Electric Circus manager Jake Phillips shares touching tribute to founder Paul Glen
The Electric Circus founder will be remembered as a ‘man who connected hundreds, if not thousands of people with an institution built from the ground up, mostly by himself’.
SA News
Don't miss out on the headlines from SA News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The best friend of Adelaide nightclub icon Paul Glen has shared a heartbreaking tribute as the hospitality industry pays its respects to his legacy.
Mr Glen, 49, died after complications from a fall at home months after he was critically injured in a ute rollover at Eastwood in May.
Long-term business partner and friend Jake Phillips honoured the man he called a “mentor, a best friend, one of my biggest supporters” as the city’s night-life scene absorbs the news.
Mr Phillips, the managing director of Crippen Place which he worked alongside Mr Glen to build up over the years, said his friend “had the most trust in me and the people around him”.
“He believed in me, gave me the opportunity and became a second father figure to me, and a bloody good one to do it,” Mr Phillips shared on Instagram.
“I wouldn’t be the person I am without him, the maturity and confidence Paul trusted in me, allowed me to do and become the person I am today.
“His stories, knowledge, expertise, humbleness, trust, honesty, memory and not afraid to throw out the rule book and do it his way should be studied with a fine tooth comb.
“A man who connected hundreds, if not thousands of people with an institution built from the ground up, mostly by himself.”
He migrated from Scotland to Australia in 2000, initially working in construction, before he opened a record store called Electric Circus.
Alongside Mr Phillips, he built up Crippen Place over the past 21 years with venues such as Mr Kim’s, Limbo and Rocket becoming institutions for the late-night crowd.
Mr Glen was also a key figure in attracting big name acts such as Calvin Harris and Skrillex to Adelaide, as well as music festivals like Stereosonic.
“Everyone, in some way has been impacted by Paul’s generosity, mentality, knowledge or connection to what he loved, believed in and cherished so thoughtfully,” Mr Phillips said.
“Paul created a legacy in whatever he did. He was methodical, straight to the point and had a vision well before anyone else.
“His thought process second to none, always 10 steps ahead, always thinking of a different way of doing things, something I’ve tried to learn, but could never master like him.
“Paul was an incredible human being, sometimes misunderstood (probably the accent) and an incredible father to his children.”
“He was the strongest, he was the kindest, he was the proudest and he will be forever remembered for that.”
Adelaide festival and hospitality identity Stuart Duckworth said Mr Glen was the “catalyst for so many” who would be “dearly missed by many more”.
“You got me started on this journey and for that, I will be eternally grateful,” he shared.
“Hell we had a time. Rest easy brother.”
‘Resilient’ Adelaide teen chases Olympic dream after devastating diagnosis
When 13-year-old Kai was diagnosed with leukaemia, he had to stop everything that was normal for him and his mates - no sport, no school, no parties. But now, he has his eyes set on Olympic glory.
Get the sunscreen out: Adelaide set for blast of heat
Adelaide will finally get a taste of warmer weather this week with temperatures rising to the high 20s in some parts of the state.