London Clubbing… Where Is It Going?

OK, we have to preface this post with a little back history. The majority of My Cuppa T contributors are British, but either live outside of the UK or travel so much that we’re only on our little rock for a few weeks a year. But we know the deal; London is, and has been the premier worldwide clubbing location for several decades.

Throughout the late ’90s and early ’00s anyone involved in the scene bounced between Fabric, Ministry of Sound, Turnmills, The End, Gatecrasher, The Cross, Canvas and a variety of legal and illegal warehouse venues on our BIG nights. If we were taking it a little easy (say a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday!) then we’d hit one of the smaller venues that were just as cool and often hosted more intimate affairs with the same, incredible DJs that graced the big booths at the weekends.

It was the combination of these small, low ceilinged, super-snug venues interlaced with the gargantuan super-clubs that made London the hotbed for any type of club event. DJ Mag’s top 100 party, with Tiesto, Fatboy Slim, Paul Okenfold and Armand Van Helden’s egos all in one room? Absolutely - we’re off to Fabric. Small, nieche sound with obscure but brilliant Lithuanian DJ / Producer… no problem! That’s going to be somewhere more intimate like the iconic Plastic People.

The Curtain Road club, opened 16 years ago has been one of the open secrets of London’s underground scene. It’s cool as hell, many of the parties put on there have attained legendary status, and it has one of the best soundsystems in the city, if not the country.

So what is this… a public service announcement? We sort of. Plastic People, along with Ministry of Sound face very uncertain futures. These are two of the most influential locations in London entertainment. Both are steeped in history, having played integral roles in making London nightlife what it is. While Ministry of Sound faces the ever present ‘developer danger’ that closed the doors of The End last year, Plastic People faces legal issues following a Met Police application to Hackney Council to revoke their license on grounds of drug use and abuse of drink licensing laws. You can read more here.

Whatever your thoughts on the illicit nature of the Met’s alligations (and for what it’s worth - that’s all they currently are) or the potential for residential development in the heart of Elephant & Castle, you might want to get behind the campaigns to save both locations, before the quality of London’s scene is diluted once more.

Plastic People have a facebook campaign going here.

While MOS have their own petition available to sign on their website here.

Don’t leave it too late!