Is Luxury Housing Killing London Nightlife?
London’s going through changes, and it doesn’t look like the good type of change either. The word gentrification has been bandied about more recently than ever. But what does it really mean? And what does it mean for our nightclubs?
The landscape of London clubbing is inevitably going to change over time but recently we’ve seen more clubs and pubs close quicker than you can say “get me a pint”. The word itself is a more dystopian way of saying ‘urban renewal’, which to be honest sounds like a bohemian idea where places like Hackney will have ‘community’ injected back into the streets. But this is hardly the case, urban renewal, gentrification, bastardisation or whatever you want to call it, in this case is when the young, creative types move into a ‘rough and ready’ area. They then add value to the area and then the media in turn claim that the place is better than sliced bread. Finally the wannabe’s with loads of money move there and increase housing costs due to the hype drummed up by over-excited journo’s. It also entices property developers to land grab and build overpriced property. This type of change is all sensationalism and is unfortunately in exchange for community, as the locals that have lived there for generations can’t afford even a drink in their local, let alone a new flat.
The influx of snooty trust fund kids that spend their winter skiing in France is becoming a risk to our freedom to dance in our clubs. The flats that already tower over our favourite clubs are complaining, demanding noise is kept to a minimum, as if they didn’t expect to hear the bass echoing the streets or a girl screaming for her mate at 6am. One clubber we spoke to, Grace said “I went to XOYO for the Skream residency one weekend and I thought the bouncers were extra sketchy about the noise, I was talking to a mate and they came over and said ‘please keep it down, we have neighbours”. Those exact neighbours are the ones they will be expecting a complaint to come from in the morning, threatening their existence once again.
One step in the right direction was the e-petition to ‘introduce mandatory noise complaint waivers for anyone who buys or rents a property within close distance of a music venue’. Although it’s now closed, it garnered a total of 43,085 signatures. However the reply from the Government is that the policy and legislation that is already in use is more than enough to allow communities to enjoy live music while managing the noise environment and without placing an unnecessary burden on businesses. They also set the bar pretty high with a minimum of 100,000 signatures needed before it is ‘considered’ for debate by the Backbench Business Committee.
In recent times we’ve seen Fabric face closure as their license was reviewed by Islington Council due to drug deaths. This showed not one but two things, that the council and police are using this as a scapegoat to close the club. But it also showed the solidarity and union amongst clubbers of which over 40,000 signed a petition that was created by Wil Benton on Change.org. He wrote at the time that, “To lose fabric has serious cultural and societal implications - not to mention economic (given it attracts a global clientele) - for both London and the UK.”
Fabric lovers from around the world soon commented with their opinions, Lionel Hill from LA said “Part of the reason I went to London was to go to Fabric. Being in a club that high quality that featured underground music instead of top 40 crap was a breath of fresh air. Newsflash - the world is hard to live in, stressful and busy and people are going to do drugs. You can either educate them or watch their ignorance kill them. Closing Fabric just means they'll be dying somewhere else.” And David Kennedy previous DJ at Fabric argued that “This is council-backed gentrification under the pretence of public safety and crime prevention.”
Added support came in swathes from social media like Facebook where the page ‘Save Fabric London’ was created and gathered more than 52,000 likes. This mass support of ravers felt like a virtual gathering of like-minded people, just like if we were all dancing in a field together listening to acid house during the 1988 Summer of Love.
However it is worrying that a club of such stature could come under threat as if it was just about to be snatched from us for good, just like that, overnight. Whilst we, the punters feel helpless to the change and only have faith in our fellow ravers.
We’ve even lost Plastic People in Shoreditch recently that was played out with a final set from Four Tet and resident DJ Floating Points. The reason for it closing is rather vague indeed with its founder Ade Fakile saying that it was nothing to do with licensing but rather management leaving. But would you really close such a notable club that has championed underground sounds for over 20 years, just because a prized member of staff was leaving? Or was it really closed because of pressure from the council due to continuous complaints from neighbours?
It seems Shoreditch has been hit pretty hard with other venues like Vibe bar closing, because of what the owner Allan Miller calls “excessive and unreasonable restrictions on our activity”. This area is the perfect example of gentrification, where it used to encourage the ‘young creatives’ to live as it was more affordable, it is now swamped full of brats, executives and anyone else that can afford the average rental value of £515 per week. Not me or you then.
In London the night time economy equals £66 billion surely showing that the shutting down and erosion of nightlife will sure have a long lasting and devastating effect if nothing is done about it soon.
