The Eclipse (later The Edge) was a nightclub in Coventry, England, and the first legal all-night club in the UK.[1]

The Eclipse
Map
AddressLower Ford Street
Coventry
England
OwnerStuart Reid
Capacity1,600
OpenedOctober 1990
ClosedFebruary 1994 (as the Edge)

The Eclipse was a former Granada Bingo Hall, when local entrepreneurs Stuart Reid and Barry Edwards would put on the first allnighter in October 1990.[2] The 1,600 capacity club was split over three floors.[3]

The resident DJs were Mick Park and Mick Wilson (aka Parks & Wilson),[4] The opening night line-up included: Evil Eddie Richards, Fabio, Sasha, and MC Tunes, who moaned about the sound system and walked off stage saying, "Get the sound sorted out, we'll be back soon", but he didn't return.[5] It is said that the venue gave The Prodigy one of their first gigs for a fee of £60.[1][6] The venue would also host nights from promoters such as Dance Planet and Amnesia House.

In April 1992 the club featured on the late-night ITV show The Hitman and Her.

In September 1992, the venue became The Edge. It finally closed in February 1994.

Virgin Records would release a two volume retrospective compilation The Eclipse Presents Dance 'Til Dawn in 1996 - one mixed by Stu Allan and the other Slipmatt.[1]

After The Edge closed, the building was bought by Coventry University and repurposed as a student union entertainment venue and called The Planet. The building was eventually demolished to make way for a car park.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Petridis, Alexis. "The Eclipse". MixMag: May 1996. p. 26.
  2. ^ "Six defunct Coventry nightclubs which we loved, danced and drank at". Coventry Telegraph. 20 May 2014.
  3. ^ "Raving Memories: 18: Clubs: The Eclipse, Coventry". Midlandseuphoria.blogspot.com. 2 November 2015.
  4. ^ {aka Djs Parks & Wilson "Eclipse DJs bring old skool back to Coventry". Coventry Telegraph. 24 April 2008.
  5. ^ Baz Jobson (15 July 2009). "Eclipse the nightclub to errrrr Eclipse all others?". Covert Magazine.
  6. ^ RP Shoesmith (10 April 2014). "Coventry's Forgotten Nightlife: Why is it All Going Wrong?". Bite The Belt.

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