UK Clubs closing at an alarming rate

IMHO...
People are a lot more awere of big names and events and now after been exposed to them they prefer something special occasionally than somthing bland every week.

25 years ago, a lot of "club" DJs were also wedding DJs and it was not out of the norm to hear Wham late on a sat night.

18 years ago I started to go to MOS london and Ibiza. For me this was an eye opener. I learnt how to structure my DJ sets based on this then took that back to my home town.

I'll never forget one night I got chatting to one girl that was not enjoying it so I tryed to find out why. I asked this 20 year old or so girl: so when you go out propperly clubbing... where do you go? She looked funny at me and said Yates's my hart sank.

Fast forwards 15 years or so...

A lot of people only went to the "Fun Pubs" in Ibiza's west end and Magaloof ventured out after seeing Ibiza uncovered and went to the big clubs Manumission Cream and BCM... + others at home.

At this time the rise of the "Superstar DJ" realy kicked in, befor then a "Superstar DJ" would of been R1's Steve Wright and most people would not know who David Morales, Roger Sanchez were.
Also at this time social media and access to celebrities changed.

People are a lot more aware of big special events and all these new stars are. How many of the old "Yates's" crew have now been to see David Guetta at Pacha or Avicii at Ushuaia, suddenly a Saturday night at Yates's has lost a bit of it's shine.
 
Timmy Sheridan was on about this on Facebook, pointing out that clubs have closed not because a lack of demand, but because they are being squeezed out for property developer profits. And a rightwing press telling you there is no demand, is just pushing that agenda. And as more luxury flats are built, more noise complaints close more licensed premises. It's a vicious circle, like a hula hoop with a flick knife.

Certainly, Turnmills, The Cross and The End weren't lacking numbers when they closed. When that clown Duckett (in the clip above I posted above) cites festivals as helping to close clubs, I say he's got it arseways. The number of people attending dance orientated festivals just show how much of a market there is.

The rise of TENS again shows people want to go out to dance, and local authorities encourage them to do so in places with no security of tenure, lest a buck might be turned by building on the site sometime soon.
 
Buckley said:
Timmy Sheridan was on about this on Facebook, pointing out that clubs have closed not because a lack of demand, but because they are being squeezed out for property developer profits.
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This, or at least certainly in London. The first wave of closures, Turnmills, The End, The Cross, Canvas etc were lost to a wave of property developments just before the credit crunch...and a lot of the recent scalps, Cable, Crucifix Lane are down to the big Crossrail development - those were all clubs built into railway arches.

The result, more clubbers flock to Fabric and then they cop the flack because more clubbers and longer opening hours means more of the issues that come with that...meaning they are potentially under threat and under more scrutiny than ever.

Slight encouragement lately in that XOYO and Oval Space are doing things right and looking to expand with new venues. You still couldn't say that London is struggling, there is a vibrant scene.

In terms of the smaller towns I guess there is more of a problem. I was very lucky in the sense that there was a very vibrant scene in my hometown when I grew up and there was a great record shop and a good club putting on good music on a weekly basis...

We'll see what happens, but would more of an underground scene be a bad thing? For me smaller, lower key venues means cheaper nights out, a better crowd and the best music/vibe. That's what we'll get if we keep losing clubs at this rate, it'll all still happen somewhere else and come full circle?
 
elmooreo said:
This, or at least certainly in London. The first wave of closures, Turnmills, The End, The Cross, Canvas etc were lost to a wave of property developments just before the credit crunch...and a lot of the recent scalps, Cable, Crucifix Lane are down to the big Crossrail development - those were all clubs built into railway arches....
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Something I was never aware of the first time I lived in London was just how active the illegal rave scene is here.
Yes it's mostly full of kids and it's Drum & Bass nights (not the ones where I feel safe going to as well), but they do exist.
This may get bigger and the clubs continue to shut. Could we go full circle?
 
