On September 7, iconic London nightclub Fabric was forcibly closed after a six hour licensing hearing at Islington Town Hall, wherein a subcommittee debated whether or not a revocation of the venue’s license was a necessary measure to prevent further drug-related fatalities. Ultimately moving to revoke Fabric’s license, the sub-committee ruled, “There is a culture of drugs at Fabric which management cannot control.”

Fabric have now provided an official statement in response to the sub-committee’s ruling, opposing the notion that their forced closure would prevent further deaths such as the fatalities of two 19-year old men earlier this summer:

“fabric is extremely disappointed with Islington Council’s decision to revoke our license. This is an especially sad day for those who have supported us, particularly the 250 staff who will now lose their jobs. Closing fabric is not the answer to the drug-related problems. Clubs like ours are working to prevent, and sets a troubling precedent for the future of London’s night time economy.”

Fabric’s response is very similar to Pasquale Rotella’s response to Los Angeles County’s proposed rave ban in 2015, which reacted to the deaths of two young women at that year’s HARD Summer Music Festival. Like LA’s proposed ban on raves, Islington Council’s decision is rooted in prohibitive measures. However, unlike the proposed rave ban, Islington Council’s ruling has passed.

Numerous DJs and Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) Chairman Alan Miller have vowed to continue fighting for Fabric. Currently, it remains unseen what impact Fabric’s closure will have on club culture and drug policy in Britain and abroad, and what precedents Islington Council’s decision will set.

Via: Mixmag. 

Read More:

Fabric will close its doors indefinitely after losing its license

Fabric to reassess safety procedures in light of drug-related deaths

London’s mayor responds to the outpouring of support for the city’s Fabric nightclub

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