Pont Aeri

An airplane staircase and a flight of over twenty years

The name Pont Aeri was born in Terrassa on December 5, 1991, when Ramón Escudero opened a venue whose metal airplane boarding staircase connected two floors. What started with commercial sessions ended up becoming, thanks to Nando Dixkontrol, Pastis, Buenri and, since 1997, the brothers DJ Skudero and Xavi Metralla, the great Catalan temple of mákina. The house compilations topped the charts: Pont Aeri vol. 2 reached number 7 in Spain in 1996 and Flying Free, featuring Marian Dacal, became a dancefloor anthem. The most demanding audience of the genre often compared it to the Thunderdome phenomenon in the Netherlands.

The macro-club in the El Molinot industrial estate

After Terrassa, the macro-venues in Manresa (2000-2001) and Traiguera (2000-2002), in April 2002 the brand landed between Vallgorguina and Sant Celoni, in the El Molinot industrial estate. It was the largest venue, with a capacity of about 2,700 people and three environments: the Sala Macro for hardcore, the Sala 92 for mákina revival and a chill out area, plus a terrace for the 12-hour parties. From exit 11 of the AP-7, every Saturday the venue operated as a pilgrimage for a scene that no longer fit in the city.

The four of a kind and the Traxtorm nights

In Vallgorguina the resident core was the four of a kind: Skudero, Metralla, DJ Sonic and DJ Sisu, with DJ Batiste joining in 2008. The dancefloor shifted strongly towards hardcore and gabber without letting go of mákina. International lineups passed through there such as Angerfist, Paul Elstak, Art of Fighters, The Stunned Guys, Miss K8, DJ Korsakoff or Evil Activities, and nights from the Italian label Traxtorm Records. The motto Un somni de pocs, una realitat de molts summarized a community that called itself a big family.

The last Saturday of 2012

In August 2012 Escudero, also president of the Barcelona nightlife employers' association, announced the closure due to the VAT increase from 8% to 21% and the drop in attendance. Three farewells closed the cycle: Terrassa on December 15, Manresa and Traiguera on the 21st, and on December 22, 2012 the last session in Vallgorguina. The building continued as the Eleven nightclub until the municipal sealing in June 2019; today it is a City Council warehouse. The brand continues to tour other venues, but the physical El Molinot nightclub no longer opens.