RETRO: The great nights spent in Bed nightclub

It's a location that has played host to countless number of memorable nights over the years: a club that has, at various times, been known as Kingdom, The Locarno, Tiffany's, The Music Factory and Vickers.
By The Newsroom
Published 9th Feb 2016, 17:07 GMT
Updated 10th Feb 2016, 12:22 GMT
The Locarno building on London Road, before its recent restoration.The Locarno building on London Road, before its recent restoration.
The Locarno building on London Road, before its recent restoration.

But it was in March 2000 that the famous spot turned into one of its most memorable guises: Bed nightclub.

The opening night was a glittering spectacle. The Human League front man Phil Oakey and Dean from All Seeing I were among the 1,370 people who packed into the club.

Lets go to bed. The newly opened nightclub ( old music factory), London Road, opening night. Face in the crowd Phil Oakey tries going to bed.Lets go to bed. The newly opened nightclub ( old music factory), London Road, opening night. Face in the crowd Phil Oakey tries going to bed.
Lets go to bed. The newly opened nightclub ( old music factory), London Road, opening night. Face in the crowd Phil Oakey tries going to bed.
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It was a memorable night, too, for the toilet arrangements: just one set was open on its inaugural evening, meaning men and women had to mix.

The club quickly became known as a hotspot for garage, RnB and hip hop.

The building started out as a 1,250-seat cinema, opening in 1914.

However, the Lansdowne cinema closed in 1940 when it was hit in a German air raid.

bedrh Lets go to bed. The newly opened nightclub ( old music factory), London Road, opening night. Face in the crowd Phil Oakey tries going to bed. >> (OAKEY IS CORRECT)bedrh Lets go to bed. The newly opened nightclub ( old music factory), London Road, opening night. Face in the crowd Phil Oakey tries going to bed. >> (OAKEY IS CORRECT)
bedrh Lets go to bed. The newly opened nightclub ( old music factory), London Road, opening night. Face in the crowd Phil Oakey tries going to bed. >> (OAKEY IS CORRECT)
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Seven years later it was briefly taken over by Marks & Spencer before it started a new lease of life as the Locarno ballroom in December 1954.

By the late 1960s, however, tastes changed and the Locarno closed in August 1968 to make way for a new era in nightlife. Mecca gave it an £80,000 facelift and Tiffany’s was born.

In the intervening years the venue quickly changed from Vickers to Locarno again as well as The Palais.

The Music Factory was born in 1994 and was at first wildly successful with one of the country’s most popular dance nights, Love To Be.

Lets go to bed. The newly opened nightclub ( old music factory), London Road, opening night. Joanna Quale, centre, celebrates her 20th birthday with the Ecclesall massive.Lets go to bed. The newly opened nightclub ( old music factory), London Road, opening night. Joanna Quale, centre, celebrates her 20th birthday with the Ecclesall massive.
Lets go to bed. The newly opened nightclub ( old music factory), London Road, opening night. Joanna Quale, centre, celebrates her 20th birthday with the Ecclesall massive.

But that was not to be forever.

The club shut with six-figure debts in 1998.

After a brief stint as Clubgeneration, Bed was brought into life by Gatecrasher.

Bed had four good years as a top Sheffield spot, but the curtains were drawn on the venue in 2004.