SchoolDisco
Encyclopedia
SchoolDisco is a club night in the UK. While in previous years it has been held in venues all over the UK and Ireland
and worldwide, currently there is a single weekly night held in Hammersmith
. On 17 February 2007 School Disco, moved to London Forum
. In June 2008 School Disco moved to The Palace Music Hall in south west London.
The club night derives its name from the requirement that all attendees wear school uniform
and the fact the music played is traditionally that which would have been played at 'genuine' school discos for those in attendance (that is, pop music from the late 1970s to the early 1990s).
Since SchoolDisco was first launched, many other imitation club nights have been run worldwide.
The first regular night was held in the SW1 club in Victoria in February 2000. After three months, the club was forced to leave the SW1 club due to its popularity. After a period in a number of clubs across London, the club moved to 'Vauxhall Grammar School', in reality, a school hall-sized nightclub in Vauxhall
, in September 2000, where it remained until April 2001. At this time, SchoolDisco moved to Po Na Na (formerly the Hammersmith Palais
), where it has remained since. The club subsequently reverted to the Hammersmith Palais name.
In July 2001, the SchoolDisco management started a second club night on Fridays, initially at the Hanover Grand in central London
. This Friday night event later moved to the original Vauxhall Grammar School but no longer runs.
School Disco moved to The Forum in Kentish Town, London on 17 February 2007 as the Hammersith Palais has been demolished.
School Disco Radio launched online 1 November 2007.
In 2008 School Disco launched a social networking website called Yearbook, where you can interact with other School Disco attendees, share photos and keep in touch with friends you might have met at one of the events.
School Disco moved to The Palace Music Hall in London SW18 for their new home June 2008. The event is now running at Portland Girls's School in w1 opposite
Great Portland Street tube station.
The cult club night regularly attracted many people and celebrity appearances include the following:
SchoolDisco was first run in other cities as follows:
In the summer of 2002, an outdoor SchoolFields event was held on Clapham Common
with approximately 6000 'school kids' in attendance.
School Disco Compilation Albums
School Disco also launched a range of compilation albums with different record companies. Over 1 million copies have been sold in the UK. All the albums were compiled by the founder Bobby Sanchez. Nov 2001 - First album launched with Sony Music. Further albums were release with V2 music and Warner Bros. In Sep 2009 a new album was launched with EMI records.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and worldwide, currently there is a single weekly night held in Hammersmith
Hammersmith
Hammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London, England, in the United Kingdom, approximately five miles west of Charing Cross on the north bank of the River Thames...
. On 17 February 2007 School Disco, moved to London Forum
London Forum
The London Forum, or sometimes Kentish Town Forum is a well-known venue for concerts in Kentish Town, London, United Kingdom owned by the MAMA Group. The venue was built in 1934 and was originally used as an art deco cinema. After the closure of the cinema, The Town & Country Club was established...
. In June 2008 School Disco moved to The Palace Music Hall in south west London.
The club night derives its name from the requirement that all attendees wear school uniform
School uniform
A school uniform is an outfit—a set of standardized clothes—worn primarily for an educational institution. They are common in primary and secondary schools in various countries . When used, they form the basis of a school's dress code.Traditionally school uniforms have been largely subdued and...
and the fact the music played is traditionally that which would have been played at 'genuine' school discos for those in attendance (that is, pop music from the late 1970s to the early 1990s).
Since SchoolDisco was first launched, many other imitation club nights have been run worldwide.
History
School Disco was set up by south London school friends Bobby and Mik in September 1999. The first SchoolDisco night was held in September 1999 in Ormonds Restaurant in central London. This was a monthly event with numbers approaching 100 for the first three months. However, on New Year's Eve 1999, fewer than 20 turned up.The first regular night was held in the SW1 club in Victoria in February 2000. After three months, the club was forced to leave the SW1 club due to its popularity. After a period in a number of clubs across London, the club moved to 'Vauxhall Grammar School', in reality, a school hall-sized nightclub in Vauxhall
Vauxhall
-Demography:Many Vauxhall residents live in social housing. There are several gentrified areas, and areas of terraced townhouses on streets such as Fentiman Road and Heyford Avenue have higher property values in the private market, however by far the most common type of housing stock within...
