos. Salsa music is a diverse and predominantly Latin American Caribbean genre that is popular across Latin America and among Latinos abroad

Types

Nightclub patrons dancing at a foam party, in which the dance floor is covered with non-toxic foam suds

Major cities in Europe and North America often have a variety of nightclubs, and some small towns and cities also have nightclubs. A foam party is a social event in which participants Dance to Music on a dance floor covered in several feet of Suds or bubbles dispensed from a foam

Nightclubs often feature lighting and other effects, to enhance the dancing experience. Modern stage lighting is a flexible Tool in the production of Theatre, Dance, Opera and other Performance arts Lighting and effects include flashing colored lights, moving light beams, laser light shows, strobe lights, mirror-covered disco balls, or foam, and smoke machines. A laser is a device that emits Light ( Electromagnetic radiation) through a process called Stimulated emission. A disco ball, mirror ball, glitter ball, or ball mirror is a roughly spherical object that reflects light directed at it in many directions A foam party is a social event in which participants Dance to Music on a dance floor covered in several feet of Suds or bubbles dispensed from a foam A fog machine (also called a smoke machine) is a device which emits a dense vapor that appears similar to Fog or Smoke.

Nightclub hours vary widely; in areas with liquor regulations in place, nightclubs may stay open until 1 a. m. or even 4 a. m. In some cities, illegal "after hours" clubs stay open and serve alcohol after the legal closing time. In non-regulated areas, nightclubs stay open legally all night and into early daylight hours.

Entertainment is the main attraction at some types of nightclubs. One type of club is a concert club, which specializes in hosting performances of live music. In contrast to regular night clubs, concert clubs are usually only open when a performance is scheduled. "Under 18" clubs are nightclubs which hold liquor-free dances for teens from 14 to 18 years of age.

Dancers move to the beat of a DJ's dance music at a nightclub

Nightclubs can be built in former warehouses and cinemas, underground buildings, and custom-built buildings, and generally have thick insulated walls and few or no windows, so that the neighboring buildings will not be disturbed by the powerful beat of the dance music and the flashing strobe lights. A warehouse is a commercial Building for Storage of Goods. Warehouses are used by Manufacturers Importers Exporters This style of construction also keeps light and noise from the street from entering the club.

This allows the nightclub to turn the dance floor into an alternate, illusory realm of timelessness. Even if an all-night rave at a nightclub lasts until 6 a. A rave (or rave party) is a term in use since the 1980s to describe Dance Parties (often all-night events m. , when it is light outside, to the clubgoers, it is still dark inside the club, and the partying and dancing continue.

In most cases entering a night club requires a flat fee called a cover charge. At bars and Nightclubs or restaurants with live entertainment a cover charge is a flat fee for entry to defray the cost of entertainment such as live musicians singers Early arrivers and women often have cover waived (in the United Kingdom, this latter option is illegal under the Sex Discrimination Act 1975). The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom to protect Men and Women from Discrimination on Friends of the doorman or the club owner may gain free entrance. A bouncer or doorman is an informal term for Security guards employed at venues such as bars, Nightclubs or Concerts to provide Sometimes, especially at larger clubs, one only gets a pay card at the entrance, on which all money spent in the discotheque (often including the entrance fee) is marked. A pay card is a notation system or device used in some Nightclubs to indicate the value of the drinks or services (e Sometimes entrance fee and wardrobe costs are paid by cash and only the drinks in the club are paid using a pay card.

History

Early history

Clubgoers dancing at a foam party

During US Prohibition, nightclubs went underground as illegal speakeasy bars. A foam party is a social event in which participants Dance to Music on a dance floor covered in several feet of Suds or bubbles dispensed from a foam Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, also known as Noble Experiment, refers to a Sumptuary law which prohibits Alcohol A speakeasy was an establishment that surreptitiously sold Alcoholic beverages during the period of United States history known as Prohibition (1920-1933 With the repeal of Prohibition in February 1933 nightclubs were revived, such as New York's Stork Club, El Morocco and the Copacabana. Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, also known as Noble Experiment, refers to a Sumptuary law which prohibits Alcohol The Stork Club was a famous Nightclub in New York City from 1929 to 1965 El Morocco (sometimes nicknamed Elmo or Elmer was a 20th century Manhattan Nightclub frequented by the rich and famous in the 1930s and 1950s Copacabana (often referred to as The Copa) was a famous New York City Nightclub. In Harlem, the Cotton Club was a popular venue for white audiences. Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, long known as a major African American cultural and business center Before 1953 and even some years thereafter, most bars and nightclubs used a jukebox or mostly live bands. In Paris, at a club named Whisky à Gogo, Régine laid down a dance-floor, suspended coloured lights and replaced the juke-box with two turntables which she operated herself so there would be no breaks between the music. Régine Zylberberg, better known as Régine, is a French singer The Whisky à Gogo set into place the standard elements of the modern discothèque-style nightclub. A discothèque, diskoˈtɛk̚ compare the Spanish "discoteca" is an Entertainment venue or Club with recorded music played by "Discaires" In the early 1960s, Mark Birley opened a members-only discotheque nightclub, Annabel's, in Berkeley Square, London. Marcus Lecky Oswald Hornby Birley ( 30 May 1930 - 24 August 2007) known as Mark Birley, was an British entrepreneur known Annabel's is a London Nightclub, located at Berkeley Square, London However, the first rock and roll generation preferred rough and tumble bars and taverns to elegant nightclubs, and the nightclub did not attain mainstream popularity until the 1970s disco era. Rock and roll (also known as rock 'n' roll) is a form of Music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s with roots in mostly African Disco is a Genre of dance-oriented music whose origins are hard to define

