FABRICLOVE

An ode to an institution whose cultural impact shouldn’t be understated

The first time I went to fabric was in July 2004 (pictured above) and I’d never experienced any place like it before. I remember how amazed I was by the use of this subterranean and cavernous space (formerly a cold meat store), the amazingly crisp sound, that dance floor, getting really lost (a lot), the low visibility because of the smoke (smoking was legal in clubs back then), constantly discovering new rooms and dark corridors. And those lasers — they blew my mind.

fabric was one of the reasons I moved to London in 2004, but it had initiated a journey of electronic music discovery in me well before then (I went on to pursue some kind of a path in the industry for a while—following this music that excited me). I had some of the best nights of my life there and formed lifelong friendships. So did many other people. It also spurred me on to moonlight as club promoter with some friends, and we ran a pretty decent night too (or so we thought).

I even dreamt of one day playing (as in DJ) there. A year after my first visit I was fortunate enough to do just that.

fabric set a new, aspirational standard for clubs in London, and became a benchmark around the world for how professional, creative and well-respected a nightclub could really be. Everything about it has always been and continues to be world-class: their always forward-thinking music programming, the sound system, lighting, operations, team, attention to detail, and considered design aesthetic.

fabric is special. It’s polished but not pretentious. Inclusive, but you also feel like you are being educated each time you visit. Their uncompromising, confident music policy never seems to follow trends, but manages to set new ones.

Sadly, over the past decade, for many and various reasons, London has seen so many of its most-loved and iconic venues close, one-by-one, slowly killing off the city’s well-established nightlife industry. The End, Turnmills, The Cross, The Key, Bagley’s/Canvas, The Astoria, Cable, Plastic People, Dance Tunnel… and that’s just a few.

Where other European cities embrace and nurture nightlife, London, with its preference for profit and peacefulness over public good — seems ever more hostile to it. But a healthy nightlife culture can contribute significantly to the public good.

Following two unfortunate drug-related deaths in nine weeks, fabric is under threat of permanent closure when their licence is reviewed by the local council on 6th September.

You can read more about it on their Facebook page.

Don’t let this happen. This place is really, truly a legendary cultural institution, a pioneer for London and its nightlife, a destination for music lovers all over the world.

The vacuum created by the removal of fabric would be far more detrimental to the safety of London’s clubbers, than a solution that involved working with the club to keep the venue, and it’s incredibly responsible owners in business.
— Tayo

Please sign the petition and show your support.

#savefabric #nightlifematters

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