Where were you in ’92? Some say if you can remember it you were never really there. But we’re glad some can, otherwise we would never be treated to such brilliant documentaries as In The Que. This new film looks back at the legendary Birmingham venue, Que Club, that saw many Brummies head down during the heady rave days of the 90s.
Built as the Methodist Central Hall in 1903, the Grade II* building was bought in 1992 by Billy Graff – the former manager of Rod Stewart, who also owned the Marquee Club in London. It quickly became a place of worship for ravers in Birmingham, however, due to its large size and endless rooms and corridors. It was normal to have thousands of clubbers raving to techno in the main hall, while smaller crowds jammed out to DNB or garage in other parts of the building.
The likes of David Bowie, Massive Attack, Wu Tang Clan, Tricky, PJ Harvey, Run DMC, Carl Cox, Joey Beltram, Pete Tong, Richie Hawtin and Jeff Mills all performed at the venue. While Daft Punk used Que Club to record their live album Alive in 1997. Using rare archive footage, In The Que takes us back to those hedonistic times and solidifies it at one of dance music and club culture’s most important venues.
In The Que: Celebrating the Que Club was first announced back in 2020 but was delayed due to the pandemic. The documentary features interviews with the DJs, promoters, clubbers and staff lucky enough to be there. And, since it closed in 2017, it is as close as many of us will ever come to stepping inside this legendary club.
The importance of The Que to Birmingham cannot be understated either. Back in April of 2020, the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery hosted a photography exhibition surrounding the venue. Which also happened to feature some of the last photographs of the late fashion photographer Terence Donovan.
Pretty Hate Productions and the Birmingham Music Archive produced the 35-minute documentary, while it was partly funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.