1970s: Disco

By the late 1970s many major US cities had thriving disco club scenes which were centered around discothèques, nightclubs, and private loft parties where DJs would play disco hits through powerful PA systems for the dancers. A discothèque, diskoˈtɛk̚ compare the Spanish "discoteca" is an Entertainment venue or Club with recorded music played by "Discaires" A disc jockey (also known as DJ or deejay) is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience A public address or " PA " system is an electronic amplification system with a mixer, Amplifier and Loudspeakers used to The DJs played ". . . a smooth mix of long single records to keep people "dancing all night long""^[1] Some of the most prestigious clubs had elaborate lighting systems that throbbed to the beat of the music. The largest UK cities like Liverpool, Manchester, London and several key European places like Paris, Berlin, Ibiza, Rimini also played a significant role in the evolution of clubbing, DJ culture and nightlife. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Liverpool ( is a City and Metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. Ibiza (Eivissa is an island located in the Mediterranean Sea about 80 km off the coast of Spain Rimini is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy and capital city of the Province of Rimini. A disc jockey (also known as DJ or deejay) is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience NightLife with Tony Delroy is a popular late night talkback show across ABC Local Radio, Broadcasting from the 702 ABC Sydney studios in Ultimo

Some cities had disco dance instructors or dance schools which taught people how to do popular disco dances such as "touch dancing", the "hustle" and the "cha cha". A dance studio is a space in which Dancers learn or rehearse The term is typically used to describe a space that has either been built or equipped for the purpose The Hustle is a catchall name for several Disco dances which were extremely popular in the 1970s There were also disco fashions that discotheque-goers wore for nights out at their local disco, such as sheer, flowing Halston dresses for women and shiny polyester Qiana shirts for men. Roy Halston Frowick, also known as Halston ( April 23, 1932 – March 26, 1990) was a Clothing Designer Qiana is a silky Nylon fiber first developed by DuPont in 1968. Disco clubs and ". . . hedonistic loft parties" had a club culture which had many African American, gay ^[2] and hispanic people. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa Homosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the same sex or to a Homosexual orientation.

In addition to the dance and fashion aspects of the disco club scene, there was also a thriving drug subculture, particularly for recreational drugs that would enhance the experience of dancing to the loud music and the flashing lights, such as cocaine^[3] (nicknamed "blow"), amyl nitrite "poppers" ^[4], and the ". A drug, broadly speaking is any chemical substance that when absorbed into the body Recreational drug use is the use of Psychoactive drugs for Recreational purposes rather than for work, medical or spiritual purposes Cocaine ( benzoylmethyl ecgonine) is a Crystalline Tropane Alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the Coca plant Poppers is the Street term for various Alkyl nitrites taken for recreational purposes through direct inhalation, particularly Amyl nitrite . . other quintessential 1970s club drug Quaalude, which suspended motor coordination and turned one's arms and legs to Jell-O". Methaqualone is a Sedative drug which is similar in effect to Barbiturates a general CNS Depressant. ^[5] The "massive quantities of drugs ingested in discothèques by newly liberated gay men produced the next cultural phenomenon of the disco era: rampant promiscuity and public sex. A discothèque, diskoˈtɛk̚ compare the Spanish "discoteca" is an Entertainment venue or Club with recorded music played by "Discaires" Promiscuity refers to sexual behavior of a man or woman who casually has sex with many partners This article covers Sexual acts in public or semi-public places. While the dance floor was the central arena of seduction, actual sex usually took place in the nether regions of the disco: bathroom stalls, exit stairwells, and so on. In other cases the disco became a kind of "main course" in a hedonist's menu for a night out. Hedonism is the Philosophy that Pleasure is of ultimate importance, the most important pursuit "^[5]

