The Fridge

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This article is about a London nightclub. For the ex-football player, see William Perry (American football).

**The Fridge**
Venue
Location:	Brixton, London
Rooms:	1
Layout:	theatre style
Promotions:	Escape from Samsara Pendragon Return to the Source Love Muscle Ciao Baby Bites Back
Licensing
Capacity:	1,500
Licensing authority:	Lambeth
Business
Opened:	1985
Owner:
website

The Fridge is a nightclub in the Brixton area of South London, founded by Andrew Czezowski, who had run the near-legendary Roxy during punk music's heyday in 1977. It was originally started in 1981, in a small club at 390 Brixton Lane, and claims to have been the first British club to have such innovations as video screens and a chill out lounge. The Fridge was undeniably at the heart of the early 80s New Romantic movement, and booked such acts as Eurythmics and the Pet Shop Boys before they were well known.

In 1985, as a result of increased popularity, the club moved to its current location; a converted 1913 cinema on the Town Hall Parade. Since then it has hosted a variety of club nights, mostly dance music, trance and more recently mainly hard dance.

1 Love Muscle
2 Return To The Source and Escape From Samsara
3 Recent Events
4 External links

[edit] Love Muscle

Launched in September 1992, Love Muscle instantly became one of the major gay club nights in London, running every Saturday night for almost a decade. Famous for its uplifting music policy, raunchy stage shows and unique party atmosphere, the night soon attained international renown, regularly attracting clubbers from across the country and beyond every weekend.

Love Muscle's original DJs were Marc Andrews and Gareth, who defined the night's music policy of uplifting commercial house, and created a sound that was entirely unique to Love Muscle. They remained at the helm as weekly residents at the club for nearly 7 years, and were then joined and ultimately replaced by Mark O, Dorian and Sean Sirrs.

During the early years and again towards the end, the club played host to drag queen Yvette (Ian Hunter-Meek), who was famous for her raunchy stage shows containing strippers and live music acts.

Due to falling numbers and the occasional drugs raid, the night was temporarily closed in 1998, but was soon brought back due to public demand. It never fully recovered however, and became increasingly infrequent during the period 2000-2002. The night was finally closed for good in 2004.

The night's name, Love Muscle, is a euphemism for the penis, reflecting its raunchy gay appeal.

[edit] Return To The Source and Escape From Samsara

During the mid 90s, Friday nights were turned over to outside promoters, with a different one taking each of the four Fridays of the month.

The two most popular and successful nights were Return To The Source and Escape From Samsara, playing mainly hard trance, including very fast Goa trance. It is reckoned that these nights were among the first in the UK to feature what then became the trance music phenomenon.

Escape from Samsara and Return to the Source also did parties abroad inc Spain, Morrocco and Germany.

A night called Pendragon also took one of the Fridays each month, with a similar music style. The other Friday of the month was 'Otherworld'

Although all the nights at The Fridge welcomed anyone, Love Muscle was predominantly aimed at the gay community, whilst the Friday nights were aimed at the straight community.

[edit] Recent Events

On Saturday 15 April 2006, the nightclub was raided by 200 police officers in a crack-down on drug dealing. The music was stopped and the lights turned up, as officers searched clubbers. Cocaine, ecstacy and cannabis were found, resulting in 11 arrests and further cautions. [1]