IN PICTURES: Iconic entertainers who got Rayleigh moving at the Pink Toothbrush

Local favourites such as Depeche Mode have performed on the stage, while Boy George and the Culture Club also got revellers dancing the night away at the nightclub on Rayleigh High Street.

It is not just musicians who have headed to the Pink Toothbrush as actors James Buckley and Mathew Horne have made appearances as well.

Having first opened under the name Crocs in 1979, the club was renamed the Pink Toothbrush in the 1980s.

Famous face - Gavin & Stacey star Mathew Horne poses for the camera with Pink Toothbrush promoter Stuart Whiffen during a trip to south Essex

We have delved into the archive to find these eye-catching snaps of household names who got south Essex moving before the ongoing coronavirus pandemic changed how we live our lives and social distancing even became a thing.

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On the mic - former Happy Mondays lead singer Shaun Ryder headed to the Pink Toothbrush in 2008

Scroll down to see more eye-catching snaps of high-profile entertainers at the Pink Toothbrush through the years.

Headed to south Essex from the United States - American rapper Ice-T has gone on to star on the big screen since performing at the Pink Toothbrush

Strike a pose - KRS-One of Boogie Town Productions, the American hip hop band which enjoyed success in the late 1980s and early 1990s

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Focused ahead of going onto the stage - rock band EMF posed for the camera as they headed to the Pink Toothbrush for a gig

Making it a night to remember for revellers - Culture Club lead vocalist Boy George during a gig at the Pink Toothbrush

Local lad - actor and podcaster Scroobius Pip visited the Pink Toothbrush having been born in Stanford-le-Hope

Got fans moving - Basildon’s Depeche Mode, who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last month, performed at the Pink Toothbrush in the 1980s

Showing off - James Buckley, who played Jay Cartwright in the BAFTAwinning E4 sitcom The Inbetweeners, became a disc jockey for the night during a visit to Rayleigh Picture: KAREN CLIFFORD PHOTOGRAPHY

Usually found on the decks - American disc jockey Afrika Bambaataa got south Essex moving when he made the trip across the pond