MxdwnUK reported at the end of last week that Fabric’s lawyers and owners were in ‘secret talks’ with the Council and the Police to try to agree a deal which would see the club re-open. Well, now such a deal has been reached that will see Fabric re-open, albeit with strict licensing conditions attached.
The club released a statement which has as its headline, ‘You saved Fabric’ before going on to say in full, ‘We owe everything to our supporters. We really would not be here today without your unparalleled support and generosity. So many different people stepped up to put their voices to our cause, artists from all corners of the music community, fellow promoters who have put on huge events from us and clubbers from around the world who all united behind us. We’ve even seen people sporting their #savefabric T-Shirts on the other side of this planet showing just how big this thing is. So, thank you to all of you. Without the strength of your backing this would not have happened. You saved Fabric. We’ll be back with some news about #saveourculture and our next steps when we can.’
New conditions on the club’s license as part of the agreement include a ban on under-19s at weekends, as well as a ‘zero tolerance’ drug policy – all of which is intended to help fulfil their promise that the club will operate to a ‘gold standard.’
Just as the reaction from the music community to the news that fabric would close was immediate and vociferous, so too has been the reaction to this latest development. Friction, Novelist, Katy B, Scuba, Daniel Avery and Loadstar all took to Twitter to voice their happiness following the decision. DJ Goldie, who had previously threatened to melt down his MBE in protest at the closure, also expressed his delight on the social network. Jon Hopkins went further, writing, ‘I want to DJ at @fabriclondon.’ Even Police Superintendent Nick Davies, of Islington police, referred to the significance of the venue for London’s music scene, stating, as The Independent reported, ‘I know Fabric is a venue that holds a great deal of affection in people’s hearts.’
Sadiq Khan, who along with Amy Lane, London’s ‘night czar’ – a position created by Khan – have supported Fabric throughout the process. Reacting to the decision, per The Guardian, he said, ‘I’m delighted that agreement has been reached and that Fabric will now reopen. The issues faced by Fabric point to a wider problem of how we protect London’s night-time economy, while ensuring it is safe and enjoyable for everyone. Over the past eight years, London has lost 50% of its nightclubs and 40% of its live music venues. This decline must stop if London is to retain its status as a 24-hour city with a world-class nightlife.’
Although, today’s news means that Fabric can re-open there is, as yet, no scheduled date for that to happen. Indeed, Time Out reports that the authorities stress that it is unlikely to be within the next few weeks. In a statement, they clarified that, ‘Fabric will not re-open until they [authorities] believe that they comply with their new conditions.’ Again, mxdwnUK will report on any further developments.
