The Guvernment

The Guvernment was a nightclub complex in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was also the name of one of the two main performances venues within the complex. The other venue was Kool Haus (formerly The Warehouse). Other smaller rooms within the complex included: The Drink, D'Luxe Lounge, The Orange Room, Skybar, Tanja and Gallery. The Guvernment opened in 1996 and closed in early 2015. The property was sold to developers and is expected to be the site of condominiums.^[1]

History

The site of the Guvernment was first converted into a nightclub in 1984 as Fresh Restaurant and Nightclub.^[1] The nightclub did not do well and was quickly sold and rebranded as RPM in 1985. In the early 1990s, an adjacent club was opened as The Warehouse, a large open space which could be used for larger concerts.^[1]

The declining venues were purchased in 1995 by Charles Khabouth. He renamed RPM as Guvernment, and renamed The Warehouse as Kool Haus. He revamped RPM and installed a series of smaller lounges and bars within the complex. A sound system was designed for the main room by Steve Dash and remained throughout the club's existence despite various renovations.^[2] Khabouth credited the system as one of the best in the city and would call Dash up from the United States to tune the room's mixer when required.^[2] Khabouth also installed a wooden raised floor that had to be redone every year due to wear and tear at a cost of $30,000 to $40,000. Khabouth cited it as a necessary component to achieve better sound.^[2]

Saturdays (a.k.a. Spin Saturdays) at the Guvernment featured electronic dance music, with residents DJ Mark Oliver & DJs Manzone & Strong and was host to many notable musicians such as Above & Beyond, Armin Van Buuren, David Guetta, Ferry Corsten, Marco V, Markus Schulz, Deadmau5, Sasha, Paul Oakenfold, & Carl Cox.

Deep Dish created a Global Underground compilation, based on their performance at the Guvernment.

In 2009, Markus Schulz released a compilation album, called Toronto 09, which reflected on his affection towards the city of Toronto and, in particular, the Guvernment complex.^[3]

The Kool Haus was an adjacent performance space. It consisted of a large versatile open area, essentially like a large warehouse, which inspired its original name, The Warehouse.

The club was best known for its annual "full-complex" events where all seven rooms that made up the complex were accessible. They were usually held on long weekends and special occasions and lasted until 7:00am. Some of these events included Labour of Love, Decadence, Freedom, Thriller, and the nightclub's anniversary party. On these nights, various international electronic music artists performed in the different themed rooms. These events could host over 10,000 guests.^[1]

The Guvernment was voted the number 8 nightclub in the world in DJMag's Top 100 Clubs of 2008.

Closure

On May 1, 2014, the Guvernment's parent company, Ink Entertainment, announced plans to close the entertainment complex effective January 31, 2015.^[1] The property had been sold to developer Daniels for use as condos. Club owner Charles Khabouth promised a massive series of farewell events leading up to the closure. On Sunday January 25th, The Guvernment hosted its final event with Deadmau5 as the headliner. Resident DJ Mark Oliver along with Khabouth played the final track, "I Feel Love" by Donna Summer. ^[4] Khabouth has indicated his intention is to build a bigger and better venue in downtown Toronto to replace Guvernment. The complex began demolition around February 2015.

References

External links

• The Guvernment

http://www.manzoneandstrong.com