Welcome to the Brain Club 'oral history project.' We are attempting to document that brief and explosive period in British club culture, where London acted as a magnet for the some of the most eccentric and creative people in the country... At one night or another, it is likely that you, or I, or they passed through the door of Soho's infamous Brain Club...
 
The Brain was founded in November 1989 by Sean McLusky and Mark 'Wigan' Williams. It served as a mecca for many DJs and producers who played or performed at the club. This illustrious list includes Norman Cook, Orbital, Leftfield, Billy Nasty, Goldie, Moby, Graeme Park, The Shamen, Mixmaster Morris, Andrew Weatherall, Simon Lovejoy, Adamski, Mark Moore, and A Guy Called Gerald. At the time there was little actual live performance on the house/techno scene (this would change later with the advent of raves). Still, the Brain encouraged live sets and P.As at a time when only mainstream house music used vocals on tracks... In some respects the Brain paved the way for dance music as we know it...
"The Brain was to British dance music what Max's Kansas City was to American punk rock..."
 
The Brain was also famous for the eclectic crowd of musicians, artists and entertainers it attracted, including the likes of; Boy George, Gilles Peterson, Bobby Gillespie, Chemical Brothers, Rankin and Jefferson - founders of Dazed & Confused, Paul Oakenfold, John Galliano, Rifat Ozbek, Gavin Rossdale from Bush, artists Olly and Suzi, Trip City author Trevor Miller, Tim Simenon, Neneh Cherry, Mark Moore, George Michael, The Farm, Happy Mondays, Stone Roses, Robert Elms, Sheryl Garrett Editor of The Face, founder of Loaded magazine James Brown, and Oswald Boateng. Global celebrities like Christy Turlington, Brigitte Nielsen, and Matt Dillon were also spotted inside the venue.
 
This site is a work in progress... As images become available we will post them in our Galleries section. The same will be true of interviews. It is our hope to interview everyone associated with the club, and post edited highlights of these audio interviews...But for the time being, please feel free to look around...
 
If you have anything to say or to tell us, we can be contacted via this email... info@thebrainclub.co.uk
 
All correspondance or questions should be addressed to resident writer/oral-historian Trevor Miller.
 
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