Good times, bad times

"The music will live forever, and A. O., the richest man in Spain, will not." A. O. are the initials of Amancio Ortega, and the quote brought an official end to the Madrid nightclub Ocho y Medio, which closed its doors in April for the last time ever, after 11 years of existence. Its venue, Sala Flamingo, which was located in a side street of Gran Vía, has been bought by Inditex, the parent group of the Zara chain, among others, and will soon be converted into a clothing store. But it will be remembered as a temple of danceable pop music - and also as the place where Lady Gaga gave her first concert in Spain, to an audience of just 200 people.

There are plenty of other places in Madrid like Ocho y Medio, which have ceased to exist. Some spring up in other venues, while others opt to reinvent themselves. Here are a few examples.

Rock Palace. There was never a good vibe between Norah Finlay and the Madrid city council. "I was an American wearing a leather jacket who turned up there to sort out paperwork, and I get the feeling they took advantage of me," explains Norah, a tall, red-headed guitarist aged 46. "They never really understood what Rock Palace was." Last month Norah was cleaning out the building on Vara del Rey street, which was home to her business for 16 years. Until, that is, it closed down at the end of March, having become one of the most emblematic rehearsal rooms in the city. "I can't lose any more money," says Norah, who has fond memories of when the venue opened for the first time. "We met all the council's requirements, but we didn't get our license until the last minute. That day we opened the doors, served plenty of cold beer, and played a set with my band, Pleasure Fuckers, as loud as possible," she recalls.

Siroco. This venue has temporarily closed after 21 years. "It's for a spruce up," says one of its owners. They signed off with an impressive act: Pereza, who usually play to stadium crowds, but returned to the tiny stage where they were born.

Agapo. In the mid-1980s, in a bar in Madera street, an eclectic group of rockers would get together, including Camarón, Johnny Thunder and Joe Strummer. Agapo was closed down by the police at the beginning of the 1990s, but will be back on May 8. The Agapo Flashback Experience will take place on May 8 in Rock Kitchen (Fundadores street), in a bid to recreate the magic of the original venue. "It all started with a playlist on [music website] Spotify," explains Santi Camuñas, one of the partners behind the venture. "The list started with 20 songs you would always hear there, and then grew to 1,200 songs."

Bogui Jazz. After 28 months of enforced closure, Bogui (Barquillo, 29) reopened in February. As well as live jazz concerts, the venue has introduced Bogui Night, with Madrid's best DJs playing funk and soul.