What can be done to protect London’s late-night culture and help it flourish?
That was the big question at SXSW London today when some of the biggest voices in the city’s scene came together for the Last Night a DJ Saved My Night panel.
Fabric co-founder Cameron Leslie, Black Lives in Music CEO Charisse Beaumont and DJ, artist and author Jodie Harsh took to the stage at the Truman Brewery to discuss the issues facing modern venues and nights out.
London has seen 19% of its venues disappear since 2020. It’s a problem that led to the launch of the Nightlife Taskforce last year to preserve the city’s position as a global leader in late-night culture.
Metro editor-in-chief Deborah Arthurs, who moderated the panel, said: ‘There could hardly be three people better placed to talk about the magic of London’s nightlife and how to address the challenges it faces.
‘Grassroots artists and operators are blocked from cutting their teeth by draconian licensing laws and rising costs. What’s urgently needed now, though, is action. It is in the hands of Sadiq Khan and the mayor’s office.’
Metro, which has teamed up with SXSW London as media partners for a second year running, reported earlier this year how 30 grassroots venues across the UK had closed over the past year, at a cost of 6,000 jobs.
And with London at the heart of the UK’s live music scene, how does a city of 9,100,000 people save a nightlife culture when faced with the impossible?
Why are music venues treated as disposable?
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Jodie Harsh said: ‘London has young people with great ideas, great music, and incredible talent that’s being nurtured. The government needs to support nightlife economically.
‘Look at Berlin – the government treats venues there like heritage sites, with blue plaques,’ she pointed out.
Berlin’s club scene is legendary.So much so that a commemorative plaque was put in the place of the Electric Beat Studio when it closed down.
Jodie says the UK could learn a thing or two about how integral Germany views its live music venues to its own history and economy.
‘Nightlife is such a subcultural underdog in the UK, but it’s such an exciting part of being British. It needs to be recognised and protected,’ she said.
The issues facing London nightlife
Cameron Leslie said the live music scene in London is facing immense pressure thanks to bills, Brexit, the knock-on effects from Covid, and cost-of-living.
Despite the struggles, Cameron is optimistic.
‘The Mayor is pushing back on the Soho residents’ committee, who said they were going to try to block new late-night openings. He said no, he was going to support nightlife,’ Cameron said.
‘Look at what’s going on during an average weekend. You see incredible things happening in Haringey, Walthamstow Forest, and Peckham. People are moving around.
‘There’s a distinct energy and dynamic shift across London that’s really exciting, and it should be viewed positively.’
Dr Charisse Beaumont says another issue facing London nightlife is the difficulties that minorities face in the music scene.
‘It got really bad about 25 years ago when London introduced Form 696. It was a risk assessment form that was targeted at Black audiences and Black music,’ she explained.
‘In 2017, thankfully, the Mayor got rid of it, as it was acknowledged to have had a racist legacy. But that legacy continues to this very day.’
Venues are still being asked what genres are being played and which artists are being booked, making it difficult for artists to cut their teeth in the London music scene.
London’s music history is unique – venues need to be protected
‘London has a diversity of people and such energy. It’s an old city with a vast history of exciting culture, and that culture is continuing to this day,’ Charisse added.
‘It’s the communities within London that make it so special. You’ve got DJs playing Arabic hip-hop, you’ve got Black music scenes — so many different genres were born in London. That’s what makes London special.’
Dubstep, grime, drum and bass, jungle, and garage were all born in London from a then-thriving music scene.
A recent report from UK Music found that Black music accounts for more than 80% of the UK music industry’s market share, contributing £24.5 billion. Cancellations of Black events and live music have led to a loss of £141 million each year in London alone.
Charrise added: ‘Humans have always done this, since the beginning. We’ve done it since we were cavemen. We want to gather and dance to the beat of a drum, around a fire.
‘It’s just human instinct. We want to gather, dance to a beat, connect to each other, and let go.’
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