Published
Mon, Jun 6, 2022, 11:30
- The final party took place last Saturday with resident and local indie legend Clint Boon.
South, one of Manchester's longest-running nightclubs, has closed for good.
Opened in December 1995 by former Haçienda promoter Paul Cons, the basement venue ran for 27 years. The final party took place on Saturday, June 4th, hosted by popular resident and local indie legend Clint Boon. Last week, Boon said the club was closing "due to issues beyond our control (myself, the management & the owners)."
A post on South's social media pages last Friday confirmed that the "lease had ended" and "the landlord wishes to redevelop it." The club's managing director, Aaron Mellor, spoke in more detail to Manchester Evening News.
"During the last few years more and more residential apartments have surrounded us on South King Street, which led to Noise Abatement notices and adaptation after adaptation to try and box out the sound issues," he said. "Most recently the demolition and redevelopment of the former Pizza Express building into a hotel has closed off our adjacent street moving our smoking area back onto South King Street, returning more noise issues from the residents overlooking that street. We've become landlocked by residential development."
Boon began DJing at South in 1997. Four years later he took up the Saturday night residency, which turned 21 over the weekend. In 2010, the club's interior was redesigned by Haçienda designer Ben Kelly.
As well as indie rock, South regularly hosted electronic music nights. Recent guests include Interplanetary Criminal, Y U QT and Elliot Adamson. Popular grime and UK garage night The Murkage Club ran there for several years until it ended in 2015.
Watch a video of Boon crowd-surfing on Saturday.