Paul Hamon and Heaven Nightclub
Heaven became Paul Hamon’s redemption ground after his partnership with Nathan “Bof” Hughes fell apart. It was Megan Clancy who got him involved at the West Terrace venue, and that connection changed everything. “That was a turning point,” Paul recalls, “because around the same time, I decided to launch my first Anthems show.”
Working alongside John Moly, Paul threw himself into programming Heaven’s regular nights. They ran shows on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, “keeping the scene alive week after week.” The venue became home to events like Clubland Chemistry and Twice as Nice—nights that defined Adelaide’s late-90s dance culture.
Clubland was Heaven’s signature Saturday night, while Chemistry drew the Thursday crowd. These weren’t just random club nights; they were carefully curated experiences featuring the legends of Adelaide’s early rave scene. “The nights were packed with people reliving the old-school sound,” Paul remembers, “and most of the DJs were the original legends from the early days: Brendan, Angus, Jace—who was a Heaven regular—Phil Hardy and more.”
By this time, Anthems had evolved beyond just another event—it was a brand. Paul recalls Marco selling branded jackets and t-shirts in the Heaven car park like hotcakes. The venue’s 2,500-person capacity regularly filled with punters hungry for the old-school sounds that Paul and his crew served up religiously.
Heaven also hosted international acts like Carl Cox and Tiësto, raising Adelaide’s profile on the global dance music map. But for Paul, it was always about the local community. “It was all about celebrating that era of music,” he says of those Heaven years, “and for a while, it was perfect.”
The venue became Paul’s base of operations until 2001, when he finally walked away from the Adelaide scene entirely, leaving behind a legacy that would eventually resurface with Anthems Resurrection years later.