Also for a country that puts itself so high on a pedestal above other places like Amsterdam and Berlin, we’re certainly not anywhere near their level of management or consideration when it comes to nightlife. Amsterdam along with other European countries elects a night mayor to patrol the streets and be a voice for clubs and ravers alike, his name is Mirik Milan. He names himself a ‘rebel in a suit’ and argues that “I come from the Amsterdam nightlife scene, if you want to change something you have to speak the same language. If I walk into the city hall wearing my cap back and pink glasses I won’t get anything done.” Private school educated, 40 something Politian’s commenting on our past times is similar to asking my 80 year old grandma what she thinks about nightlife and youth. Disillusion springs to mind. So it seems that Amsterdam has got it right in a sense, give the nightlife the same attention as day time activities like education. But even still the position Mirik Milan fills is voluntary, so perhaps shows that many areas still place little importance on their night time economy.
One of the most publicised examples of our nightlife deteriorating is the planned closure of Ministry Of Sound in Elephant and Castle. This ongoing battle has seen the club rally against plans to build a tower block nearby. Boris Johnson who wants to make “culture accessible for everyone” gave the go ahead for the work to continue. And states in his 2020 vision that Elephant and Castle is going to be transformed with over 4,000 new homes. Leaving us to ponder, what it will be next, The Coronet?
Although the developer, Oakmayne, has agreed to give the tower block acoustic protection and a ‘deed of easement’, who’s to say that people still won’t complain?
The tale of the Turnmills nightclub may be one that we will become much more accustomed to. The club was once owner of the first 24 hour license founded in part by Laurence Malice, but is now an office and retail complex worth £50-75 million. Its modernist, sparse detail is such a contrast to when it would have been packed full of sweaty bodies and vibrating bass.
Raving has long brought people of all types together, gay, straight, black, white, green, and red and so on. People oozing with love, high on ecstasy broke all type of boundaries especially in terms of racism and football hooliganism. So when we hear that clubs in London’s gay district Soho were under attack it’s very disappointing for the large community of clubbers.
The shutting down of Madame JoJo’s has been one of the most heart breaking closures to date, trading since the 1960s it became an emblem of the club scene mixing cabaret, house music and everything in between in equal measure, creating a name for itself that was loved by many. In this case one violent situation was enough argument for its license to be revoked.
Alex Proud, owner of the Proud bars in London has been a key commenter on the demise of Soho’s nightlife. He describes Soho as an emerging ‘Disneyland for grown-ups’ and argues that “you may still have a notion of Soho as all being like Brewer Street. This still has a fair number of adult shops on it – and, until recently, it was the address of Jojo's. However, very little of Soho is like this now. It’s much more about upmarket restaurants, trendy clothes shops, coffee bars and groovy office space. It’s now also very much about residential developments.” The killing of such a vibrant and entertaining part of London could foreshadow the future of the city, characterised by property developers, moneymen and corrupt government that have local council authorities in their pockets.
Just off Brewer Street is Rupert Street where The Yard, a gay courtyard pub and club, nestles between the great structures around it, almost like the walls have been closing in and squashing it. Its landlord, Hallmark Estates, wants to replace the 1880s Victorian stable with, guess what? Luxury flats. Luckily after much campaigning by the locals the council decided to refuse planning permission. Westminster City Council’s planning committee chairman Cllr Andrew Smith, said: “The evidence is compelling and we need to take heed of the objections raised by English Heritage and conserve this structure. It is an important aspect of Soho, it has historical interest, not only locally but for the wider city and beyond.”
Over in East London the Joiners Arms are no longer ‘up in arms’ about whether it is to stay on Hackney Road. The pub was given an Asset of Community Value by Tower Hamlets council which allows the pub time to raise funds for the property and then bid for it. It was unsure if the council were going to keep their promise with the LGBTQIA community and Joiners locals. But with much campaigning from the ‘Friends of The Joiners Arms’ group the council recent decided to uphold this title for the pub. Jackie Odunoye Service Head for Strategy Regeneration & Sustainability at Tower Hamlets council wrote, “I consider it realistic to think that there can continue to be an ongoing non-ancillary community use for the site which furthers the social well-being or social interests of the local community.” Congratulations to the Joiners Arms for putting two fingers up to gentrification.
No matter what way you look at it London is a place of great transition, we just have to accept that things change. Veteran clubber Hussaini argues that “I don't think the future of London clubbing looks bleak. There has been quite a bit of change but generally, only the negative things are publicised, good news is boring after all…We definitely still have one of best and largest clubs scenes worldwide. I can only comment on this from what foreigners have told me on the dance floor. There is nowhere like London, especially when it comes to clubbing.”
London would be a very dull, grey place without the colourful vibrancy of its night-time economy. But perhaps some parts of London are now too posh to party.
