PLANET X CLUB HISTORY 1983 - 1993
PLANET X first opened it's dungeon doors on June the 3rd 1983 at Macmillan's night club ( now the Reflex bar on Concert Square). It grew into one of Liverpool's most famous underground, alternative clubs perhaps second only to Erics in terms of notoriety and influence. It's easy to forget that in the 80's and particularly in Liverpool that it was a pretty scary p
lace & there really wasn't much of an alternative for the growing punk, post punk, new wave, psychobilly & rockabilly scene and Planet X, with its dark cavern like feel, the coffins & cobwebs, the blood splattered mannequins was the only place to be seen this side of Hades! Even though Planet X was only at Macmillans for 10 months it created such an impression that the legend and the club would last another 10 years! Looking back the early 80's was such an exciting time in music and fashion. Still influenced by punk of the late 70's,the two tone movement and the big new romantic scene of a couple of years before. Haircuts were outrageous, whether in spikes, back combs, colours or flat tops...people looked brilliant and people really did make an effort to look different. Superbly painted leather jackets adorned with punk & post punk bands, doc martens, brothel creepers or biker boots...young savages everyone one of us! From there, Planet X moved to two new temporary homes to Bradys 84-85 (the old Eric's club) on a Thursday and the Pink Palace 84 - 86 (downstairs in Jody's - a gay club on Stanley Street.) The venues couldn't have been more different with Brady's obviously leaning more to band orientated nights and the Pink Palace was a riot of black and neon pink that reeked of poppers, which was no surprise considering what it was. However, it was not until Doreen & Kenny took a huge personal financial gamble and decided to buy their own club that Planet X finally came to rest in the first of it's permanent homes. The Planet opened in Temple Street in 1986 and stayed there till 1990 and all the punks, all the goths, all the skins & teds, all the weirdos, the drop outs, the f**k ups & a lot of strangely, beautiful people had a home to go to. Never the most salubrious of places this was as all great clubs should be...dark, dank, full of mystery and intrigue and plenty of corners to do naughty things in. Music & fashion was changing by the the late 80's and looking back there was a split which saw the goth hordes split from the club but no matter because it was more than replaced by new movements. Things got scruffier with the grebo oiks of Gaye Bykers on Acid & Crazyhead, followed by the Wonderstuff & PWEI. More colourful with the "off it's head" Madchester & Acid House music scene & the even more dynamic American hardcore punk & alternative guitar scene. Planet X started to put more and more bands on including the Stone Roses, Primal Scream the Mission, Fugazi, Dinsoaur Jnr, a pre Nirvana Dave Grohl in a band called Scream and a 1000 other wonderfully named British & American hardcore & death metal bands who made our ears bleed and gave us tinnitus for weeks. Most of these were put on a Saturday afternoon by promoters Pete C and Pek. Pek sadly passed away last year and he will always be missed. All good things must come to an end and it was time to move again and none of us who were there will ever forget the last day in Temple Street. Kenny had built an ornamental swimming pool complete with sand dunes in the club and I guess it was a good time to move as it was about to be condemned anyway. So to Hanover Street ( now just reopened as Bem Brazil restaurant ) and Hanover Street was perfect because you had a bar area, a brilliant place to see bands and a great dance floor and for a few years this was not just the best club in Liverpool, I reckon the best in the world. There was no L1, no capital of culture, no urban renewal but Liverpool was becoming a much more happening student city, the indie scene was growing and growing and more and more students started coming to Planet X, mixing brilliantly with the Planet's regulars and the place just got bigger & better, fuller & more fantastic. Planet X had a thriving music scene and many of the bands that emerged went onto to national fame, a list that included the Boo Radleys, Drive, Carcass, Dr Phibes, Jailcell Recipes, Scorpio Rising, Fish Monkey Man, Mr Ray's Wig World & countless others. Planet X inspired countless others to form their own bands, become DJ's or promoters, t-shirt or graphic designers...one regular eventually became deputy editor of the Liverpool Echo? Read Paddy Shennan's excellent piece about the Reunion in2008
http://tinyurl.com/cumglan
All clubs are just moments in time, you belong to them & they belonged to you.Clubs are rites of passage. Planet X was one of the best of them, perhaps not quite as influential or as important as Eric's but not far behind. It doesn't matter what period Planet X you came to...that is not important! What is important is that you came and belonged. It will always stay with you and for many of us it will remain the best club ever. That is what made the 25th Birthday Reunion in 2008 so special, so many faces from 15 years ago...married, single, divorced, kids, no kids...absolutely amazing. Planet X still exists, once a year and even though we know the 2008 can never be repeated, Doreen likes to keep the name alive for those who can still make it and for the new breed of goths & punks ( of which there is a mini revival) and just the fact that it is still a wonderful night, full of awesome people and bloody great music. A big thank you to Doreen & Kenny giving us all some of the best nights of my life. Planet X... Death or Glory Forever!
