Earlier this year, London’s beloved night club, Plastic People, closed its doors for good. Its closing came after that of Cable and Vibe Bar, as well as Fabric’s near miss with a license review in December. All this doesn’t bode well for the future of London’s club scene, and the Music Venues Taskforce has something to say about it.
“Around the world cities are competing with each other for talented young people and to retain those already there. In achieving this, cultural policy is as important as housing policy.” – Shain Shapiro, Sound Diplomacy
Assembled by Mayor Boris Johnson in March, the Music Venues Taskforce has several suggestions regarding the revival of their flopping nightlife industry. One such suggestion is the appointment of a ‘Night Mayor’ to act as a liaison between authorities and event organizers, in hopes that a closer relationship between the two would prevent further stifling of the industry. Other suggestions include creating a Music Development Board, and establishing Music Zones, but we prefer the idea of a caped champion of the night saving woeful clubbers from the tyranny of injustice… Hear, hear!
In all seriousness, it’s refreshing to see how much the city of London cares about its grassroots venues and understands their cultural importance. You can read the full proposal in London’s Grassroots Music Venues Rescue Plan (Page 29 includes the bit about a Night Mayor).
H/T EDM tunes
