Wednesday Picture: Clubbing in King’s Cross in the 90s. Could it return?

Bagley’s, Canvas, The Key, The Cross. To the many thousands who raved in those famous former clubs, the wastelands North of King’s Cross station will forever be associated with late night party madness.

Today, of course, the once-derelict Goods Yard is a hive of development activity. Victorian factory buildings are buzzing once more, swanky restaurants vie with cool street food vans, new office blocks rise while art students enjoy lattes ’n’ laptops under the trees of Granary Square.

It would be hard to argue the transformation is anything other than overwhelmingly positive, particularly the preservation of the area’s industrial past. But the loss of the clubs has inflicted cultural collateral damage of its own. London’s nightlife, once the envy of the world, has struggled to recover from losing so many seminal dance venues to the forces of redevelopment.

It was only when we published “then and now” photos back in March in our lost London nightclubs feature did we uncover how deep the passion for these places still runs. The story became an international viral hit, with over 10,000 Facebook likes and counting.

One juicy nugget that emerged from the ensuing emotional tsunami was that clubbing may yet return to the area. Billy Reilly, the man behind The Cross and later the massive Bagley’s/Canvas too, has an option on a premises when the next phase of leisure and retail development opens up.

Currently heading up the franchise of global club brand Pacha in Victoria, Billy was also behind the short-lived restaurant venture Meribel Brasserie at Camden Road, so does he really have plans to dance again in his original stomping ground?

“We have been in discussions with the developers in King’s Cross since The Cross closed with the possibility of opening another house music nightclub in the area, however nothing has been confirmed,” he told us, cagily.

“At the moment Egg and Scala are the only two venues still flying the flag for nightclubs, but providing a deal comes together I would be more than willing to lay our mark in the future of clubbing in King’s Cross, which I know is in high demand.”

With thousands of students about to move into the bold new tower blocks on York Way, there will certainly be a larger than ever local market, but booming all-night venues also tend to find coexisting with residential areas a pretty thankless task.

Just up the road lies Egg (Kentish Town’s nearest proper nightclub, don’tchaknow) which has just celebrated its 10th anniversary by extending the capacity of the three main dancefloors. An all too rare purpose-built club space in a central location, it now hosts some of the most high profile events in the capital.

Owner (and former promoter of London’s most infamous after hours club Trade) Laurence Malice carefully selected the spot to avoid noise problems with residents. “The whole reason we even contemplated building a club in this area is because it is a designated industrial zone, one of the very few left in the centre of London,” he tells us. “But even here there is pressure to change to residential.”

He is pessimistic about the suggestion that King’s Cross might return to its former position as nightlife central. “If there was ever to be a new venue in the area I don’t think it would get a licence beyond 2 or 3am. I’ve seen the plans and there are going to be too many homes.”

With the smoking ban meaning outdoor spaces – something Egg famously has in abundance, including a new roof terrace – are more vital to a nightclub than ever, the noise issue becomes even tougher to overcome.

“Big clubs of this size are a rarity now,” warns Laurence. “The next big space to open in London will have to be more concentrated on the outside area, so therefore it can’t be near any residents.”

Yet despite it all, the new, improved Egg is thriving and smaller venues like the Star of Kings disco-boozer host regular events in the very heart of the area.

While we may never see 5000 gurning loons jumping around to happy hardcore in an old warehouse here again, King’s Cross may yet return to a new incarnation of its cherished past.