Fabric loses it's license - Closes doors for good

ubern00b · 7 Sep 2016 at 10:08

I am pretty sure I know the reception this thread will get on these forums but lets give it a try. Anyone else here a Fabric regular and had to wake up to the news this morning that Islington council has revoked their license and their doors are to remain shut, indefinitely?

http://mixmag.net/read/fabric-news
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-e...laces-are-where-we-get-inspired-a7229436.html
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/lond...djs-in-fury-over-fabric-closure-a3338531.html
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/sep/05/fabric-nightclub-closure-uk-nightlife-drugs-death

I for one am truly gutted. I have spent almost all of its open years at the club starting with my 21st birthday and carrying on all through my 30's (I am 35 currently) so it is a big part of my life. It is just as big a part of the lives of the artists that play there regularly, were discovered there and it contributes and curates a massive part of London's music culture and even heritage.

Yes there is a drug problem but it is not endemic to JUST Fabric. Any club these days is rife with with issue. Instead of closing down a club because of it, tackle the problem at it's source, or at least a little higher up the food chain than at the end user. However, people are going to do what people do and there is very very little that you can do to stop them.

Anyway, it is a sad day for London's nightlife and clubbers at large.

Tone1979 · 7 Sep 2016 at 10:12

I am utterly gutted.

such a great club, so unique.

neil_g · 7 Sep 2016 at 10:13

It's a shame.

People have been sneaking substances into clubs for ~~years~~ decades, short of strip searching everyone it is not going to stop. It is certainly not the clubs fault that these people chose to flout the law. Hell what's stopping them consuming substances before getting into the club and then collapsing.

Rumour is that the area has been earmarked for redevelopment for some time, maybe it was the excuse the local authority needed..

GAC · 7 Sep 2016 at 10:14

neil_g said:
It's a shame.

People have been sneaking substances into clubs for ~~years~~ decades. It is certainly not the clubs fault that these people chose to flout the law. Hell what's stopping them consuming substances before getting into the club and then collapsing.

wasn't it staff supplying drugs in the club though when it got raided by the police ? thats a bit more than people sneaking stuff in.

MookJong · 7 Sep 2016 at 10:14

Never went but used to love some of the Live mix CDs they produced. Deadly avenger, coldcut etc.

neil_g · 7 Sep 2016 at 10:16

GAC said:
wasn't it staff supplying drugs in the club though when it got raided by the police ? thats a bit more than people sneaking stuff in.

presumably those staff were dismissed and turned over to the police once the club found out?

I could conduct illegal activities at work without my employer noticing. Doesn't make it their fault.

XeNoN89 · 7 Sep 2016 at 10:17

Gutted had so many amazing nights in there!

One of my many videos:

StriderX · 7 Sep 2016 at 10:23

neil_g said:
presumably those staff were dismissed and turned over to the police once the club found out?

I could conduct illegal activities at work without my employer noticing. Doesn't make it their fault.

Surely for a business that that only survives off of a council's discretion, will not want to be actively pushing drugs in a drug prevalent culture.

JayyCee · 7 Sep 2016 at 10:31

Ive never been but I have always wanted to, shame it dosent look like that will be happening

. This will solve nothing. People who take drugs will take drugs regardless, efforts should have be made to make this safer if they really cared. Once again they have brushed over the main issue and pretend this will make a difference to drug use.

neil_g · 7 Sep 2016 at 10:32

StriderX said:
Surely for a business that that only survives off of a council's discretion, will not want to be actively pushing drugs in a drug prevalent culture.

err, as a business they were not. the actions of some employees does not mean it was condoned or supported by the management.

neil_g · 7 Sep 2016 at 10:33

Fabric Statement:
http://mixmag.net/read/fabric-state...-not-the-answer-to-drug-related-problems-news

agnes · 7 Sep 2016 at 10:34

Always wanted to go, should have gone

StriderX · 7 Sep 2016 at 10:40

neil_g said:
err, as a business they were not. the actions of some employees does not mean it was condoned or supported by the management.

Does it matter?

The club should have investigated, rather than let the police do it for them.

XeNoN89 · 7 Sep 2016 at 10:42

The real reason for closing Fabric down is so they can build some luxury apartments there just in time for cross rail. They just needed an excuse to do it.

Tone1979 · 7 Sep 2016 at 10:46

People offered drugs, not pushed them. Very big difference.

mid_gen · 7 Sep 2016 at 10:52

London nightlife is dying, fun police and property developers will be the end of it.

JayyCee · 7 Sep 2016 at 10:54

StriderX said:
Does it matter?

The club should have investigated, rather than let the police do it for them.

this is a little bit unrelated but on the mention of the police. Where is the line of responsibility drawn between the police and the clubs for such laws being broken?

If the police can stand up and say that the club wasn't doing enough to stop drugs entering the club, cant the club stand up and say the police must have not been doing enough to prevent people possessing the drugs in the first place :confused:

XeNoN89 · 7 Sep 2016 at 10:56

JayyCee said:
this is a little bit unrelated but on the mention of the police. Where is the line of responsibility drawn between the police and the clubs for such laws being broken?

If the police can stand up and say that the club wasn't doing enough to stop drugs entering the club, cant the club stand up and say the police must have not been doing enough to prevent people possessing the drugs in the first place

Yeah it's a bit of a double standard really. There was usually police around outside fabric so aren't they just as much to blame as the people searching on the doors?

ubern00b · 7 Sep 2016 at 10:57

StriderX said:
Does it matter?

The club should have investigated, rather than let the police do it for them.

The club has done everything in it's power to try tackle the problem. I have been there on numerous occasions where they have busted people on the door with things, they had an amnesty bucket for people to put things in themselves. I have witnessed people dragged off the dancefloor or smoking area and into private rooms to be dealt with. I have even witnessed said private room door being ajar and someone being given a beating (not the best way to deal with it but it goes some way to show they were TRYING).

The last time their license was under threat the council wanted sniffer dogs on the door. They complied. I cannot tell you the number of sniffer dogs friends of mine have walked past, petted, you know name with substances on them and nothing from the dog.

In my opinion, the only thing closing the club says to me is that the Police failed in THEIR duties. Why is it up to the club to have sole responsibility to "fix" this issue. Isn't this what the police are there for? Crack teams and programmes to bus suppliers, importers etc? Where is their responsibility in all of this?

twist3d0n3 · 7 Sep 2016 at 10:57

damn... loved fabric.