What's In A Venue? Numbers on UK Clubbing & RBMA

As you’ll likely remember, on 7 September the Metropolitan Police succeeded in arguing that London’s best-loved club couldn’t comply with safety regulations, following the recent drugs-related deaths of two teenagers. Despite Fabric’s reputation as a gold standard in health and safety, Islington Council revoked the club’s licence; a reported 250 staff members lost their jobs, and the 2500 capacity venue – home to some of the world’s most renowned DJs – shut its doors indefinitely. With Scotland still sore after the loss of The Arches for similar reasons in 2015, it’s a story far too familiar.

While the UK faces a fresh momentum in the fight between police, licensing boards and late night venues, a German court has ruled that Berlin’s infamous Berghain should be safeguarded as “high culture". On the exact same day as Islington Council’s ruling, the techno temple was recognised for its contribution to the capital, and granted the same tax breaks as concert halls and opera houses, aka the more venerable faces of a big night out.

Given our plummeting currency, it’s unlikely to be the last time that European culture is (literally) considered more valuable than our UK counterparts, but don’t lose hope. In a surprising turn of events, Edinburgh Council recently bowed to the passionate voices from the Music Is Audible campaign, and agreed to re-word the infamous “audibility” clause which has threatened the licenses and livelihoods of those attempting to run late night, live music venues in the capital. It is excellent news.

Another unexpected windfall comes in the form of Red Bull Music Academy’s Glasgow stop-off. Aside from visiting the usual suspects (La Cheetah, Sub Club), the RBMA will make use of some unusual floor space; Jackmaster and Throwing Shade are holding a disco night at Argyle Street’s Majestic Laundrette (Sat 15 Oct), for one, and Young Fathers will be holding forth in the Mitchell Library (Sun 16 Oct), taking their charged political voice into an appropriately academic environment.

Similarly, electronic pioneers Mumdance, Russell Haswell, Aleks Jurczyk and Matthew Allum from ALM Busy Circuits are setting up a scientific synth workshop in Glasgow University (Sun 16 Oct). It feels right that these conversations should take place in centres of learning – but unless you’re lucky enough to be studying cultural politics or music tech, public access to these types of lectures are often all too rare.  

We spoke to Numbers co-founders Richard Chater and Neil Morton ahead of A Numbers Special on Friday 14 October. The RBMA bill has the venue listed as “a sub-street-level party at a never-before-used venue,” so it seemed only right to do some subterraneous digging: The Savings Bank, on Bridge Street, is – obviously – a former bank, and it's since seen action as a hatter’s shop and as the poker club Cincinnati. Recently taken over by events company Inhouse, the iconic, granite-pillared building, once home to Glasgow’s collective wealth, will now be a for-hire arts space with a 1am licence.

Via email, The Savings Bank described themselves as “multi-functional,” and it seems to be a common thread in Glasgow’s new venues; the recently refurbed Saint Luke’s in the East End holds a similarly eclectic booking/hiring policy, having hosted wedding receptions and raucous Wu Tang Clan affiliated parties in the last twelve months.

“New spaces are always required, no matter what the city is,” Numbers tell us, via email. “Scenes always require a certain sort of momentum, and without new spaces to challenge audiences, promoters and existing venues, then things will stagnate.”

Even if that new space comes in the form of an ex-bank, or busy local laundrette? “Majestic happens to be Jack’s [Jackmaster] all time favourite laundrette. He’s used many in his lifetime, but swears that Majestic is the best. Red Bull were able to make dreams come true for him by facilitating a show in there. I hear it’s sold out, so hopefully they can sneak us in.” Given its daytime function, Majestic has an exclusive capacity (as well as a newly minted Resident Advisor page), so tickets were distributed through a free ballot. But as Numbers seem to suggest, it’s clear that a free night like this – in an extremely unlikely venue – is becoming increasingly harder to pull off without external funding.

And yet, the use of atypical club venues is in Numbers’ DNA – with their first ever night famously held in the back of the Adlib restaurant. Even now that they find world-famous club floors at their disposal, they’re still keen to push the ticket: “We’re intrigued by disused cinemas, schools, car showrooms, old industrial spaces and existing public spaces,” they write. “Imagine doing a show in the Science Centre’s Imax Theatre with all that tech at your disposal…”

Chater and Morton urge would-be night-starters that “finding the right creative space for what you want to do is important,” and it feels as if they’re optimistic. So, if your favourite club gets shut down, make like Numbers and drop your decks in a diner? This year’s regressive policies are certainly not limited to nightlife, but it’s never been more important to keep our dancefloors alive and our discussions public – wherever we may find them.