Raúl Orellana returns to the Studio 54 booth
A place with a very long history in the Barcelona leisure scene recalls the time when it was the city's quintessential nightclub.
If you're very young, you might not remember, but the current Paral·lel 62 (formerly Sala BARTS) has had a thousand and one lives. And one of the most colourful of the last century was the one that turned the plot at number 62 on Paral·lel Avenue into the epicentre of Barcelona's nightlife, between 1980 and the mid-90s. Especially since, in 1982, Raúl Orellana took over the DJ booth. You'll have him back spinning at the same address on Sunday, the 10th of September, on the 43rd anniversary of the legendary venue's foundation.
What was known as Studio 54, in reference to the famous New York disco of the 70s, had already been the Teatro Español, one of the great entertainment centres of Barcelona's Paral·lel at the beginning of the 20th century. Later, the venue became a cinema and ended up being managed by theatre entrepreneur Matías Coslada. In October 1980, thanks to American promoter Mike Hewitt, it became Studio 54, which sought to bring the glamour of New York parties frequented by fashion designer Halston, Andy Warhol or jewellery designer Elsa Peretti to Barcelona.
And yes, that new gigantic venue in Barcelona (it had three floors) with spectacular bridges that allowed an aerial view of the room caused a sensation. In addition to big parties that brought together the best of Barcelona's nightlife at the time, legendary concerts were held there, such as those by New Order, Ultravox, Tina Turner, Depeche Mode, Spandau Ballet, Duran Duran or Simple Minds.
With Raúl Orellana in the booth, the venue (confetti, light cannons, special effects, colours, smoke, go-go dancers scattered around the room) took a strong momentum. These were the years of machine music, of the first local house notes produced by Orellana himself and the first remixes.
He remains the resident DJ at Studio 54 today, as many remember the years spent on the dance floor of the venue on Paral·lel Avenue, even though it has disappeared. Indeed, at the end of the 90s, Studio 54 was partially demolished, transformed into a dinner-show venue, then back into a concert hall and, most recently, turned into Paral·lel 62.
What was a night like at the legendary Studio 54? There's no need to ask, just come to the session on Sunday, the 10th of September. With Orellana in the booth, you'll relive the best moments of Studio 54 in Barcelona. However, before coming, check the Paral·lel 62 website for information about the event.