Some friends in Changzhou know about it. What's the name of the first music bar in Changzhou? It may be gone now.

In the history of Changzhou Entertainment Night, there are two legends, one is KK Disco Square, and the other is Old House Bar. Their "life" ushered in an era, and their "death" triggered a new wave.

Catch up with KK Disco Square at the end of European and American popularity, and dance with thousands of people in its heyday.

1994, Mr. Yan, a native of Jiangyin who immigrated to the Netherlands, came to Changzhou and opened KK Disco Square opposite the Cultural Palace, which was also one of the earliest public entertainment nights in Changzhou. In addition to bringing popular entertainment that swept Europe and America in the 1980s, he also brought a Dutch DJ, Andy.

Strictly speaking, Andy is not a real DJ, but the dance floor of several hundred square meters, gorgeous laser lighting and fashionable music make him look like a king on the stage. As long as Andy exists, even if he casually plays with the disc player, young people in Changzhou firmly believe that KK is a place that conforms to international fashion.

In fact, discotheques have long since declined in Europe and America. In the 1990s, rave and family music became popular all over the world. KK imitated JJ disco, the hottest dance music in Shanghai, and its cheerful dance music attracted all the fashionable Changzhou young people at that time.

"At that time, the weekend ticket to 80 yuan was very high, but it was still overcrowded, accommodating up to several thousand people." Mr. F, a senior night player in Changzhou, told reporters that unlike the current bars, discos in the early years collected tickets, which was also the source of most of their income.

Most people come to KK to dance. They don't buy much wine and drinks, let alone chat. Mr. F explained: "On the one hand, there is no place to sit and drink, on the other hand, wine is not cheap. All the people who came were young people in their twenties, even junior and senior high school students. They feel ashamed as soon as they buy tickets. "

Ge Zhiyi, 39, used to be a pop singer at KK. He said that the grand occasion at that time was probably not even comparable to the hottest bar now. "Absolutely eye-opening, the music and hardware inside are unprecedented, and some gimmicks made during the festival make people want to stop." Ge Zhiyi said that every holiday, a silver flying saucer will fly slowly from the track above the dance floor. With the music of Star Wars, it will suddenly open and countless balloons will float out, and everyone will compete for it. "There are tickets inside, and everyone is crazy!"

Known as the "old house" of post-60s and post-70s utopia, it has become a "legend" with its founder.

Also on 1994, two restless young people in Changzhou embarked on another' night show road', and the birth of the old house bar announced the arrival of the' clean bar' era in Changzhou. "In the 1960s, there was a band in America called Underground Velvet. It sold only a few hundred records when it debuted, but everyone who bought their records formed a' awesome' band, which affected the progress of rock music. The old house is Changzhou's' underground velvet'. " This bar carries many memories of the post-60s and post-70s, and some people are still crying when they recall.

Former operators, bands and singers resident in bars, and lonely artists have all become well-known figures in the industry. The old house is a part of their youth and a utopia for discussing life and dreams. As soon as the old house opened, it attracted some foreigners living in hotels, as well as pilots and flight attendants from Changzhou base of Xinjiang Civil Aviation, and many local young people who like western culture, including painters, avant-garde poets, advertising designers and music creators.

Old houses became popular in half a year and became another fashionable place for young people in Changzhou besides KK. Two young people who built their own old houses had never been to a bar before opening a shop. "We thought there was a place to go at night, and our minds were full of art salons, but we didn't know what to do, so we decided to go to Shanghai to have a look."

Mr. W, the founder, said that a group of four friends went to hengshan road Bar and made a lot of jokes. "As soon as I walked in, I saw that I was a foreigner and couldn't even order wine. I am guilty. I ordered a bottle of beer, and there is a lemon in the bottle. I don't know how to drink it. " Mr. W pretended to be calm, put lemon slices on his teeth, and the other three followed, staring blankly at the foreigners around him. "That gaffes, that stupidity is exposed."

At the suggestion of a friend, the four depressed people went to the bar around Fudan University and finally found their way. "Most of them are from China, with pool tables, darts and resident singers. The atmosphere is very casual. This is the bar in my mind. " 1In July, 1995, Mr. W, who came back from stealing his teacher, cooperated with others to open an old house bar. The bar was built by two people, with a 20-meter-long bar, a log table and a manger in the corner. "A bottle of beer is pushed from one end of the bar to the other, especially like a Hollywood movie."

Then there was a resident band in the bar, and then there was a resident folk singer. The two founders were unprepared for sudden success. "The crisis has actually emerged slowly, but we just don't know it. When we opened the bar, we were too young and eager for quick success. Many practices were too advanced in those years. We are pioneers, but pioneers want to hang on the wall, die and be seen. "

Talking about the old house, the founder Mr. W described it as "the most glorious time in his life", but recalling the past seems somewhat untrue. That's a memory I don't want to touch, and bars and people have become legends.

The second movement:

Minuet dance

The integration of bars and dance halls creates the era of Changzhou performing arts bars.

Whether imitators or latecomers, "letting a hundred flowers blossom" breeds innovation and change.

The popularity of KK and old houses has attracted many imitators, such as Meihua, Feiyue, AA, Hao Qing and Lan Ling, who are still memories of the post-60s and post-70s.

Mr. W said that in the 1990s, entertainers had two places to go at night, KK was the first half and the old house was the second half. Disco and pub were new things at that time, and keen businessmen learned from each other's strong points and evolved a new bar form-performing arts bar.

In the late 1990s, nightclubs such as Casablanca and Space Moonlight City appeared, belonging to the owner of Xinfu Changzhou. At the beginning of the new century, beautiful women in prosperous times, Champagne Avenue and Oriental Prosperity have gradually become new fashionable places for young people in Changzhou. Performing arts bar is the embryonic form of modern nightclubs, with music, good wine and various gorgeous performances. Singers and dancers are essential elements.

Ge Zhiyi worked as a manager in these performing arts bars. He said that the turnover of performing arts bars is much higher than that of discos and pubs. It is not surprising that Changzhou people who did business in their early years chose this place for entertainment. Red wine and foreign wine cost tens of thousands a night. "Although Shi Sheng beauty also put disco, but already have a box. Oriental Shi Sheng has made great efforts in decoration, personalized design and painting red peony on the wall. "

At the same time, Changzhou also opened the first all-night bar-Piao Bar, or disco music, but there was no dance floor, all of which were changed into booths and boxes. Qingba also has an heir-Donglan Lihua, whose operator is a loyal fan of the old house. At this time, in Changzhou, the bar industry blossomed and the performing arts bar became the mainstream.

The third movement:

Allegro enthusiasm

Foreign chains followed closely, and Changzhou Bar ushered in the "Western Yingli Era".

The entertainment mode in line with the first-tier cities makes the passion of fashion surge.

From 2005 to 2006, it was a watershed in Changzhou bar industry. Hesheng Culture Group's Las Vegas Bar opened in Changzhou, and the following year, Zhuo Fan Industrial Group's Baidu Chain Bar settled in, which brought an impact to local bars. Some performing arts bars found that high-quality singers and dancers were poached by powerful chain bars.

Chain bars not only bring the same entertainment as first-tier cities, but also have a unique business model. Tao Zi, stage director of Xiyingli Weitu Bar, said: "In our view, a single store is a wild field. Without concept, order and rules, it is difficult to compete with the chain." Foreign chain bars "invaded" Changzhou, almost leaving local performing arts bars at a loss.