Nightclub
A nightclub (often simply club, particularly in the UK) is any entertainment venue which does its primary business after dark. Many times, it is associated with music (either with live musicians or music mixed by a DJ,) which can range from jazz or blues to electronic music styles such as drum and bass, house, trance or techno. In addition, the term is sometimes used to describe adult-entertainment venues.The term "disco", from the French discothèque, was prevalent in the 1970s when disco was the main dance music genre, but is largely no longer used.
Gatherings in nightclubs which primarily involve music mixed by a DJ involve dancing and in most cases alcohol. Illegal use of recreational drugs such as ecstacy is commonplace in many modern clubs.
Often there are light-effects such as many colorful lights, light going on and off, moving light beams, etc. One common item is a disco ball: a rotating football-sized ball at the ceiling, covered with many small flat mirrors, with a light beam directed on it; the reflections form a multitude of moving light spots on the floor and on the people.
Notable nightclubs include:
- Studio 54, New York, 1970s - 1980s, disco
- Paradise Garage, New York, pioneer of garage music
- The Hacienda, Manchester, United Kingdom, 1982 - 1997 home to post punk, early acid house, Madchester and electronica