Famous 1970s discothèques included ". . . cocaine-filled celeb hangouts such as Manhattan's Studio 54 ", which was operated by Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager. A celebrity is a widely-recognized or famous person who commands a high degree of public and media attention Manhattan Island, in New York Harbor, is much the largest part of the Borough of Manhattan, one of the Five Boroughs which form the City of New York Studio 54 is a New York City Broadway theater and former Discothèque located at 254 West 54th Street in Manhattan. Steve Rubell ( December 2, 1943 - July 25, 1989) was an American Entrepreneur and part owner (along with friend Ian Schrager (born New York City, July 19, 1946) is an American hotelier and real estate developer often associated with being the creator of the "boutique Studio 54 was notorious for the hedonism that went on within; the balconies were known for sexual encounters, and drug use was rampant. Its dance floor was decorated with an image of the "Man in the Moon" that included an animated cocaine spoon. A cocaine spoon, referred to as a "coke spoon", or simply "spoon", is an instrument used in the process of insufflating ("snorting" Other famous discotheques included The Loft, the Paradise Garage, and Aux Puces, one of the first gay disco bars. The Loft is the location for the first underground dance party ( Love Saves the Day) that was created by David Mancuso on February 14 The Paradise Garage was a nightclub notable in the history of modern gay and Nightclub cultures and in dance and Pop musics ref>Violette By the early 1980s, the term "disco" had largely fallen out of favor in North America.

1980s London & Europe

During the 1980s, during the New Romantic movement, London had a vibrant nightclub scene, which included clubs like The Blitz, the Camden Palace and Club for Heroes. New Romantic was a short- lived Fashion and music movement that occurred primarily in the United Kingdom and Ireland during the very early 1980s London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The Blitz Kids were a short- lived group of then-unknown people who frequented the Blitz nightclub in Covent Garden London in the very early 1980s Both music and fashion embraced the aesthetics of the movement. Bands included Depeche Mode, Human League, Duran Duran, Blondie, Eurythmics and Ultravox. Depeche Mode (dəˌpɛʃˈmoʊd are an English Electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. Duran Duran are an English Pop rock band famous for a long series of popular singles, albums and vivid Music videos for which they've won two Blondie is an American rock band that first gained fame in the late 1970s and has so far sold over 60 million records Eurythmics (often incorrectly referred to as The Eurythmics) is a British Musical duo, formed in 1980 by Annie Lennox and Dave Ultravox (formerly Ultravox!) were a British New Wave band that rose to prominence in the late 1970s/early 1980s Reggae-influenced bands included Boy George and Culture Club, and electronic vibe bands included Visage. Reggae is a Music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s Boy George (born George Alan O'Dowd 14 June 1961 in Eltham London) is an English Singer-songwriter, who was part of the English New Culture Club were a Grammy Award -winning British pop group that formed in the early 1980s Visage is a British pop band Formed in 1978 the band became closely linked to the burgeoning New Romantic movement of the early 1980s At London nightclubs, young men would often wear make-up and young women would wear mens' suits.

The largest UK cities like Liverpool, Manchester (The Haçienda) and several key European places like Paris (Les Bains Douches), Berlin, Ibiza (Pacha), Rimini etc also played a significant role in the evolution of clubbing, DJ culture and nightlife

1990s and 2000s

In Europe and North America, nightclubs play disco-influenced dance music such as house music, techno, and other dance music styles such as electro or trance. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Liverpool ( is a City and Metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary Fac 51 Haçienda (better known simply as The Haçienda) was a Nightclub and Music venue in Manchester, England. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Les Bains Douches is a live album by Joy Division, recorded on December 18th 1979 at Les Bains Douches Paris, and released in 2001 by NMC Records Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. Ibiza (Eivissa is an island located in the Mediterranean Sea about 80 km off the coast of Spain Pacha is a clubbing franchise with headquarters in Ibiza. The first Pacha club was opened in Sitges outside Barcelona in 1967. Rimini is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy and capital city of the Province of Rimini. In Medicine, clubbing, finger clubbing, or digital clubbing is a deformity of the Fingers and fingernails that is associated with a A disc jockey (also known as DJ or deejay) is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience NightLife with Tony Delroy is a popular late night talkback show across ABC Local Radio, Broadcasting from the 702 ABC Sydney studios in Ultimo House music is a style of Electronic dance music initially popularized in mid-1980s Discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino Techno is a form of Electronic dance music (EDM that emerged in Detroit, Michigan, USA during the mid to late 1980s Electro ( electro-boogie, electro-funk) is a Genre of Electronic music directly influenced by the use of TR-808 and Funk Trance is a style of Electronic dance music that developed in the 1990s Most nightclubs in the U. S. major cities play hip-hop, house and trance music. Hip hop is a cultural movement which developed in New York City in the 1970s primarily among African Americans and Latinos. House music is a style of Electronic dance music initially popularized in mid-1980s Discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino Trance is a style of Electronic dance music that developed in the 1990s These clubs are generally the largest and most frequented of all of the different types of clubs.

