#8 Deeper into Outer Space | Banana Block
Conleth McGillan of Banana Block lets us in on Belfast, its club scene and the challenges of running a DIY space in the current climate…
Bananas and raves might not be the first things that spring to mind when you think of Belfast.
Yet both have created past, present and future narratives in Banana Block, a former mill-turned-warehouse venue and cultural space located to the east of the city.
Local resident William Richardson was head gardener to Sir Otto Jaffe, a previous owner of the historic mill, and among the first to cultivate the yellow fruit back in the 1910s. A subsequent incarnation of the building saw the space become the Strand Spinning Mill, a global centre of innovation in manufacturing and technology in the 1930s.
Fast forward to today and Banana Block is a key component of the regeneration of this part of the city, specifically the Portview Trade Centre. Opening in 2021 and consisting of three huge red brick buildings, it’s home to a brewery, florists, designers and numerous retailers alongside a club space that has welcomed esteemed selectors of all sonic hues - Luke Una, Andrew Weatherall, Peach and Annie Mac to name a few.
“We had heard rumblings about this old warehouse in east Belfast that no one had really seen inside”, said Conleth McGillan, Banana Block’s production and programming manager on his first experiences with the venue. “And no one could quite place it. We eventually walked into the space and I remember feeling it was like nothing I’d been to before.”
Amid a sometimes conflicting society of unionists and nationalists (on the day we speak, marches have led to many business shutting shop), and an ongoing government shut down, the city, like so many places across the UK is evolving. Banana Block is an important part of these new cultural happenings in the make up of modern Belfast.
“It’s certainly challenging running a new venue here, it’s a very working class, small city, and, for a lot of people, the legacy of The Troubles is still so real in this part of the world,” says Conleth.
“While we look to bring new life to the area as part of this regeneration, what is most important is getting a balance of what it can be and who it needs to serve within our local community.”
Banana Block
With a degree in geography exploring town planning and urban regeneration and a love for partying and clubs, Conleth became involved with Banana Block in February 2022 and has since thrown himself into expanding its events offering.
Banana Block’s parent company Urban Scale Intervention oversees the building, a development company that secured a capital grant to develop a pop-up banana museum onsite with a number of tenants working within the space. From the Sound Advice record shop run by Marion Hawkes to Bodega Bagels there’s plenty going on. Conleth speaks with obvious pride of what he, the rest of the team and tenants are pursuing.
“I enjoy people coming into the building, if they are big DJs or just regular tourists off the street, I enjoy hosting them and showing them around the space,” he says. “I feel like we can offer something different to other venues in Belfast.”
The events themselves are run on an adhoc basis with the versatility part of its appeal. While one room can host 250 and another capable of holding 850, lighting and other tech elements often have to be brought in to make their parties happen. At the same time, obtaining temporary licences can sometimes be an issue for the team.
“We have two licences - an entertainment licence and this runs until 1am - then we have a liquor licence and this runs until 11pm provided there is an event on,” Conleth says. “You can apply for occasional extensions but there’s never a guarantee you’ll get it, it’s down to the discretion of the judge on any one day.”
“Getting a licence in Belfast is tricky as a lot of the pubs are owned by certain groups - then they all get a vote on applications for licences. They sometimes get together and shoot that application down.”
Belfast is Changing
Producer, DJ, promoter, soundtrack composer David Holmes has has a hand in many of Belfast’s most exciting musical ventures - from his raves with Sugar Sweet to film work and ownership of clubs such as the Menagerie, his latest club God’s Waiting Room, held at Banana Block is pushing things forward for after dark shenanigans in the city.
Yet away from events like this bubbling within Banana Block, Conleth describes east and north Belfast as two of the more socially deprived areas of the city, places where many members of the community have lived all their lives.
“Belfast is so strange, just as it is across the whole of Northern Ireland, there are these really tight knit communities, you’ll be driving through the middle of nowhere, then come across this small hamlet, with a handful of houses,” he says. “Many of these working class people worked in shipyards and mills, built Belfast and built the world.”
Conleth grew up in Armagh some 20 minutes south of the city near the border in an old mill village. He believes there is a generational shift taking place as old industries fade, populations move and progress.
“I would hate to see communities decimated, for example with the old mill communities, to have this taken away, this feeling of being replaced is very present.”
“The city’s population is definitely changing, lots of people from Dublin are moving here as it’s cheaper, Dublin is like London to live in. So Belfast is in a real state of flux.”
Authorities and Nightlife
Despite the lack of government, Banana Block has worked closely with the local authorities since its inception. They regularly visit Banana Block, conducting spot checks and working with them on how they can look to enhance the space as a party destination.
“We have the authorities in regularly and we’re consulting with them now on how we can expand capacity of the venue,” Conleth explains. “We’re constantly in a back and forth with them on how this needs to work - and they are constantly doing spot checks on our space too.”
Safety is obviously paramount when hosting events, meaning there is a regular back and forth regarding how nights are run alongside licensing. Dialogues with the authorities have been overwhelmingly positive for Conleth in terms of the support and assistance provided.
“Belfast City Council, Tourism NI and National Museums NI have been a great help, they’ve provided funding for what we’ve done in terms of infrastructure, what we’ve built here. They have been great and supportive.”
Still, despite this, there are other logistical or functional issues that come with a venue like this. Last winter was a cold one due to the lack of heating in the space, an issue that has since been fixed.
“The winters have been tough and we’ve been flying by the seat of our pants a lot of the time,” he states. “This winter, with the heating installed and more lighting, hopefully it will be better and more comfortable for us and our tenants.”
First Party
Conleth has been in post for just over a year and is becoming more involved with programming rather than just hands on management. Although he describes how the first one he stage managed as a “baptism of fire” with Ki/Ki DJing to a thirsty sold out bunch of ravers.
“My first party in charge was Inside Moves in July last year, running from 5pm until 1am. I’d only been managing for about a week, my boss left so I took it on. 800 20 year-olds came at 5 o’clock, we ran out of vodka and gin. It was scary.”
A market was due to be held the following morning and Conleth worked through the night to ensure that the space was ready to take on a very different type of visitor to those who had danced there the night before.
“There were points at that party when I was like ‘fuck, what am I going to do here…’ I had to walk across the dancefloor lugging crates of beer. But it was amazing at the same time. I’ve done the shit work in the past and now have this mad opportunity and a career I can pursue, it’s something I’m so passionate about. The next morning, the then head of programming came in, gave me a coffee and I just started crying from exhaustion.”
Future of nightlife
Over the last few years, nightlife has been in a state of change across many UK towns and cities - and Belfast is no different. While some spaces have gone, such as the Art Department, other ventures are ongoing. Shine continues to attract big names, AVA is a flagship electronic festival and promoters Twitch will be marking their 17th birthday this Halloween. Conleth is optimistic about what happens next for the city and Banana Block.
“There’s always been an appetite for music and storytelling, it’s in the soul of the city, no matter what side you’re on,” he says. “With the work we’re doing at Banana Block, it’s about acknowledging the local people and giving them a voice.”
“I love taking my friends to Belfast, I get to show it off in such a positive light as 10 years ago it wasn’t like this.” he continues. “In the past, there would only be a handful of places. Now, it’s full of exciting new young people, promoters and events coming through.”
Visit bananablock.org for more information.
Instagram - Photos c/o Banana Block