The
State
All
you ever wanted to know about the State, but were afraid to ask!
The State Ballroom is situated on Liverpool’s Dale Street.
Originally a Ballroom where ‘Tea Dances’ where held
in the 1930’s and 1940’s, the State is architecturally
unique, and is a Grade Two listed building. I believe that the State
actually opened in the late 1920’s and I would consider the
design to be Art Nouveau rather than Art Deco. The State fell into
disuse in the late 1970’s having previously been used by the
Littlewoods Organisation as their Social Club.
Littlewoods then used it simply as a store house.
Mike
tells me that the State opened as Liverpool’s first Laser
Disco sometime in 1982. The original music policy was White Alternative
Dance (Kraftwerk, Heaven 17, New Order, DAF, ABC, King Trigger,
A Certain Ratio, et al) and the resident DJs where Frank Cookson
and Steve Proctor. This was unique for Liverpool at that time, because
most other clubs were either playing Soul or chart music. Mike believes
that the music policy was there so as to attract a particular type
of crowd, and to avoid the crowd from Kirklands, who were mostly
Black, simply leaving Kirklands (Hardman Street Liverpool) and moving
onto The State. The two venues were owned by the same company, and
the Director’s must have been aware that when The State opened
they could end up emptying Kirklands as a result.
Steve Proctor played on Thursday, and Frank Cookson took charge
on Fridays and Saturdays. At that time, the State was Liverpool’
most trendy night club, and Mike used to attend regularly on a Thursday
evening, to be amazed by the laser light show and intrigued by Steve
Proctor’s ability to beat mix. Mike hadn’t learnt to
beat mix at the time, and most of the records he was playing were
not suited to mixing anyway. On a Thursday evening local celebrities
such as Pete Burns, Jayne Casey, Holly Johnson and Pete Wylie could
be seen strutting their stuff at the State. Mike used to go to the
State in 1982/1983 with his friend Andy Carroll and dream about
the possibility of becoming one of the DJs at the State! At the
time Mike was studying for a degree in electrical and electronics
engineering at the University of Liverpool. Little did he know that
in September 1984 his dream would come true?
On
graduation from Liverpool University, in the summer of 1984 (the
summer of Liverpool’s Garden Festival), Mike was offered the
residency at the then newly opened Cavern Club in Liverpool’s
Mathew Street. This was an exact replica of the original 1960’s
club of the same name, and Mike was doing lunchtime sessions, six
days per week, with local new music bands, just as Bob Whoola had
done in the early sixties! And the presence of so many tourists
in Liverpool, that summer in 1984, for the Garden Festival, meant
that these lunchtime sessions were a runaway success!
However, at the end of that summer, Frank Cookson, who was then
the resident DJ at Liverpool’s the State Ballroom, came to
see Mike to ask if he would stand in for him, at the State, while
he was away on his honeymoon. That was the first two weeks in September
1984: by October of that year Mike was the State’s resident
DJ, playing alongside his old DJ friend Andy Carroll. At that time,
the music on offer included Kraftwerk, Talking Heads, Simple Minds,
U2, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Dead or Alive, King Trigger, Echo
& the Bunnymen and New Order. Mike and Andy also introduced
an element of Hip Hop into their respective sets, featuring the
likes of The Beastie Boys, Run DMC, Eric B and Rakim, L L Cool J
and Stetsasonic. This would be 1986 to 1988.
The
State also put on concerts by live groups; these concerts usually
being booked and promoted by Steve Proctor, or some other outside
promoter. Particularly note worthy were appearances by Big Audio
Dynamite, New Order, Divine, A Certain Ratio and Zigue Zigue Sputnik.
The State Ballroom also featured in the film “A Letter to
Breznev” with local actress Margie Clarke. Mike wasn’t
actually involved with the music played when filming took place
in the club. The duties were handled by Andy Carroll because Mike
had a day time job. It was a good film and shows The State in an
excellent light. Also, Liverpool group Frankie Goes to Hollywood
filmed their video for their number one hit record Relax at the
State.
Mike
Knowler remained at the State until it closed in November 1989,
due to Police pressure; the Police believing the club to be overcrowded
and out of control. However, eighteen months before that, in the
summer of 1988, Mike & Andy met up with another local DJ James
Barton (later of Cream fame). This was to be the first Summer of
Love and James wanted Mike and Andy to DJ at Liverpool’s first
regular Acid House event, on a Monday nights at the State. The night
was called Daisy, and was an immediate success! (Mike & Andy
had both been turned on to House Music on separate trips to New
York’s New Music Seminar in 1986 and 1987 respectively). Mike
amusingly assumed the DJ name of mic microdot, and as a direct result
of James Barton’s Monday Acid House nights, the State played
House Music exclusively until it closed on 11th November 1989. In
between the end of the State, and the start of his residency at
Quadrant Park, Mike played briefly at the Twilight Zone in Liverpool’s
Duke Street. When the State reopened in 1991 Mike was approached
about going back there, but he declined, saying that he would rather
remain at the Quad. However, in 1993 Mike attended a brilliant live
concert at The State given by Detroit’s Inner City. And in
1996 whilst resident at Liverpool’s the Gallery Bar Mike was
asked to play a guest spot at the State by the then resident DJ
Lee Butler. The State has been closed now for some time, having
last been used as a temporary haven for the club Garlands, following
a major fire at their venue in Liverpool’s Eberle Street.
Rumour has it that the State is soon to reopen as a Casino.
|