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As the times of Independence approached and the Soviet era unleashed, the first nightclub in Vilnius at night gained incredible popularity, according to a press release. They were visited not only by students thirsty for entertainment, but also by the “stars” of the entertainment world of the time.
At that time in discos I was clicking and now the renowned singer Tomas Augulis, who nostalgically remembers the festivals of that time as a very important part of the nascent musical culture.
“I’m jokingly saying that DJs were as important as clergy in churches at the time; what we said from the stage became the new norm. We were not just announcing the word of God, but sharing the coveted music news of The West: music, knowledge and the latest trends in the world of entertainment. In this way, together with our colleagues, we began to form a Lithuanian musical painting ”, says singer Tomas Augulis, who is launching a new album of dance music and features the venues and nightclubs of Vilnius’ legendary 90s discos.
“Studio”: a place for golden youth
The nightlife of the 1990s was special in that less and less controlled and increasingly free entertainment finally became available to the general public. Still, very quickly some of the nightclubs became so popular that they began to be considered prestigious. One of them is Studija, who operated in Saulėtekis.
“The nightclub located in Saulėtekis, a student campus, was intended for the entertainment of young people, but it soon became probably the most popular clubbing place in Vilnius. The most famous athletes, like the soccer players of the “Žalgiris” team, the beauties of “Miss Lietuvos” and the representatives of the Vilnius mafia visited here; In other words, you could meet the most famous people of that time. The most interesting thing is that everyone got together not only to have fun and relax, but also to listen to music news; At the time, this nightclub was one of the few places where you could hear hard-to-reach western music, ”shared T. Augulis.
The parties were held here at a completely unusual time by today’s standards – from 8pm to 11pm, but people started gathering at the door from 6pm to make sure they could get to the disco. By the way, during the day, the clubhouse was transformed into a simple dining room.
“While the level at which the club becomes a dining room now seems completely ridiculous to us, at that time this place was considered prestigious. It was difficult to get there, because more and more celebrities started visiting here, and we who played music here quickly and quickly became famous all over Vilnius, ”says T. Augulis.
Today, the Vilnius University Library operates in these facilities.
Amicus is Studija’s biggest competitor
In Saulėtekis, near the Studija venue, young people from the 90s could have fun at another disco called Amicus.
“The word amicus, translated from Latin, means ‘friend’. This is what this club looked like, a great and friendly place where you can have fun together. Also, the Amicus space was probably the closest to what we see in clubs today. It was not a basement or a dining room in a bedroom, but a specific space for nightclubs, which even met the small standards of the 90s, ”says T. Augulis.
This club was probably Studija’s biggest competitor. It is true that the latter was considered a place for “golden youth”, where not everyone could enter, but Amicus could be entertained by a wide audience, says T. Augulis: “I played in” Visytė “, the so-called” Study “and “Amicus” The now famous TV presenter Arnas Klivečka played music. We got along well with him, but we were also the biggest competitors. “
Today, the Vilnius University Business School operates at the Amicus facility, Saulėtekis.
“Palace of the Builders”: here there was no place for Lithuanians
When it comes to the nightlife and discos of the 90s, it is impossible to avoid the topic of Russian-Lithuanian relations: the nightclubs were clearly divided into audiences.
“It has already happened that in some clubs Russian speakers mainly amused themselves, in others Lithuanians. It depends mainly on the location of the club. For example, the Builders’ Palace nightclub, which operated in Naujamiestis, which was densely populated by Russian speakers at that time, it received very few Lithuanians. And, for example, Saulėtekis’s discos were exclusively Lithuanian. This is how the eternal circle turned and the difference was getting bigger and bigger: more and more primitive pop and music was played. Russian in clubs loved by Russians, so Lithuanians became less and less interested there, ”recalls T. Augulis.
The Builders’ Palace nightclub in Vilnius was also well known and popular, but due to cultural differences, Studija and Amicus did not compete. Other entertainment venues attracted a similar crowd: the former “Trade Union Palace” on Taurus Hill, the “Railway Palace” (now “Kablys”) near the station or the “MIA Palace” (now Palace of Culture, Vilnius Sports and Entertainment) in Žirmūnai.
“It is no secret that Lithuanians have not yet visited the latest discos, because national disagreements often end in fights. It wasn’t the Russians or Lithuanians to blame here, but the nightly entertainment culture that hadn’t formed. People had not yet been able to enjoy themselves properly and, after being too relaxed, began to look for excuses for the fight; language differences were a great excuse for that. Therefore, to have fun and relax, Lithuanians had to choose other places, ”says T. Augulis.
The Pedagogical Institute brought together Russians and Lithuanians
Although the difference between the Russians and the Lithuanians was great, there was a place in Vilnius where various nations could fit in amicably. This is the basement of the dormitory of the Pedagogical Institute (now the Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences).
“This was a place where both Russians and Lithuanians could have fun in a friendly way; in this sense it was a truly exceptional place. It is also important to me because my career as a DJ started here, we organized nightclubs in the basement of the bedroom, that the whole city knew about, ”says T. Augulis.
Later, a new building was built next to it, to which the discos were also moved; the new place was called “Amigos”. With the advent of this nightclub, the era of bedroom parties ended. Libraries now operate in these two locations.
“I sometimes joke that the libraries that have sprung up in clubbing venues in the 1990s are a natural continuation of our activities – during parties we also enlightened people. Here it was possible not only to relax and have fun, but also to listen to western music that was still difficult to access at the time. And during the dances we had an inseparable insertion these days: we read musical knowledge or news between songs, because people were madly thirsty for a new breath of foreign culture ”, recalls T. Augulis.
Hotel Lietuvos – 22nd floor
In the 90s, a very popular party place operated in Vilnius: the 22nd floor of the legendary Hotel Lietuva. The parties held here were extremely optimistic and popular, but they were only available to the chosen ones.
“This nightclub is unique in that ‘ordinary mortals’ couldn’t get in here. Politicians, high-level stars, leaders of rabid groups at the time were going here for fun. To get here, you had to have the right acquaintances. or a lot of money, there was no place here for people “from the streets,” says T. Augulis.
T. Augulis himself has already had to give a concert in this club as a singer. According to him, although the Studio in Sunrise had already become famous as a celebrity clubbing venue, the level on the 22nd floor of the hotel was even more “professional”.
“Besides the panoramic view of Vilnius through the windows, this place was exceptional because it was possible to get drinks and dishes that are often difficult to access here. At its level, this place was probably the closest to what we could find in the modern cocktail bars that appeared later ”, says the interlocutor.
The disco was remembered for creativity
To remember the legendary nightclubs of the 90s, Tomas Augulis was inspired by his new album, in which the best and most popular songs of the interpreter are recreated using the modern sound of dance music.
“The musical fashions of the 90s and what was playing in the best nightclubs in Vilnius at that time, then I tried to convey in my songs. Recently, remembering the “times” when I was playing in the aforementioned nightclubs, I gathered my most popular songs in one place, most of which were born in the 1980s. I tried to record them again, leaving only the old ones. melodies and lyrics, and “borrowing” the sound of current trends. That’s how my new album was born, which was already released today ”, says T. Augulis.
On T. Augulis’s new dance album “Audio 90”, listeners will find the artist’s 11 most popular works, including hits “Dating (My Dear Mh – Aha)”, “My Sun”, “Joints” and others.
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