THREE blacktip sharks swimming in a huge saltwater aquarium are hardly something one expects to find in a nightclub, but Club DV8 The Concept had exactly that.
Located at Kelab Syabas in Lorong Sultan, Petaling Jaya, DV8 offered a clubbing experience unlike any other.
It had MTV videos playing on its television screens, glittering disco balls hanging overhead, a sophisticated sound system and wide-ranging music selection.
Its longest-serving DJ Jason Koo described it as a trendy club ahead of its time.
Koo said DV8 drew crowds, including deejays from across the Klang Valley and neighbouring states, with its eclectic mix of R&B hits, New Wave, Acid House and mainstream House music.
Inspired by MTV, founders Edmund Tan and the late Charlie Chin brought a new dimension to the Klang Valley’s nightlife scene, outfitting the venue with a powerful Celestion sound system.
At the entrance were three face-up television screens beneath a Perspex-covered transparent walkway.
“We had those bulky TVs under the floor as well as 18 TV sets on the walls playing MTV videos,” said Koo.
“Back then, it was unlike anything else around. DV8 was an awesome place.
“Charlie envisioned a club far beyond an ordinary bar.”
Having spent many years in London before venturing into the local nightlife scene, Chin was heavily influenced by the British capital’s club culture, said Koo.
“Charlie brought back MTV music videos that were hugely popular in London clubs at the time.
“Together, he and Edmund became pioneers of the London-style clubbing experience in Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya.”
Koo said the duo’s first venture was Visuals Bar – a popular spot located in the basement of the legendary Club Phase 2 in Jalan Tun Razak.
“Although Visuals operated for only two years, it laid the groundwork for DV8, which enjoyed a successful run from 1989 to 2005,” he said.
Koo said clubs of the past were especially popular because they were among the few places where people could listen to the latest chart-topping hits.
“Back then, we did not have countless radio stations, MTV channels or streaming services at our fingertips,” he said.
“There was no pay-TV via direct-to-home satellite, hence access to new music was limited.
“If you wanted to hear the latest hits, discover new tracks or experience the music everyone was talking about, you went clubbing.
“For many people, clubs like DV8 weren’t just places to party.
“They were where you stayed connected to the latest music and trends,” he pointed out.
Koo said the name DV8 carried a deeper meaning than many realised.
“DV8 means ‘deviate’, or to stray from the norm.
“Charlie wanted the club to be different from other venues.
“It was about breaking conventions, pushing musical boundaries and giving party-goers an unforgettable night out,” said Koo.
He said DV8 attracted some of the best deejays in town at the time, including Bernzie (Bernard Tan), Khairul, Bernie, Mike, Nesh, John Dev and Remy.
The club, Koo recalled, attracted a glamorous crowd of flight attendants, pilots and young professionals.
“After their shifts, many of those working at Subang airport would head to DV8 to relax and enjoy the music.
“The airline crew were always the best dressed.
“They would come in wearing clothes they had picked up during their travels abroad, bringing a touch of international glamour to the place,” said Koo, who fondly remembered receiving vinyl records from some of them.
When Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Sepang became the country’s main international airport replacing Subang, it marked the end of an era.
“When the airport moved, the nightlife scene in Petaling Jaya slowed down.
“One could feel the difference almost immediately.
“Charlie and Edmund realised the crowd was changing, and adapted with the times.
“A younger generation started coming through the doors, dressed in torn and baggy jeans, oversized T-shirts and sweaters.
“The faces were different, the fashion had changed and the music evolved, but DV8 remained a place where people came together to have a good time,” Koo reminisced.
DJ John Dev, better known as JD, who joined DV8 as a resident deejay in 1998, said he spent most nights there after work between 1993 and 2000.
“I loved that club. It was my second home,” he said.
“Even after my gigs, I would head to DV8. It stayed open till late, so there was always somewhere to go when the rest of the city had gone quiet,” John Dev recalled.
He remembers the club as a place for good times though it had its moments when troublemakers would wreak havoc.
“Once a notorious gangster caused trouble and broke the iconic 10ft by 3ft aquarium.
“DV8 was the only club that dared to push the boundaries of music.
“It ‘deviated’ from all the music played at other clubs.
“It charted its own course, always educating the crowd about new music even before it hit the charts,” added John Dev.
