Red Bull Radio celebrates the beauty of clubbing with new podcast

Nightclubbing will delve into the visual history of famous clubs around the world, ranging from Birmingham’s post-industrial dance music temple House of God to Bollywood’s Western-influenced 70s disco Studio 29

Red Bull’s eponymous radio channel is venturing into the visually alluring, post-watershed world of clubs with its latest show, Nightclubbing. Conceived by Red Bull Music Festivals Editor Todd L. Burns along with radio producer and reporter Julia Alsop, the show will explore six of the world’s most famous clubs – both past and present – and their wider impact on contemporary culture.

The idea for Nightclubbing was born out of the public response to a number of articles previously published by Red Bull around the subject. “The one thing that kept coming in while reporting these stories was ‘Wow, the way these people talk about these nightclubs is so compelling!’” says Burns. “We thought it would be amazing to hear the passion in the voices of the folks that love these nightclubs.”

Nightclubbing identity

Speaking to everyone from the club owners and doormen to the DJs and regulars who spent many a night in these establishments, the show will look at the lasting impact of their visual identities, fashions and dedicated community of clubbers. First up is The Loft, which started out in the 60s as a series of casual downtown Manhattan gatherings hosted by DJ David Manusco, before turning into legendary weekly members-only parties.

Over the coming weeks Burns and Alsop will also turn their attention to Birmingham’s hard techno rave site House of God, which started in the 90s and just celebrated its 25th birthday, and Studio 29, which brought the glamour of Western discotheques to Bombay in the 70s and 80s.

“We wanted to showcase a wide breadth of clubs in terms of geography, era and clientele,” says Burns. “Our hope is that people learn about some of the important differences in these spaces, but also celebrate the similarities. It’s incredible to hear so many people tell stories that ultimately are about how these clubs were about [people] finding their true selves in a safe space.”

The radio show and podcast have been brought to life by illustrator and designer Joe Prytherch, who created a visual identity for each episode based on the club’s architecture, ephemera and clientele.

The Loft episode first aired on Thursday 26 July, and an edited podcast version is available to listen to now. For more info about Nightclubbing, head here; Read all of CR’s music-themed content here