Blaze marked 'end of an era' for lost venue loved by Manc clubbers
29.09.2023 - 05:31
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Clubbers from Manchester have never been put off from travelling a little further out of town if the right venue was playing the right kind of music.
From the Nineties and early Noughties excursions to 'San Ashtonio', to revelling in the delights of 'Staly Vegas', if the place was banging then Manc's would soon know about it. One iconic venue partygoers from across Manchester would happily travel miles to visit was Mr Smiths.
The landmark nightclub opened in 1986, in a location that attracted clubbers from across the M62, putting Warrington firmly on the clubbing map in the '80s, '90s and '00s. For a time, it was one of the region's busiest venues - famed for its dancefloor, live performances, and the monthly R&B nights that would tempt out the out-of-town revellers mid-week.
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However, thirty years later the iconic building was destroyed. Back in 2021, the Manchester Evening News looked back at the rise and fall of Mr Smiths and why it was loved by Mancunians.
Mr Smiths belonged to an era when a trip to a large, cheesy nightclub - typically in a cavernous, historic building, with multiple floors and a dancefloor swathed with dry ice - was the peak of a night out on the town. It opened in 1986, its Art Deco site formerly home to Ritz and ABC cinemas.
It soon began attracting hundreds - not just from Warrington, but Manchester, Liverpool, Preston - even as far as the West Midlands and North Wales.
In the late 1980s, Mr Smiths became known more widely as a regular venue for ITV