Sheffield retro: Remembering legendary nightclub - The Republic - which 'changed the course of nightlife history in the 1990s'

A rollercoaster from beginning to end, The Republic nightclub venue in Sheffield changed nightlife and its history in the 1990s, says Neil Anderson, Managing director of Neil Anderson Media.

“No venue defined the growing confidence in Sheffield's evening economy better than the Republic.

"The Republic changed the course of nightlife history in the 1990s. The £1.4million scheme took nearly three years to get off the ground and eventually became the home of Gatecrasher.”

The Republic Nightclub opened in 1995, after a breath-taking transformation from former Roper and Wreaks steelworks. A £1.4 million scheme to get the venue up and running lasted almost 3 years, with the difficulty of obtaining a license turning into a long-running battle.

Initially, the plan was for The Republic to be more than just a nightclub – and initially, it was.

After the long drawn out battle, the venue finally obtained its drink license in the 1990s when Sheffield Crown Court Judge Tom Cracknell overturned a previous ruling to grant the license.

This saw the conversion of the building into The Republic nightlife venue begin, opening to the public in December 1995.

The project was undertaken by five young entrepreneurs: Anwar Akhtar, Neil Midgley, Jerome Curran, Tony Fitzgerald and Fran Hilbert. Anwar and Jerome first came to Sheffield as students and promoted club nights in the city in the late 1980s – starting with a student ‘Blow Out’ which regularly saw 1,000 come in on a Thursday night.

When The Republic opened in 1995, it came with huge anticipation.

Neil Anderson said: “The interior was truly staggering and blended the heavy industry of Steel City with 20th century clubbing chic.

“The Republic incorporated many original design features, including the giant industrial crane that teetered above the dance floor.”

House and Garage were weekend mainstays at the nightclub, and ‘superstar’ DJs such as Jeremy Healy and Roger Sanchez performed at the venue. The tills were kept ringing in the week by the likes of Disco 2000 indie night and the Bomb student night – proving immensely popular in the steel city.

However, the venue only really became one of the most successful venues of the era when Gatecrasher, the international clubbing brand, purchased the venue.

In 2003, the name ‘The Republic’ was resigned to history when a £1.5 million refurbishment saw the venue revamped and renamed ‘Gatecrasher One’. Its popularity and evening economy drive thrived in the 2000s, with a high-profile drugs raid unable to dent the legendary nightclub’s popularity.

Reflecting on Gatecrasher One, Neil Anderson added, “Every name DJ worth his or her salt spun the decks at the venue together with a worthy local resident, one Matt Hardwick.”

The building were certainly be best known for being home of gatecrasher, however, its early The Republic days grew confidence in Sheffield’s nightlife economy and played host to ground-breaking gigs.

The Republic was also one of the first venues to have an official email address – You could drop a line to [email protected] as long ago as 1996.

The venue which ‘changed the course of nightlife history in the 1990s’ caught fire and collapsed on June 18, 2007 – putting the iconic nightclub into history.