Shea, ESL & Martin set new standards for Southend with Mayhem

The first new build club to arrive in the Essex town in over a decade. Conservative licensing policies - including the recent designation of a saturation area - have historically restricted the growth of the local late night economy. But for the redevelopment of a department store basement just off the high street Shea Properties, who run the town’s Storm nightclub, managed to secure an exception. And thus on September 30th the 1000 capacity Mayhem opened its doors to the public for the first time.

The club made a big impression. “Everything is the best you can buy,” says GM Gary Stokes, by way of explanation. It shows.

The quality here isn’t limited to the statement features - it’s apparent throughout. The club is obviously well thought out. Something which also applies to the AV systems - the kit list for which reads like the Magna Carta, reflecting a huge investment that has seen local specialists Essex Sound and Light freed up to show off their skills and create a completely integrated audio, lighting and visuals scheme.

ESL won the contract having supplied sound, lighting, AV and technical infrastructure at various other venues for Shea Properties, including their other Southend club Storm.

One major architectural effect is 6 Barrisol ‘skin’ false ceilings. It was ESL’s idea to light these from above and turn them into a feature, achieved with Martin Mania SCX500 scanners lighting two of them.

“Having that much environmental lighting to control is a challenge in itself” states Mike Glover. “And it was essential we did all that and the effects lighting through the one user interface”.

The dancefloor moving lights include, four Martin Wizards, two Atomic strobes and two exterior 600 colour changers chosen for their reliability, features and functionality. A Jem Club smoke machine has also been added to the dancefloor. Together they make an extremely versatile scheme.

Not content to let the bars do the talking, Mayhem also operates an all singing all dancing entertainment policy which leans on the club’s technical capabilities and mixes celebrity PAs, dancers, angle grinders, live bands and hosts to create a real sense of theatre. “We look at each night as a production,” explains promotions manager Tony Grimley.