It was one of the key places of Parisian nights. Between 1978 and the mid-1980s, Le Palace conquered all dancefloor lovers, bringing together celebrities and anonymous alike. A mythical place, shaped by a great figure of the night: Fabrice Emaer. Dans le Rétro immerses us in one of the most famous nightclubs in the capital.
He gathered all the night owls of Paris. Le Palace, formerly a cinema and theatre, located at 8 rue du Faubourg Montmartre, has succeeded in a major challenge: bringing together populations from the antipodes, provided that they have a sense of celebration and the desire to free themselves from codes. A magical place, unique even, that the businessman Fabrice Emaer has naturally succeeded in imposing.
A temple open to everyone
“First of all, it’s a theatre, which allows people to express their theatricality, to be both an actor and a spectator of themselves”, made a point of specifying Fabrice Emaer. And that’s what the night owls came looking for. Dancing, having fun, dressing up and forgetting yourself all night long, under the influence of the binary rhythms of a disco straight from New York parties.
In addition to the mad energy and the intoxication of this popular music which draws its roots from black American music, the exuberance of clothing fascinates and the freedoms it summons – sexual this time – attract all the crowds. “People who come to the Palace, it’s everyone. Because we don’t ask for people’s curriculum vitae at the entrance to a theater and because a theater must be a free place”, claimed Fabrice Emaer.
“The place to be”
Synonymous with crazy nights, Le Palace sets trends and reinvents itself. All daring is allowed, like wiggling on a disco background perched on roller skates. Roller-disco is launched and is a huge success. The celebrities will have their “Privilege”. A room in the basement is exclusively dedicated to them. Whatever the original intention (“a place for everyone”). The success is dazzling. Saturday night fever rages in Le Palace, which is becoming a must and establishing itself as “the place to be”. The whole of Paris throngs there, eager for whole nights of drunkenness.
Thierry Le Luron testifies: “I am a night owl, I like to live the night, I like to live my nights at the Palace, in particular”. Successful bet for the high priest of the night Patrice Emaer: the one who claimed to “sell a snobbish product to a popular public” succeeded in “selling a popular product to a snobbish public”.
Decline and rebirth
After a few prosperous years, glory and carelessness faded with the disappearance of Fabrice Emaer in 1983. The Palace survived for a while before sinking, under the backdrop of drug trafficking and risky management. The Guetta couple, who came to his rescue, will not be able to restore his letters of nobility.
In 1996, the discotheque which had long remained among the most fashionable in the capital was forced to bow out. Before the renaissance 15 years ago with a new renovated Palace, with 970 seats. The inauguration takes place on November 5, 2008, with the brand new show by Valérie Lemercier. What was the epicenter of Parisian nights has become a venue for shows and exhibitions. Last February, the hall on the Grands Boulevards took on the festive atmosphere of yesteryear. Stylist Hedi Slimane revived the spirit of his Parisian nights during the parade of the Céline Homme collection.