Sheffield superclub Gatecrasher remembered after blaze destroyed legendary venue.
Nearly 19 years ago, in June 2007, fire engulfed Sheffield superclub Gatecrasher, razing the legendary nightclub to the ground.
The subsequent scenes were unprecedented.
As word spread of the fire, distraught clubbers and dance music enthusiasts descended to the burnt remnants of the nightclub on Matilda Street in Sheffield’s city centre to pay their respects.
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The scenes were more reminiscent of a tragic death than a building fire.
Gatecrasher was destroyed by fire in 2007.
A bouquet was placed at the scene with the message: “The music, the lights, the spirit of the people.” “We’ll always remember you.”
Angela Howard, who planned a two-minute silence for clubbers to exchange memories and pay their last respects, stated: “Gatecrasher was a way of life, it gave me the best times of my life.”
Angela, from Manchester, then 30, and a regular in the club’s glory days, said: “I can’t believe it’s gone.”
“I’m devastated. I started crying as soon as I saw it. “I feel like a friend has died.”
DJ Paul Pearson of Rotherham, who was among the’mourners’ who attended, said the club motivated him to get behind the decks.
“Gatecrasher is the only reason I started DJing,” says Paul, aged 25. “I am still shocked at the news.” “I have been coming for about eight years and it was a total inspiration.”
Following the quiet, a memorial party was organised in the Howard pub on Howard Street, which served as the unofficial pre-Gatecrasher bar for clubbers to begin their night out.
Gatecrasher One, formerly Republic, was destroyed by a fire that swept through the club late on June 18, 2007.
Fortunately, just a few employees were inside at the time, and everyone made it out safely.
Around 25 firefighters fought the incident – and later acknowledged that guests would have struggled to evacuate had the superclub been operating.
Flames devoured the entire 1,426-capacity structure so swiftly that authorities stated the ramifications ‘did not bear thinking about’.
It just took minutes for 25ft flames to blast through the venue, ripping through the roof and forcing parts of the building to collapse, after club staff saw the fire and dialled 999.
Within two hours, three-quarters of the building had collapsed.
Police closed streets in the neighbourhood, including Arundel Street, Matilda Street, Sydney Street, Cumberland Street and Furnival Road, as firefighters attacked the incident at the nearly 100-year-old building.
According to nightlife specialists, the shocking fire deprived Sheffield of one of the top clubs in the country, leaving a gaping hole in the city’s scene.
At the time, Neil Anderson, editor of Sheffield’s Dirty Stop Outs Guide, said: “It has been an icon and an international brand that has been a real tourism force for the region. Reverberations will be felt far and wide – among hotels, promoters, DJs, and bars that used to rely on punters.”
Gatecrasher was at its peak of popularity in the mid to late 1990s, attracting thousands of loyal clubbers every weekend to watch the country’s top DJs such as Judge Jules, Paul Oakenfold, and DJ Sasha.
The club, located in the ancient Roper and Wreakes factory, began as Style when Anwar Akhtar founded it in 1995, before changing its name to Republic and holding popular Gatecrasher events. Gatecrasher finally purchased the venue in 1997, and it became known as one of the top clubs in the country.
It received a £1.5 million facelift in 2003 and was one of the last surviving legendary superclubs, outlasting Cream.
Matt Hardwick, Gatecrasher’s regular DJ since 1995, stated at the time of the fire: “Gatecrasher, and in particular the Republic, or GC1 as it became known, changed the global partying scene.
“I always got the impression the people of Sheffield never really understood how important that place was, but having travelled the globe as a DJ, I can tell you it was considered to be the best club in the world.”
Det Chf Insp Steve Williams, who led the police inquiry, admitted he was surprised by the outpouring of passion.
“There have been people coming at all times to take photographs, leave flowers and even put up a banner,” he told me at the time.
“The club clearly meant a lot to many people.
“Living in Sheffield and having the club right on our doorstep, many of us may have underestimated how well-known and influential the club was on the national and club scene. “The fire has obviously affected a large number of people.”
The exact origin of the fire, which was believed to have started in the DJ box in the main area, was never determined.
The official fire report determined that the cause of the incident was ‘not known’.
The site has now been renovated as student housing, which opened in 2016.
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