Scenes from famous Liverpool nightclub before it became a gym

Old photographs show scenes from one famous Liverpool nightclub through its lifetime before it became a gym.

First opening as a stunning ballroom in the 1920s, the site of what would become The State on Dale Street has many fascinating tales. Liverpool’s first Laser nightclub in the 1980s and by 1984 Mike Knowler and Andy Carroll had taken over as the resident DJs.

That same year, the ballroom featured in Frank Clarke's film A Letter to Brezhnev, starring Margi Clarke, as well as music programme The Tube, arranged by club promoter and DJ Steve Proctor. In the episode, which was a special on the music scene in Liverpool, Frankie Goes to Hollywood played Relax and made their TV debut.

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Mike Knowler and Andy Carroll remained at The State until it closed in November 1989. The club reopened in 1990, but just a year later was brought to its knees by an arson attack on Bonfire Night in 1991.

On January 14, 1992 - just 10-weeks after the first fire - arsonists struck again causing catastrophic damage to the building for a second time. The club managed to bounce back after £30,000 worth of sophisticated electronic and surveillance equipment was installed to deter anyone from starting any more fires. By the mid-1990s, the club experienced a renaissance hosting huge events such as Monster Jam and Garlands.

The building was later made use of in 2003, when the State Ballroom acted as a temporary home to flagship bar Garlands. In 2009, the ECHO were invited inside the venue, when city bar boss Peter Lee wanted to restore the ill-fated club as a high class casino.

State reunion events continue to attract clubbers and recreate their well-loved DJ sets. But today, the Grade II listed State Insurance Building has been home to JD Gym since 2014.

These images, courtesy of DJ's Mike Knowler, Steve Proctor and our archives, Mirrorpix, show scenes from life at The State nightclub in the 80s and 90s. From clubbers and how the building looked to the devastating result of fire damage, reopening and before it became a gym, these images are a window into the past.

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