Legendary dance music institution Fabric is facing closure following the drug-related deaths of two 18-year-old males.
The venue is due to have its license reviewed at an Islington council meeting on the 6th September. Police recently claimed that the club acts as a “safe haven for the supply and consumption of illegal drugs“, but Fabric have disputed these remarks and responded with a pledge to ensure the highest possible standard of club safety, if the venue is able to remain open.
As reported by RA yesterday, co-founder and director of Fabric, Cameron Leslie, has denied police claims, saying “the safety of our customers has always been our number one priority, any suggestion that we are not 100% committed to tackling drugs on the premises is completely false.”
Leslie went on to explain that the venue are devoted to making the clubbing experience safer – “We’re independently reviewing all our processes and have already proposed substantial changes to the police and to Islington Council—our aim is to set a new industry gold standard for safe clubbing”, adding, “Closing fabric will be the beginning of the end for clubbing in London, which is already under threat”.
This point is particularly prevalent given the huge wave of night club closures that London has experienced. In 2015, BBC’s Newsbeat reported that nearly half of UK clubs have closed over the past 10 years. More recently, ex-promoter Barry Ashworth of the Dub Pistols was in the news for uploading a staggering list of club closures specific to London, which included well-loved names such as Cable, Dance Tunnel and Plastic People. It is undeniable that clubs are closing at an alarming rate, and it seems the closure of Fabric – one of the country’s most respected and renowned dance music institutions – would really be the nail in the coffin for the UK clubbing scene. Some have even suggested that the potential closure of Fabric has dampened and overshadowed celebrations surrounding the newly introduced night tube services.
A recent online petition to save the club gathered over 98,000 signatures. However, after previously pledging to protect London’s clubbing culture as reported by Cone back in May, mayor Sadiq Khan has stated that “City Hall does not have the power to intervene in licensing cases like the current situation with Fabric”, FACT magazine told on Tuesday. Khan is reportedly encouraging all parties to ‘”find a common sense solution that ensures the club remains open while protecting the safety of those who want to enjoy London’s clubbing scene”, and at the same time underlining that “real action” needs to be taken.