Maximes

Maximes was Wigan’s other big night out. It was up on the first floor on Standishgate in the town centre, in the same building that had been Tiffany’s back in the 70s and 80s. Later on it became Cube.

It had two lives. On one side it was a proper rock venue. From 1990 right through to 2007 it put on melodic rock and AOR gigs that people travelled a long way for, with the likes of Magnum, Tygers of Pan Tang, Danger Danger, Kip Winger and Dokken all playing there, up to the Z Rock festival in 2007.

On the other side it was a bounce club. The weekends were all about bouncy house and back to the old skool nights, with MCs over the top of every tune, plus Boxing Day all-nighters and New Year’s Eve nights. In October 2007 the Maximes lot brought back the original Monroes crew for a reunion, with Pete Daley, Jacko, Stempy, Tomm and OSC on the decks and MCs Blaze, Roach and Whitey.

The club’s long gone now. The building went up for rent in 2016, and there are plans to turn it into flats and self storage. The music hasn’t gone anywhere though. Maximes vs Monroes reunion nights still come round, and the CDs are still knocking about.

Did you go? Share your rave memories with us.