London is a complete melting pot when it comes to diversity and culture which is constantly shifting towards a higher state of modernity in all aspects of its society including a particular focal area for many of its occupants, its nightlife. This in particular has had a devastating effect on a wealth of music venues that have been subject to make changes or face the harsh consequences of the law. Some of which were venues embedded into the patchwork of communities, and recognised as entertainment beacons which have now been ripped out callously to conform to gentrification of the city. Those that remain open which is a number that continues to decrease are swamped with licensing regulations and guidelines to find a sensible urban balance.
Previous Vibe Bar owner, Allan Miller chose to close down his lively location on Brick Lane through his own decision, which indicates the levels of strain independent venues are especially faced with nowadays. In response to the closure he released the following statement.
'For a country that was once one of the coolest destinations in the world, we seem to have allowed a situation where the very thing often provides the glue for our most creative industries – nightlife – to come under attack.” It is the independent organisations rather than the big chains that are suffering the most, of which played host to some of London’s best underground parties for years including Crucifix Lane, Cable and Vibe Bar. From looking at the demise of these venues alone, it shows that the little people are getting maliciously pushed aside at the expense of London’s rich culture.'
Underground parties in London are specifically designed to unite people with mixed genders, ethnicities and sexual orientations and most importantly a true love of music. They are generally absent of violence and they provide a place where a wealth of people can enjoy a shared experience in a controlled environment. However, this is not a perception that is shared with authorities who envisage a torrent of drug use, anti-social behaviour and noise pollution and therefore operate above the independent and fairly helpless minorities.
Photo by Toi Toi Musik
It would be naïve to deny that drug use is happening and of course it is illegal but it has become commonplace in music society and culture now so therefore it needs to be accepted and controlled, whereas attempting to shut down venues because of that reason as an influence alone is illogical. There is yet to be a nightclub closure due to drug use alone apart from the partial absence of 93 Feet East in 2012. The Brick Lane venue faced a licensing crackdown referred to as ‘Operation Condor’ involving 175 officers descending onto the club. Considered a ‘success’ five people were arrested on suspicion of possessing Class A drugs, not dealing them, as well as the owner also being concerned in the supply of drugs. This incident alone represents a waste of public resources and is a radical example of an authoritarian warped view on illegal activity in nightclubs, when there is far worse illegal activity outside of these environments. But this isn’t the significant issue that has been at the forefront of the closure of London venues...
Numerous nightclubs in the past including Crucifix Lane and Cable have faced battles with leading railway authority Network Rail to continue to operate against plans of redevelopment. As stated by Crucifix Lane in a previous press release “Network Rail are coming in to batten down the hatches and take control of the space to make way for the London Bridge station expansion” which is the same fate that was suffered by railway arch club Cable. Both closures have significantly been a huge loss for the clubbing community as a whole. The tables have turned drastically as Central London has become a wasteland stripped of a majority of its iconic venues that used to personify city clubbing, forcing revellers to relocate to other parts of London that are paving the way for discerning promoters and partygoers.
The baton has now been passed to East London, and namely Hackney which has lifted the electronic music scene out of a swamp of negativity and revolutionized a non-refined style of clubbing in a flourishing part of the city. It has rapidly become the new hub for a host of unique venues including Shapes, the Laundry, Studio Spaces E1 and Hoxton Gallery, which are all multi-purpose venues that have expanded from being essential spaces for the arts and culture to now accommodate for some of London’s most reputable underground parties, which as you can guess has been taken advantage of...
Rob James, DJ and producer of Bar 512 stated ‘East London initially appealed to me because of its wide range of diversity and different people which all come together through arts, crafts, food and music creating a community which for me is refreshing.
He added ‘I know what a venue means to some people and how it can make people relate, I guess you have to be unique and a little bit different in some ways. The main word is ‘team’ I think, you can have any space but it’s not just about that. From the toilet attendant, through to the bar staff, security and venue owner, it’s never just about one person.’
Bar 512
As a location that is rapidly evolving and is forward thinking, uniqueness is critical for venues in Hackney, especially with an influx of new places where people can go to dance. With such a creative community of people, it is almost a playground, which if utilized properly becomes a place brimming with opportunity. Whether it be weekly, bi weekly or monthly events, Hackney pretty much has all bases covered and if you’re reading this, you probably know what I mean…
With the demise of some of the most iconic venues the city had to offer, Hackney has become the saving grace for London, and exceeded other current locations as it has embodied a variety of arts, crafts, food and music at events including Half Baked, in particularly. With day parties at their disposal, which are stripped of any licensing issues, there are opportunities to present a full bodied experience that is made up of more than just the music, which has become a familiar format especially for the fun loving East London based party outfit. It seems that more and more DJ’s are attracted by what East London has to offer, and want to be part of the ‘East London underground music community’ which has changed considerably since the halcyon days of illegal warehouse raves.
Isis Salveterra who co-runs Toi Toi Musik explained, ‘London is a school of life. Being in one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world has its price because it means it is also the thriving economic centre of Europe, which means it is an expensive city to live in. Those that brave through it and make it get the best cultural and diverse exchange there is in terms of sub-culture.’ In terms of the shift in the electronic music scene, East London has significantly become a sub-culture for underground music events, and more specifically, Hackney has rapidly become an icon for nightlife individuality.
Looking forward at electronic music events in London, one specific area recently springs to mind which is the recent addition of ‘free event’s which are causing negative implications to respectable events and venues. Very recently, two individuals were stabbed at a secretsundaze event at Studio 338, however this incident was completely out of both the venue and promoters hands. More significantly, an external ticket agency provided free admission to the event, which undeniably defeats the whole purpose of crowd control. Promotion companies such as secretsundaze and venues such as Studio 338 have worked intensively to manage this particular area of their parties, which is why free admission to events is poisonous for a music scene that was built on unity.
Dan Perrin, manager of Studio 338 said, ‘Top quality parties with sought after acts are very rarely going to offer free of charge admission as the economics of that doesn't work. So people will be able to choose between something free and fun or a big night to see their favourite acts. If people are not happy to pay the price of entry you're either charging too much or not offering something that's worth the ticket!’
This is perfectly understandable as logically, people will pay for an event or even pay full price if they want to go to it, which is why events such as secretsundaze have built their reputation on providing a carefully comprised crowd. More importantly, why should discerning lovers of electronic music have to pay amongst a sea of other individuals who could be better described as party crashers. I’m not saying that we need to implement extreme Berghain door policies in every venue in London, but free admission companies need to be eradicated for underground music events because it makes crowd control almost impossible. However, issues such as this as well as licensing can be overcome.
London is a chameleon when it comes to nightlife. It is always rapidly evolving and hard to keep up with unless you can keep your finger on the pulse. As one of the most exciting cities in the world, if not ‘the’ most exciting, you will be hard pushed to find better listings each and every weekend than what London offers. Despite turbulent periods that are inevitably going to occur in such a vast and evolving environment, it is one step ahead in the electronic music community and continues to be, embodying culture, diversity and of course individuality.
By Sam Quilter
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