Niche is back – and the Sheffield genre that helped shape bassline is kicking off a new chapter at Network on Saturday 17 October.
The original Sidney Street venue closed in 2005, but its influence on Sheffield’s musical identity has endured. The name subsequently appeared at various venues, including Club Vibe and the Wicker Arches, before closing again in 2018.
Few clubs have left such a mark on Sheffield’s sound. Niche helped shape the bassline scene, which grew out of speed garage and became so closely associated with the club that it was often called “Niche music”.
Originally owned by Steve and Kate Baxendale, the brand is now under new ownership, with plans stretching beyond its Sheffield roots.
First up is a relaunch at Network, with Michelle Platinum and Bassboy among the names on the bill. We caught up with operating director Drew Garber and brand director Fraser Rowlin to hear what’s in store.
Why is now the right time to bring Niche back to Sheffield?
Drew: The genres associated with it, especially bassline, have really taken hold across the world. We’ve seen it pop up in the States, Japan and Southeast Asia. I think we have distanced ourselves far enough from our troubled past with the brand. It just seemed like the right time to do it. The hospitality and club scenes have nearly recovered from lockdown and Covid, and now it seems like the right point to give Niche another chance.
How will you disassociate the new Niche from the venue’s troubled past?
Fraser: There has been such an improvement in technology, with clubs being able to have facial recognition ID scanners. It’s a completely different world nowadays from what it was when it first opened over three decades ago.
The landscape of nightclubbing and that sort of scene has completely changed. Niche was an underground club where the music was not as commercialised, whereas now it’s played on mainstream radio. It’s totally changed.
We’ve got new people in to help. We’ve got a health and safety officer who will be at events, with numerous other things in place to stop anything unsafe from occurring.
How do you plan to fill the void in Sheffield’s music scene and turn Niche into a global superbrand?
Fraser: It’s probably got to be the night itself. Yeah, Niche in its entirety. With loads of new students coming into the city and younger generations who have heard about it, I think people were waiting for it to come back. There have been the odd pop-ups here and there over the last few years, but since last year, there’s been nothing.
What we want to do is support up-and-coming artists. It’s not about any one individual; this is about helping new acts have a platform. So, new guys coming onto the scene and DJing at the nights and events, bringing people onto the record label, helping push new talent and getting them globally recognised.
Obviously, we want to put events on throughout the UK and branch out, if we can, into the States and Europe. We would also like to bring some cool merchandise along the way. You look at something like Defected Records or Boiler Room – they’re killing it. They’ve done such a good job, and it’d be amazing if you could take a Sheffield brand to that level.
Why did you choose Network as your launch venue, and how will Sheffield artists be featured?
Drew: We’ll start in Sheffield, but we’re happy to take talent wherever they come from. The line-up includes a lot of people from Sheffield as well as people from further afield. We want to work with anyone who wants to work with us.
We want to play around in different places. It’s more of a touring project than a single static club. The thing with Network is that it has a history with Niche. The original owner and creator, Steve Baxendale, had one of his first clubs in that building back in the day when it was called Capitol, which was what existed before he set up Niche. So, it’s a fitting first venue for the relaunch.
With loads of new students coming into the city and younger generations who have heard about it, I think people were waiting for it to come back.
Who would be your dream booking, dead or alive?
Fraser: Silva Bumpa is big on our watchlist.
Drew: If not him, it would be either Interplanetary Criminal or Dizzee Rascal, as he’s a fantastic act to work with. We saw him at Tramlines and he was awesome. He has also just released a bassline track.
If the walls of the original Niche could talk, what would they say?
Drew: What happens at Niche stays at Niche.
Which single track best defines the genre is so special?
Drew: The first track I ever heard that I recognised as bassline was probably ‘Heartbroken’. At the time, it just exploded across the UK, so I think that’s the easiest one to recall. But then there were also tracks by artists like DJ Q.
What can attendees expect from the opening night?
Drew: We’ve got two stages, essentially. On the first stage, we’re leaning more towards a classic Niche sound with associated artists from back in the day. Headlining for us is Michelle Platinum.
We’ve got Bassboy doing a live show, alongside Kaylee, and DJ EJ with Zoe performing over the top of his set. Nev Wright and Don Brown are also doing a back-to-back Sidney Street set. We’ve got some of the older associated heads like Jon Buccieri and DJ Richard, plus an up-and-coming talent, Sam Baker, taking care of that main room.
In the other room, on stage two, we’re focusing on the new era of what happened after Niche, with artists like Thorpey, DJ Spenno and JTJ. They’re representing some new Sheffield sounds, giving an insight into what’s next.
The original Niche helped pioneer bassline. What will the new era create?
Drew: That’s the thing with music, man. It’ll evolve the way it does depending on the producers and the people we get involved with, and we’re not going to stunt its growth in any way. If something new and cool comes out of it, yeah, I’d consider that a success.
Niche relaunches at Network on Saturday 17 October. Tickets and further information here.
