The end of an era; goodbye HQ Complex

Written by Shane Price.

On the 14th of January 2020 the biggest name in Adelaide nightclubs has called it quits, with HQ Directors announcing the club will no longer be running, effective immediately. See Facebook post below:

This has come as a massive shock to Adelaide locals, but something that seemed to be lingering for a while.

When you ask ravers in Adelaide about HQ they will always ask “The old HQ, or the new HQ?”

The old HQ ran from 2006 until January 2017 and re-opened in October of 2017 at its new residence, on Hindley Street.

With the old site operating 2006-2016, the old HQ won the ITM best night club 2007-2016, winning their first award only 1 year after they opened.

Gareth Emery playing back in 2016 at what Adelaide local's call the "Old" HQ"

The old HQ, Jesus, what do we say! It boasted multiple rooms for D&B, Trance, R&B and out done only by the mainroom, which would usually hold thousands of people at one time. The old HQ had all the feeling that the best club in Australia should!

Some of the best raving times I have ever had, have been inside old HQ; from Tommy Trash rocking out at the Ministry of Sound, Skrillex playing after Future Music Festival and Klaas bringing an absolute masterclass to the mainstage.

If I had to name all the names, the list would be too long to read.

Everything was great until Adelaide decided to build the Southern Hemisphere’s most expensive hospital, costing over a billion dollars, right across the road, with the local council enforcing a move for the club Goliath. Yet another case it seems that councils/governments are wanting to shut something down that they don’t agree with.

Making the most of their unfortunate situation, HQ then moved to Hindley street, Adelaide’s party street. The club was fresh, was new and had all the things a great club should, but in just over 2 years it seemed the dream had come to an end. Numbers were down, acts were no longer signing residencies; it seemed the dream of having a super club on the main beat just wasn’t something that Adelaide could keep up.

Will Sparks 2019 playing at the "New" HQ

WHY?!

Why are clubs closing left, right and center; is it the economy? Is it that people are just not going out? Is it that we are so used to having big acts, that nothing excites us anymore? I honestly don’t know.

I myself have never been to the new HQ and now will obviously never get the chance.

It's a sad day, this club grew and helped form some of Adelaide’s and if not Australia’s biggest djs careers; if you got to play main stage, you were a big deal. But they did it in a way that was purely excellent.

I really hope that the venue does re-open and gives a reason to keep big names coming to Adelaide.

HQ, it was a hell of a ride, a cheers to the unforgettable nights that I barely remember, to the friends I made there, to the drinks I drank, to the tunes I played.