Says Costi: "My business partner owned the building two doors down and so we converted it from an Italian restaurant and then purchased the building in between, to create an entertainment venue."
The result is that they not only have one giant piece of real estate (with a roof terrace) but can bridge between the restaurant and their vibrant new live and dance venue - via a conservatory area which is used for wedding receptions and private events.
The Bar-Celona MD brought in local installers CPM to specify and design a sound system built around Martin Audio's AQ range. This would not only service the needs of the DJ's, who play out to the 350-capacity club from Thursday to Sunday, but also the Wednesday night karaoke/open mic performers and occasionally live bands.
Within this long narrow rectangle, CPM's Trevor Brooks has installed a pair of two-way AQ15s, flown left and right of the stage, reinforced by a pair of S215 subs. Further down the room a combination of AQ8s and AQ5s have been installed, while the system presets satisfy the decreasing volume requirements, back towards the door.
Visually the venue is brought alive by LED décor lighting, providing a striking feature down the long bar front and the DJ console, while LED spots off the front truss provide the stage with production lighting. A Sanyo projector fires DVD footage and sports events from terrestrial TV onto the back wall, and the owners have sensibly provided Nintendo Wii games as an additional form of entertainment.
(Jim Evans)
