Amidst the recent uproar and social media furore upon its closure, Fabric nightclub in Kings Cross has been granted a new license to open its doors once again. Opening in October 1999, the super-club has become a mainstay, pivotal venue for British dance music, making stars out of struggling up-and-coming DJs and performers. The 25.000 square ft venue has been shaping the underground and commercial dance music culture of London for a generation, and the only one of its kind to have a ‘body-sonic’ dance floor and employed nearly 250 people, all of whom were fired when the club closed in September.
The club was closed after police carried out undercover surveillance following the drug related deaths of Ryan Brown, 18, in June, and Jack Crossley, also 18, in August. The police reported a huge lack of control on drug dealing within the venue, and the deaths were the fifth and sixth since 2011. Amy Lame, the Labour Mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s new ‘night tsar’, has broadly been praised for her part in saving the club, becoming involved in secret talks since its September closure to reach a new agreement.
Addiction recovery website UK-Rehab.com has said, “With drug addiction rising through increased recreational use of cocaine, the UK has recently been dubbed the ‘Cocaine capital of Europe’ with over 4% of 18-24 year olds admitting having taken the drug in the last year.”
Increased recreational drug use is associated with causing the regular and dependent use of illicit substances and alcohol, and this is a concern due to the 34% of cuts to alcohol recovery programs across the NHS over 2015-16 which is said to be saving the government two billion pounds.
A spokesman for well known website Addictionhelper.com says, “While drug use is nothing new in the dance music scene, it was clear that Fabric certainly need to shape up on its dealings with illegal and legal highs.”
As part of the new license agreement, the club have agreed to raise the age on its doors to strictly over-19s. To make sure this is sustainable, ID screening devices are to be installed prior to the relaunch nights which will see a massive amount of public support.
Fabric is one of many near casualties of the London nightlife scene. Serious about saving the legacy of this iconic venue, they are serious about cutting out the drugs too. As part of the licence to reopen they have agreed to impose a life-time ban on anyone caught taking drugs and they are upping their monitoring and covert surveillance. London has lost 50% of all its night clubs past six years due to new developments, redevelopment programmes, bankruptcy and rent increases, so the welcoming back of Farringdon’s most famous night spot will come as music to 150,000 petitioning clubbers’ ears.