London’s clubland is going through a ‘transitional moment’ with potential for the scene to change for the better, a club owner has said.
Dan Beaumont, owner of Dalston Superstore, pizza outlet Voodoo Ray’s and the recently defunct club Dance Tunnel, made the comments following a particularly turbulent time for London nightlife.
Fabric, London’s leftfield clubbing institution, has recently had its licence suspended following two drug-related deaths while Studio 338, a club in Greenwich, suffered a huge fire killing one staff member.
Dan said: ‘We are in a transitional moment for London’s night time culture - there are a lot of things converging, a lot of events happening right now. I feel that this is a moment where there could be a lot of change for the better.
‘We have a new mayor, the night tube is coming and the Night Time Industry Association is helping facilitate a discussion.’
He continued: ‘What’s happening with Fabric right now, where two people have actually lost their lives in the club, must spur all of us on. We must take a step back and think about how we can explore the problems and solutions in a new way but closing a well-managed and responsible venue is not the answer.’
A number of DJs including Daniel Avery, Chase and Status and Artwork have come out in support of Fabric, calling on London mayor Sadiq Khan to take action to help keep the club open.
The mayor has acknowledged the situation, tweeting: ‘I'm urging #Fabric, the Met & Islington to find an approach that protects clubbers' safety & the future of the club.’
The fate of Fabric is due to be decided in September. Look out for a Q&A with Dan exploring the challenges facing London nightlife in 2016.
Photo credit - Darrell Berry
Dan Beaumont, owner of Dalston Superstore, pizza outlet Voodoo Ray’s and the recently defunct club Dance Tunnel, made the comments following a particularly turbulent time for London nightlife.
Fabric, London’s leftfield clubbing institution, has recently had its licence suspended following two drug-related deaths while Studio 338, a club in Greenwich, suffered a huge fire killing one staff member.
Dan said: ‘We are in a transitional moment for London’s night time culture - there are a lot of things converging, a lot of events happening right now. I feel that this is a moment where there could be a lot of change for the better.
‘We have a new mayor, the night tube is coming and the Night Time Industry Association is helping facilitate a discussion.’
He continued: ‘What’s happening with Fabric right now, where two people have actually lost their lives in the club, must spur all of us on. We must take a step back and think about how we can explore the problems and solutions in a new way but closing a well-managed and responsible venue is not the answer.’
A number of DJs including Daniel Avery, Chase and Status and Artwork have come out in support of Fabric, calling on London mayor Sadiq Khan to take action to help keep the club open.
The mayor has acknowledged the situation, tweeting: ‘I'm urging #Fabric, the Met & Islington to find an approach that protects clubbers' safety & the future of the club.’
The fate of Fabric is due to be decided in September. Look out for a Q&A with Dan exploring the challenges facing London nightlife in 2016.
Photo credit - Darrell Berry
