Boccaccio (nightclub)
Encyclopedia
Boccaccio was a nightclub
in Destelbergen
, near Ghent
, Belgium
.
The club is known being the breeding ground for New Beat
. It was a diamond shaped venue which was crowded at the time, with people from all over Europe
wanting to hear this kind of new music. Based on electronic body music but played very slow. Popular formations "bands" were Lords of Acid
(with members Praga Khan
and Jade 4U), and Confetti's
. Legend goes that one of the "bocca" Djs (often credited to Marc Grouls) played an EBM
record on 33rpm instead of 45rpm with the pitch control set to +8 and the Belgian New Beat
was born. The club was forced to close after a long series of drug problems. They sold the name and the club was re-opened in Diest
, and the name was recently sold to a club in Ostend
. Famous Djs at the club were Olivier Pieters, Marc Grouls and Henk.
A few examples were The Number One (Ghent), Tiffany's (Knokke), The Twenty-seven (Ghent) and of course the legendary dance temple formerly known as BOCCACCIO since 1972.
The owner of the club in Ostend (Benny Strouven) is the same person as the owner of Boccaccio Life in Halen (Diest) so the name isn't sold recently but is still the same owner.
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
in Destelbergen
Destelbergen
Destelbergen is a municipality located in the Belgian province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the towns of Destelbergen proper and Heusden and was created on January 1, 1977 by the fusion of these two municipalities...
, near Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
.
The club is known being the breeding ground for New Beat
New Beat
New Beat is a term that was used in the 1980s to refer to two different genres of electronic dance music. It also refers to an underground 1980s Belgian music style.- Terminology :...
. It was a diamond shaped venue which was crowded at the time, with people from all over Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
wanting to hear this kind of new music. Based on electronic body music but played very slow. Popular formations "bands" were Lords of Acid
Lords of Acid
Lords of Acid is a Belgian-American post-industrial/techno band, led by musician Praga Khan. They debuted with the controversial new beat single "I Sit on Acid" in 1988...
(with members Praga Khan
Praga Khan
Praga Khan is a Belgian techno musician, primarily in the new beat style.-Overview:Praga Khan is one of the pioneers of the new beat / acid house / rave sound, and has contributed to the theatrical scene with his musical collaborations in The Next Dimension and Code Red.In the late 1980s, he...
and Jade 4U), and Confetti's
Confetti's
Confetti’s was a Belgian New Beat band from the 1980s. Producers were Serge Ramaekers and Dominique Sas, sometimes credited as The Maxx...
. Legend goes that one of the "bocca" Djs (often credited to Marc Grouls) played an EBM
Electronic body music
Electronic body music or industrial dance is a music genre that combines elements of industrial music and electronic dance music...
record on 33rpm instead of 45rpm with the pitch control set to +8 and the Belgian New Beat
New Beat
New Beat is a term that was used in the 1980s to refer to two different genres of electronic dance music. It also refers to an underground 1980s Belgian music style.- Terminology :...
was born. The club was forced to close after a long series of drug problems. They sold the name and the club was re-opened in Diest
Diest
Diest is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. Situated in the northeast of the Hageland region, Diest neighbours the provinces of Antwerp to its North, and Limburg to the East and is situated around 60km from Brussels. The municipality comprises the city of...
, and the name was recently sold to a club in Ostend
Ostend
Ostend is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke , Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the largest on the Belgian coast....
. Famous Djs at the club were Olivier Pieters, Marc Grouls and Henk.
External links
Robert De Maesschalck founded Balmoral and Boccaccio Life in 1963 at first as dance and party hall. One year later a jukebox was added and the first dancing was born. On the opening night, two cars and a hundred bicycles were parked in front! In a continuous quest for better music experience, turntables, mixing panels and better sound were integrated. Driven by success in the late sixties Robert continued his path by opening several other bars or dancing facilities.A few examples were The Number One (Ghent), Tiffany's (Knokke), The Twenty-seven (Ghent) and of course the legendary dance temple formerly known as BOCCACCIO since 1972.
The owner of the club in Ostend (Benny Strouven) is the same person as the owner of Boccaccio Life in Halen (Diest) so the name isn't sold recently but is still the same owner.