It's worth noting that 2005 was the when the Licensing Act 2003 came into effect. So 'clubs' which were just late drinks after the pubs may well have suffered. Again, in London, Irish dancehalls, like Ashtons and the Galtymore would have suffered when the Cricklewood and Kilburn pubs that fed them could open longer.
 
Buckley said:
It's worth noting that 2005 was the when the Licensing Act 2003 came into effect. So 'clubs' which were just late drinks after the pubs may well have suffered. Again, in London, Irish dancehalls, like Ashtons and the Galtymore would have suffered when the Cricklewood and Kilburn pubs that fed them could open longer.
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I know in Bristol that a lot of people stay in places like Lloyds No 1 rather than move on to the clubs as they are cheaper to drink in and play roughly the same style as music (commercial) compared to the likes of Syndicate or Oceana\Pryzm.
 
Ikoda said:
When are you out in Ibiza this year?
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Already been for 4 nights over R1 weekend. Will write a review when i find time.
Do have flights for the end of IOT week but work is looking like i'll be too busy to make it. We shall see.
 
It's all about Property Developers ie the cancer currently killing London.

And yuppies moving into an area and then getting long-established venues closed down for noise!!!!

Massive campaign to save Hackney from spastic new licensing hrs. Midnight shutdown! You WHAT?!
 
BEEFA1 said:
Quite shocked at this in birmingham it is buzzing at the scene.

Digbeth, you have rainbow warehouse(free entry frpm 4pm -10pm). Lab11 next door, blackbox.

Loco dice, seth troxler, eats everything, mk, hannah wants, waff, hector cueto,played recently.

Then you got local events like glas, MADE, Dave rave. Which is house/techno

I dont bother with broad st now. Usual pubs/bars i.e walkabout etc.

Save for the rave
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Yep birmingham is buzzing for club nights, always a choice to be made each weekend!!
 
I was under the impression The End was not forced to close. Mr C and Layo sold up

Although it may well have been because of a giant carrot dangled by property developers..
 
MiniMarc said:
I was under the impression The End was not forced to close. Mr C and Layo sold up

Although it may well have been because of a giant carrot dangled by property developers..
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I thought this too, something about an offer that was too good to refuse.
 
Pablo Montez Junior said:
It's all about Property Developers ie the cancer currently killing London.

And yuppies moving into an area and then getting long-established venues closed down for noise!!!!

Massive campaign to save Hackney from spastic new licensing hrs. Midnight shutdown! You WHAT?!
Click to expand...

Thionk this is one of the few times I'll agree with you!
 
white_isle_calling said:
We'll be back in fields with impromptu sound systems and keeping a look out for the old bill within the next decade! Writing is on the wall for clubbing as our generation knows it.
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I'm in :D ... beats fighting your way out of Paddington in the morning !

Ikoda said:
Lots of the venues I liked the look of in London (e.g. Cable) are gone and won't come back.
It makes me ponder... are we getting to the point where club nights are going to be in the bigger cities only? That the smaller towns just won't have anything.
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They rarely did have anything that lasted !
 
Anyone reckon the soon-to-be night tube will help stem the flow of closures (in London at least). If the thinking behind it is to support London as a 24 hour city then surely a large beneficiary would be the capital's nightclubs. Seems incongruous to go through the rigmarole of starting this up to then do nothing about legislation that is forcing the closure of venues whose patrons will be a large proportion of those using the night tube.

As a west Londoner, I'm very much looking forward to it, no more clock-watching. Had too many nights where I've been sprinting for the last tube home or stood forlornly with all the wreck-heads huddling for warmth outside elephant and castle tube waiting for the Sunday service to start.
 
I think it's a bit of a red-herring to be honest. Whilst I welcome it's arrival, I don't think we're going to see many clubbers "club-hopping". The odd few will, sure. But it'll be a drop in the ocean.

Most club nights on Saturday night looking at £20+ entrance as it is. Few will wish to pay 2 lots of admission.

It'll help getting home or to after parties, but will the clubs benefit - probably not. Actually, they may well suffer as clubbers will arrive later if they know they can rely on the tube as opposed to a cab.
 
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