BACK in 1987 when Limbo Dance Club opened its doors at 232 William Street, few might have predicted the lasting influence the nightclub and its band of small but diehard devotees would have on Perth.
The bush doofs and raves that to this day get under WA Police’s skin all have their genesis in the underground house scene Limbos introduced to Perth teens; its first resident DJ Roy ‘The Boy’ Jopson is credited with holding the city’s first illegal warehouse party.
These days the parties come pre-approved, while superannuation nest eggs are more likely occupying the minds of those early ravers than teen angst, but the desire to relive the ‘Second Summer of Love’ still burns hard, says Limbos aficionado Chris Peers.
He’s organising a Limbos reunion at The Rechabite tomorrow (Sunday September 22) as co-administrator of the Facebook group Limbo Social Club.
“Well, it’s been 12 years since the last one and we could feel the sense of energy – people were crying out for it,” Mr Peers says.
“The vibe was there.”
He says while other nightclubs have been holding more regular reunions, Limbos held a special place in Perth’s nightclub history; it was where everyone ended up after 2.30am when other clubs lost their oomph.
“We wanted to pay tribute to what the venue meant to people and its importance as a meeting place,” he says.
Although the first iteration of Limbos followed the formula of many of Perth’s original nightclubs, such as Pinocchios, DCs or the Red Parrot, it was the first to pick up on 1988s ‘Second Summer of Love’ which was roaring out of London on an ecstasy-fuelled jet pack, and soon Limbo’s DJs were pumping out house music in marathon sets.
Mr Peers says those who were there look back on the times with great regard.
“The togetherness, the peace and love, and first and foremost – the music.”
The reunion will feature some of Limbo’s early resident DJs, including Adil Bus, Colin Clark and Dave Jackson, and Mr Peers says it will be a bit of a homage to Jopson, who died in 2004.
Remarkably, the organisers have tracked down extensive photographs and film clips from inside the club, which they’ll be projecting around The Rechabite to help the ravers relive the glory days.
The reunion party runs from 5pm to the not-so-underground-sounding midnight, with tickets available from Megaton.
by STEVE GRANT
Perth Voice Interactive 
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