Cruz 101

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Cruz 101 (better known simply as Cruz) is a nightclub and music venue situated in Manchester's Gay Village which is centred around Canal Street, England. It is one of the most popular and longest running gay clubs in Greater Manchester, often boasting itself as Manchester's Favourite Gay Venue.

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[edit] Creation

Before it was turned into a night club, Cruz 101 was a cotton and textiles mill[1] of which contributed to Manchester's huge textiles industry and making the area the worlds largest marketplace for cotton goods[2]. After some time derelict, a renovation process began lasting up to a year after which point the club was ready to open its doors for the first time on 22nd May 1992. Cruz shares the building with offices which occupy the floors above and a smaller club to the rear called Satans Hollow.

[edit] History

When Cruz first opened, membership was compulsory and punters had to wait up to 48 hours for membership to be cleared. The club owners followed up a lengthy legal battle at the high court encouraged by increased pressure from customers meant that the club was allowed to offer membership on the door, therefore eliminating the need to have a pending period before membership can be authorised[3]. Whilst initially this legality only entitled Cruz 101 to allow membership on the door, it ultimately set a precedent in allowing other night club's in the United Kingdom to have this right. The new flexible membership options available at Cruz proved to be both a benefit and somewhat of a hindrance to the club owners and its regular clientele. Before the court battle the club found itself restricted by license conditions that other clubs need not meet, however, it was the strict membership policy which made customers feel the club was one of the few true safe gay venues in the area. In 1999 the exterior lighting and signage of the club was changed from "Cruz 101" to Babylon as a backdrop for scenes of the UK series of Queer As Folk. Following the completion of filming, the original name and signage was returned. In 2002, Cruz won the right to admit non-members, giving it the opportunity to raise revenue by admitting almost anyone. The club, however, has a door policy which remains predominantly gay.

[edit] Present

Today the club remains extremely popular among older and younger party-goers alike. It has gone from opening just two days a week to now being open for 6 days a week, Cruz opened its doors on a Sunday on a permanent basis for the first time in 2006. Cruz often works in partnership with other bars, events and clubs in and around Manchester's Gay Village creating events and raising funds for lesbian and gay charities - one of the most popular being Back2Back[4].

Cruz 101 has had many famous singers and performers over the years including Sonia, The Weather Girls, Phil Oakey, Heaven 17, Hazel Dean, Margarita Pracatan, Take That and 70's act The Nolans, among others. More recently the club has opened its doors to Kelly Llorenna, Angie Brown, Scooch, Steps, Graham Norton and Lily Savage[5]. On 24th May 2008 Booty Luv performed live on stage at the 16th birthday of Cruz 101, singing 4 of their songs[6].

The longest running weekly event at Cruz is Disco Inferno on a Monday night which started in 1993. Originally featuring disco from the 70s and 80s, the music policy has been expanded to include the 90s and now.

A resident DJ at Cruz, Almighty Donald takes his name from the namesake Almighty Records as he often plays and mixes music produced by the company.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Manchester Evening News - Club Review. Retrieved on 2008-04-24.
  2. ^ Hall, Peter (1998). "The first industrial city: Manchester 1760-1830", Cities in Civilization. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson. ISBN 0-297-84219-6. 
  3. ^ Cruz 101 - About the club. Retrieved on 2008-04-24.
  4. ^ Poptastic - Back2Back event. Retrieved on 2008-04-24.
  5. ^ Cruz 101 - About the club. Retrieved on 2008-04-24.
  6. ^ Cruz 101 - 16th Birthday. Retrieved on 2008-04-24.

[edit] External links