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Leeds Live
Leeds Live
National
Dave Himelfield

When a small town near Leeds was a world dance music capital

Morley - a small market town best known for its cloth producing history and as the birthplace of comedy legend Ernie Wise.

It hardly sounds like the backdrop for a world clubbing capital but for approximately a decade Morley was just that.

And this was thanks to one club, The Afterdark and its weekly dance music night, The Orbit.

The hardcore (a sped-up, aggressive version of house music) and techno night began in 1990 attracting the world's greatest DJs and performers.

And until its demise in 2003 it was considered the finest night of its kind attracting hardcore clubbers from across the UK and abroad.

Former YorkshireLive editor Lauren Ballinger remembers seeing house music legend Carl Cox play the Orbit around 2001.

The legendary Orbit techno night at The Afterdark Club, Morley, 1994 (Camera Press/James Lange)

She said: "I saw Carl Cox there mixing on three decks – the atmosphere was electric. People used to fly in from all around the world.

"It was pitch black in there, packed full of hundreds of people and everyone was dancing. It was very hot, very dark and very loud. It was a stark contrast with my school discos which were held in the same venue!"

One raver remembers: "We used to travel 80-odd miles to come here in the early days of the venue, a van full of us...

"Get inside and just lose yourself for a few hours. Not sure if they ever sorted the ventilation but it used to rain sweat as the night went on.

"Spend four or five hours going mental in here then onto a motorway service (station) car park for an outdoors late-night rave, much to the amusement of the odd family travelling overnight to their destination.

"What I wouldn’t give for one more night. Just pure f***ing magic."

IDM pioneer Mike Paradinas, aka μ-Ziq, plays a Rephlex Records night at the legendary Orbit techno night at the Afterdark club, Morley, 1994 (Camera Press/James Lange)

Another said: "The Orbit was my first club night, my old man took me just after I left school and the music and atmosphere hooked me in. Definitely best clubbing experiences."

The Afterdark began as The New Pavilion, a cinema and variety theatre, in 1911.

In 1968, it became a bingo hall, called Walker's Bingo, before it became the Afterdark nightclub in 1990.

When Afterdark closed it became Puccino's, a 260-cover restaurant with a coffee bar, dance floor and stage. The restaurant shut around 2009 and the building has been vacant ever since.

Leeds City Council granted planning permission to convert the building into 14 flats and a restaurant in 2014.

The venue went under the hammer in September with a guide price of £475,000 but it failed to sell.

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