End of an era as Traks closes

And one former DJ at the venue is sending out a huge thank you to everyone who supported the Station Square venue, which closed after 25 years last night.

Brian Moore was the face of Traks and on Monday he confirmed that the venue had closed.

He told The Times: “The crowds in Portrush proved amazing down through the years and we did some ground-breaking stuff at Traks.”

Down through the years, locals and revellers from across the Province made their weekend pilgrimage to Portrush to dance the night away at the venue. Easter Monday was also a big night for the nightclub, which always boasted several top named DJs.

Brian recalled just some of the big names that had graced the decks of the venue - Tiesto, Darren Styles, Cascada, Sash and Ian Van Dahl to mention but a few.

“I became the first DJ to play dance music in Northern Ireland,” told Brian.

“The owners supported me when I ran the first ever DMC DJ Mixing Contest, which was a totally unknown concept at that time. And we were the only NI venue to run the DJ of the Year Contests.

“We were the main nightclub for years, supporting the North West 200 and the Miss NW200 contest wouldn’t exist without us.

“Foam parties were another first and the infamous Ibiza Nights also proved really popular.”

Brian went on to thank his friends at NI Old Skool, System X, local DJ’s and various clubbing forums for their support and input down through the years.

Of course so many nightclubs have found it hard to beat the recession, but Brian assures us that he hasn’t hung up the headphones just yet.

He’s heavily booked with Festivals and events across the Province, he tells: “Watch this space for a big event happening on the Causeway Coast very soon.

“I’ve had also had a number of approaches on the DJ-ing side of things, so I’ll see you all at a venue near you very soon.”

Brian also revealed that the owners of Traks have plans that will dovetail in with the regeneration and refurbishment plans for Portrush.

The plans, if they come to pass, will bring much needed employment to Portrush,” said Brian.,