In most other languages, nightclubs are referred to as "discos" or "discothèques" (French: discothèque; Italian and Spanish: discoteca or more common antro (In Mexico and Latin America); German: Disko or Diskothek). A discothèque, diskoˈtɛk̚ compare the Spanish "discoteca" is an Entertainment venue or Club with recorded music played by "Discaires" French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. In Japanese ディスコ, disuko refers to an older, smaller, less fashionable venue; while クラブ, kurabu refers to a more recent, larger, more popular venue. is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities The term night is used to refer to an evening focusing on a specific genre, such as "retro music night" or a "singles night. Retro is a term used to describe denote or classify culturally outdated or aged trends modes or fashions from the overall postmodern past but have since that time become functionally "

After the fall of communism in the Czech Republic, "nightclub" or "night club" became a common euphemism for a brothel. "Fall of Communism" redirects here For the fall of the Soviet Union itself see History of the Soviet Union (1985–1991. The Czech Republic ( ˈt͡ʃɛskaː ˈrɛpuˌblɪka short form in Česko ˈt͡ʃɛskɔ also called Czechia, A euphemism is a substitution of an agreeable or less offensive expression in place of one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant to the listener or in the case of doublespeak For the 2008 film of this name see The Brothel. For the television series of this name see Cathouse The Series. Therefore this word is not used in its original meaning.

Accidents

Accidents at nightclubs can occur for many reasons. An accident is a specific identifiable unexpected unusual and unintended external event which occurs in a particular time and place without apparent or deliberate The most disastrous accidents were fires at well-visited nightclubs, so fire safety prevention has to be taken with great care. Fire safety refers to precautions that are taken to prevent or reduce the likelihood of a Fire that may result in death injury or property damage alert those in a structure

• 23 April 1940 - Rhythm Night Club Fire, 209 killed at nightclub fire at Natchez, Mississippi, USA;
• 28 November 1942 - Cocoanut Grove fire, 492 killed in a nightclub fire at Boston;
• 8 March 1973 - Whiskey Au Go Go fire, 15 killed after firebombing at Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, Australia;
• 2 August 1973 - Summerland disaster, 51 killed at fire at Summerland leisure centre at Douglas, Isle of Man;
• 28 May 1977 - Beverly Hills Supper Club fire, 165 killed and 200 injured in fire;
• 14 February 1981 - Stardust fire disaster, 48 killed and 214 injured at nightclub fire at Dublin, Republic of Ireland;
• 5 April 1986 - Bomb attack on La Belle discotheque, Berlin, Germany, 3 killed, 230 injured;
• February 1990 - Stage collapse at a discotheque at Bilbao, Spain, 13 injured;
• 25 March 1990 - Happy Land Fire, 87 killed in a nightclub fire at Happy Land, New York City;
• 20 December 1993 - Kheyvis Fire, 17 killed in a nightclub fire at Buenos Aires, Argentina;
• 18 March 1996 - Ozone Disco Club fire, 162 dead and 92 injured at a nightclub in Quezon City, Philippines;
• 30 October 1998 - Gothenburg nightclub fire, 63 people killed, 200 injured in a nightclub fire at Gothenburg, Sweden;
• 13 October 2001 - Stage toggled at Zapata discothèque Stuttgart, Germany, several people hurt;
• 21 December 2001 - At Club "Indigo", Sofia, Bulgaria, in an early party for minors, the huge crowd pushing their way to get in colapses down the frosty stairs and crushes 7 children (ages between 10 and 14) to death;
• 2002 - several people climb in a nightclub at Oberhausen, Germany, on a 120kg heavy loudspeaker box and fell down with the box, 4 killed;
• 12 October 2002 - 2002 Bali bombings, 202 killed by large bombs;
• 7 December 2002 - Cowgate fire, Edinburgh, Scotland;
• 20 February 2003 - The Station nightclub fire, 100 killed at nightclub fire at Warwick, Rhode Island;
• 8 December 2004 - A shooter in Columbus, Ohio shot and killed guitarist "Dimebag" Darrel Abbott and two other people, also wounding band manager and a fan in the audience;
• 30 December 2004 - República Cromagnon nightclub fire, 194 killed and 714 injured in a nightclub fire at Buenos Aires, Argentina;
• 31 December 2005 - a circular crossbar fell down from the roof of a nightclub at Ibbenbüren, Germany, 4 people hurt;
• 18 June 2007 - Gatecrasher One Fire, Sheffield, England

See also

• Bar
• Discothèque
• Gay bar
• Rave
• Superclub
• Supper club
• Public house
• Karaoke bar
• Pay card
• Light organ
• Ultra lounge
• Ibiza

References