As the popularity of large scale music festivals increases, the ability for more conventional nightclubs to maintain the necessary amount of business to stay afloat is becoming more and more difficult to achieve. The effects of this transition are especially being felt in places like London, where a significant portion of the area’s economy rests on the longstanding nightlife circuit. With the closure of some of its most notable and foundational venues like Dance Tunnel, Plastic People and Power lunches, the city is more in need of rescue than ever before, Dazed Digital reports.
The online publication recently published a series of short guest contributions from members of the London club scene, focusing on their personal ideas regarding its current state and possible solutions toward salvaging its future. Club owners, promoters, writers and others were each given a short platform to voice their ideas and feelings, culminating in what is now a comprehensive and important collection of perspectives that serve as a valuable look into the sentiment behind the industry’s gradual decline.
Sadiq Khan, recently elected Mayor of London and first actively affiliated Muslim in charge of a major Western capital, was one such contributor. In his brief section, he expressed a clear concern for the state of the city’s nightlife. He doesn’t want participants to go elsewhere or be forced to bring their scene underground, he said. He plans to implement an “agent of change” principle, wherein the necessity to soundproof establishments will fall on housing developers rather than small bars or clubs, he continued. This way, the responsibility will be lifted from such venues who may not be able to afford the associated costs.
“A third of London’s small music venues have closed since 2007, damaging our city’s cultural offering and having a negative effect on jobs and the economy. I will make it more difficult for redevelopment to result in the closure of heritage and cultural venues by strengthening the London Plan.”
Khan plans to mimic Amsterdam and appoint a “Night Czar” who will act as a strong voice for the city’s nightlife scene in City Hall, he said. His goal is to make London a 24-hour city, he continued, something that the previous Mayor was never able to realize during his time in office.
“I want London to be a 24 hour city so I will make the night tube a priority. We have waited too long for the promises made by the previous Mayor to become a reality, but ensuring it is up and running as quickly as possible once I am in City Hall will be invaluable in helping to save London’s night life. We can save London’s iconic club scene, which draws thousands of visitors to the capital, generates jobs and helps ensure our city remains prosperous, vibrant and dynamic. I will be the Mayor to do just that.”
To read Dazed‘s full report, click here.
Source: Dazed Digital
