Home (nightclub chain)
Encyclopedia
The Home chain of nightclubs were initially started at the height of popularity of house music. The two clubs at the time were two of the largest nightclubs in their respective countries, and were of a number of dance music enterprises operated by the one company, including various other smaller clubs and the outdoor music festival Homelands
.
and London
, as well as hosting the outdoor Homelands
dance music festival. The Nightclub chain was the dream of Ron Mccullogh and Big Beats (Inc) who had intended for a broader worldwide chain of clubs including having advanced plans for a New York club, as well as plans for clubs in Singapore
and Buenos Aires
and outdoor events held in various part of the world. The idea of the clubs was that they would beam performances of DJs to each other, and have International events by transmission. The two clubs in Sydney and London were among the biggest Dance music clubs in their respected countries.
The London Home Club (see full article Home (nightclub)
) was a "superclub in the middle of London on Leicester Square, opened in 1998. It had eight levels, and cost 8.5 million GBP to build, after hard negotiations over building at the Leicester Square site.
At this stage, Home London was owned by Big Beats Pubs and Club Empire, it being jointly owned by Mr McCulloch, George Swanson (the former Whitbread director), and Royal Bank Development Capital.
The closing of Home London affected the Big Beats company, which then went into receivership. While the licence was reinstated, it was too late for Big Beat. Big Beat’s Home nightclubs assets were initially contracted by the receiver, KPMG, to be run by the Mean Fiddler business. The London club was then purchased for GBP20 million by the Mean Fiddler business, owned by Vince Power.
However, Rob McCulloch, from Big Beat, then purchased the Sydney Home Club himself and moved to Australia
, Craig Obey, Bexta
and Kate Monroe) into Home's Friday night. The Friday Sublime night has continued to run successfully since that time. After some arising family issues, Simon sold his interest to MacCulloch. In 2005, Ron MacCulloch sold the club back to Simon page for roughly what he had purchased it for.
With the downturn from the peak of interest in dancemusic, and the return of an interest in rock, Sydney Home also expanded into rock music in 2006, hosting bands on Saturday nights, then followed by DJs.
Homelands
Homelands was a British music festival which consisted mainly of Dance music, both live acts and famous DJs. The event was held at Cheesefoot Head near Winchester, Hampshire, and was one of the most popular British festivals of this genre. It was run by Live Nation UK.A Scottish edition of the...
.
Background
At its peak, the Home Nightclub chain included two large clubs in SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, as well as hosting the outdoor Homelands
Homelands
Homelands was a British music festival which consisted mainly of Dance music, both live acts and famous DJs. The event was held at Cheesefoot Head near Winchester, Hampshire, and was one of the most popular British festivals of this genre. It was run by Live Nation UK.A Scottish edition of the...
dance music festival. The Nightclub chain was the dream of Ron Mccullogh and Big Beats (Inc) who had intended for a broader worldwide chain of clubs including having advanced plans for a New York club, as well as plans for clubs in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
and outdoor events held in various part of the world. The idea of the clubs was that they would beam performances of DJs to each other, and have International events by transmission. The two clubs in Sydney and London were among the biggest Dance music clubs in their respected countries.
Club openings
The Sydney Club was the first to open on the 13th of November, 1998, in Cockle Bay, Darling Harbour. It was purposely built as a nightclub, and holding 2000 people, it is one of Australia’s biggest regular house music venues. The interior was designed by Rob McCulloch, and it features a number of different spaces. The main dancefloor holds 700 people. It cost $3 million AUD to build.The London Home Club (see full article Home (nightclub)
Home (nightclub)
Home was a music venue and nightclub located at 1 Leicester Square in central London. It was closed by Westminster Council in late March 2001 due to evidence of open drug-dealing occurring within the club. The club went into receivership shortly after it was closed...
) was a "superclub in the middle of London on Leicester Square, opened in 1998. It had eight levels, and cost 8.5 million GBP to build, after hard negotiations over building at the Leicester Square site.
Closure of London Home and the collapse of Big Beat
However, Home in London was shut by police only 2 years after its opening. It had its licence revoked by police because of evidence of obvious drug dealing in the premises, flagged by an undercover police operation which discovered "open and serious Class A drug dealing and usage".At this stage, Home London was owned by Big Beats Pubs and Club Empire, it being jointly owned by Mr McCulloch, George Swanson (the former Whitbread director), and Royal Bank Development Capital.
The closing of Home London affected the Big Beats company, which then went into receivership. While the licence was reinstated, it was too late for Big Beat. Big Beat’s Home nightclubs assets were initially contracted by the receiver, KPMG, to be run by the Mean Fiddler business. The London club was then purchased for GBP20 million by the Mean Fiddler business, owned by Vince Power.
However, Rob McCulloch, from Big Beat, then purchased the Sydney Home Club himself and moved to Australia
Continuation of Sydney Home
Sydney Home continued (and continues to this day). In the early 2000s it incorporated the successful Pitt St club Sublime in the late 90's, run by Simon Page. Simon brought the three nights that were being run at Sublime, Beatfix, Cargo and Voodoo and moved its DJs (including Peewee Ferris, Nik FishNik Fish
Sydney born Nik Fish is an Australian DJ.Nik Fish’s position as a leading Australian DJ is reinforced by his skill, determination, drive, passion and many years of hard work...
, Craig Obey, Bexta
Bexta
BeXta is a female Trance DJ and producer currently based in Melbourne. Originally from Brisbane, she studied classical music before turning to electronic dance music in the mid-1990s....
and Kate Monroe) into Home's Friday night. The Friday Sublime night has continued to run successfully since that time. After some arising family issues, Simon sold his interest to MacCulloch. In 2005, Ron MacCulloch sold the club back to Simon page for roughly what he had purchased it for.
With the downturn from the peak of interest in dancemusic, and the return of an interest in rock, Sydney Home also expanded into rock music in 2006, hosting bands on Saturday nights, then followed by DJs.