, in September 2000, where it remained until April 2001. At this time, SchoolDisco moved to Po Na Na (formerly the Hammersmith Palais
Hammersmith Palais
The Hammersmith Palais de Danse, later simply the Hammersmith Palais, was a ballroom and entertainment venue in London that operated from 1919 until 2007...
), where it has remained since. The club subsequently reverted to the Hammersmith Palais name.
In July 2001, the SchoolDisco management started a second club night on Fridays, initially at the Hanover Grand in central London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. This Friday night event later moved to the original Vauxhall Grammar School but no longer runs.
School Disco moved to The Forum in Kentish Town, London on 17 February 2007 as the Hammersith Palais has been demolished.
School Disco Radio launched online 1 November 2007.
In 2008 School Disco launched a social networking website called Yearbook, where you can interact with other School Disco attendees, share photos and keep in touch with friends you might have met at one of the events.
School Disco moved to The Palace Music Hall in London SW18 for their new home June 2008. The event is now running at Portland Girls's School in w1 opposite
Great Portland Street tube station.
The cult club night regularly attracted many people and celebrity appearances include the following:
- David HasselhoffDavid HasselhoffDavid Michael Hasselhoff is an American actor, singer, producer and businessman. He is best known for his lead roles as Michael Knight in the popular 1980s US series Knight Rider and as L.A. County Lifeguard Mitch Buchannon in the series Baywatch...
(for the 5th birthday party) - Mick Jagger
- Kate Beckinsale
- Ruby Wax
- Jimmy Carr
- TiffanyTiffany (singer)Tiffany Renee Darwish , known popularly as Tiffany, is an American singer and former teen icon. She is most notable for her 1987 cover version of "I Think We're Alone Now", originally recorded by Tommy James and the Shondells in 1967. Released as the second single from her eponymous album, Tiffany,...
- Teddy SheringhamTeddy SheringhamEdward Paul "Teddy" Sheringham MBE is a retired English footballer, and the father of footballer Charlie Sheringham. Sheringham played as a striker, and had a successful career at the club level, winning almost every domestic honour available with his clubs, most notably the Treble with Manchester...
- The cast of Grange HillGrange HillGrange Hill is a British television drama series originally made by the BBC. The show began in 1978 on BBC1 and was one of the longest running programmes on British television...
- The cast of HollyoaksHollyoaksHollyoaks is a long-running British television soap opera, first broadcast on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was originally devised by Phil Redmond, who has also devised shows including Brookside and Grange Hill...
- The England rugby union team
- Toby AnstisToby AnstisToby Anstis is a radio presenter on Global Radio's Heart Network of stations. He presents his morning show weekdays from 10.00am - 1.00pm across the Heart branded network....
SchoolDisco was first run in other cities as follows:
- Dublin: October 2001
- ManchesterManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
: December 2001 - CyprusCyprusCyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
: June 2002 - IbizaIbizaIbiza or Eivissa is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea 79 km off the coast of the city of Valencia in Spain. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, an autonomous community of Spain. With Formentera, it is one of the two Pine Islands or Pityuses. Its largest cities are Ibiza...
: June 2002 - SydneySydneySydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
: October 2002 - HullKingston upon HullKingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
: November 2002 - TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
: January 2002 - BlackpoolBlackpoolBlackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
: August 2003 - WrexhamWrexhamWrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
: December 2003 - AberdeenAberdeenAberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
: December 2003 - NewcastleNewcastle upon TyneNewcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
: December 2003 - IpswichIpswichIpswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...
: December 2003
In the summer of 2002, an outdoor SchoolFields event was held on Clapham Common
Clapham Common
Clapham Common is an 89 hectare triangular area of grassland situated in south London, England. It was historically common land for the parishes of Battersea and Clapham, but was converted to parkland under the terms of the Metropolitan Commons Act 1878.43 hectares of the common are within the...
with approximately 6000 'school kids' in attendance.
School Disco Compilation Albums
School Disco also launched a range of compilation albums with different record companies. Over 1 million copies have been sold in the UK. All the albums were compiled by the founder Bobby Sanchez. Nov 2001 - First album launched with Sony Music. Further albums were release with V2 music and Warner Bros. In Sep 2009 a new album was launched with EMI records.