Memories of The Globe In Brighton

And so a chapter closes for certain Brightonians who will appreciate what was at times over the last few years the physical center of our cities groove based community, namely The Globe on Middle Street in Brighton

Before continuing it should be noted that The Globe will continue to operate, however it will be under new management put in place as a result of owners Drink In linking up with Sussex University

There could still be opportunity to use the venue’s legendary (in a local context) basement but for now the common consensus is that times are moving on and with the venues manager Carly Fitzpatrick being replaced, it is a safe bet that the groove based community won’t be sticking around without her

Through all of the changes taking place,  it’s a real mark of respect that as Carly is leaving then so are the remaining djs and parties that the venue has been hosting since becoming Brighton’s unofficial disco boozer at the end of the last decade up until now at the end of 2013

It is with Carly where things can be traced back to when the roots of the groove based scene were taking shape and where this final piece on The Globe will start off

Before running The Globe Carly was the manager of TheSidewinder in Kemptown which was a regular haunt if you wanted to hear disco, boogie and deep house which at the time was a novelty combination that lived quietly outside the cities club spaces in the mid to late 00s

Carly immediately picked up on this sound and became a firm supporter facilitating the slow up-scaling through a handful of all dayers, a new years eve party and weekly weekend slots where she encouraged this musical approach in her venue through the various djs that were now beginning to develop a local following

 After becoming a “destination venue” associated with the groove based scene and due to increased numbers now frequenting  the venue,  a dispute with a nearby property owner regarding noise complaints put an abrupt end to The Sidewinders involvement as a venue of choice but not so Carly’s who then migrated quickly across to central Brighton to The Globe as manager and music booker

This move to The Glove was the moment where the right ingredients all came together at the right time

Appropriate venue, supportive manager, a growing music scene needing somewhere to dance on a more regular basis, a safe city center space which was sufficiently non commercial and just as importantly a venue for djs to get bookings playing music they were passionate about for friends and interested others

So the scene was set and the formula strongly established, kind of a counter culture take on clubbing, almost anti-clubbing in the general sense where The Globe became a destination venue or as some would say “Disco Boozer” akin to those establishments up and down the UK adopting the same approach

So, what was The Globe like ?

Well in all honesty it was more about what it represented that made it what it was however aesthetically it was a two floored pub where most of the musical action was focused within the downstairs basement bar for most of it's existence as a "Disco Boozer"

Holding no more than 100 people (officially) the basement was very wooden, full of books, low lighting and had a couple of at times fairly challenging toilets in need of attention. A scattering of wooden tables/seats and leather chairs were dispersed about the u-shaped room with a bar in the center 

Dubious artwork covered the walls in places and the obligatory spread of event flyers and posters would battle for exposure across tables and on walls where space was found. A big mirror down one side of the room and steel pillars/beams propping everything up, oh and one big air conditioning unit that would frequently give up

 The vibe was a red tinge with varnished wood, very dark indeed

And that folks was more or less it, however here enters a key element in the story

Unlike almost all venues in central Brighton, The Globe and especially it’s basement was run as a blank canvas by Carly and as such decor when used transformed the space into something totally different

Many a night I would stand on the dance floor once a party was in full flow and be transported back to something more aligned to the original festival after hours sound system parties at Glastonbury, low key but healthy attention to detail all conceived with a DIY approach to building a party environment

This I believe was just as important as the music on offer in cementing the venues reputation and acceptance as somewhere where you could go on most nights and find friends and like minded people dancing and socializing 

And seating as well or lack of it also played a big part as Carly and those promoters that knew that less seating meant more dancing adapted the basement even further by making it virtually seat free

So there you have it, all elements coming together (venue, people and music) and also whilst the economic recession was in full swing as well. So why now a change of direction at The Globe ?

Well it’s difficult to say however as an observation I would say that the concept of The Globe as a destination venue only had a certain life span in terms of the music and those providing it. The Globe was a great social space above all else and to be fare that was it’s primary appeal. Like minded people coming together in sufficient numbers made The Globe work. 

The Globe was a safe environment, no hassles, that attracted experienced party people raised on the positive ethics of dance music culture  especially noticeable when a big gathering in the basement was in full swing

New music played alongside great old music devoid of the fashions and the here and now whims of the music press added to a free entry policy all managed by a bar manager up on her game loyal to her djs and punters

I've had some great nights in The Globe which I won't bore anyone with but also I've learned a few things along the way such as how to program a night, how much better the experience of djing is if you're doing it on the dance floor, decor and lighting counts just as much as music does, always bring your own equipment, people will invariably want to be outdoors on a summers night, don't rely on booking big name djs to create an atmosphere, de-rigging at 3am doesn't get easier as you get older, a good thing doesn't last forever and most importantly, always enjoy the friendships of those outside of partying as well as on the dance floor

That was my Globe in a nutshell, from prominent rise to subsequent change, heaps of fun along the way and with loads of new friendships made at the same time. Not bad for a little boozer down on the south coast that was around when a group of 30 plus's got together and started partying through a worldwide recession