The closure of fabric nightclub has seen a reaction that has been completely humbling and overwhelming for its employees, from over 150,000 signing a petition of support to raising in excess of £300,000 in donations to help the legal fight. Support has come from every corner of the industry, with fundraising events at a number of different venues being held up and down the UK.
To give you the context, London’s iconic Fabric temporarily closed their doors in early August after the deaths of two teenagers earlier. The club’s license was suspended for 28 days almost immediately following the club’s own regulatory measures so that the Metropolitan Police could investigate the deaths themselves.
Influential figures in the music industry like Daniel Avery, Kahn, Plastician and Butterz’s Elijah urged London mayor Sadiq Khan to take action to keep the club open. After deliberation that lasted for 18 hours, the local council decided that searches by security staff at the London venue had been “inadequate and in breach of the license”. In the run-up to the council’s decision, a petition to save the club had received almost 150,000 signatures.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan criticized the decision to close the club and warned of the decline of the city’s nightlife.
Mr. Khan said he was “disappointed” that the club, council and Metropolitan Police had failed to reach an agreement, after police raised concerns about drugs on the premise.
Fabric decided to appeal against this decision with hearing due to take place at Highbury Magistrates court on 28 November. The campaign to support the club’s legal fees has raised more than £270,000.
Dozens of artists who’ve played fabric over the years have shared fond memories and voiced their anger at the closure on social media, including Benji B, Skream, Carl Craig, Jackmaster and The Black Madonna.
To support the club further, musicians from around the world have rallied around Fabric to help the London club raise money in its ongoing fight against closure.
Fabric Records and their artist led label Houndstooth decided that a release which embodies this spirit would be a further powerful way to demonstrate the collective power of the community. The club asked artists associated with both labels to donate a track to the cause, needing to act fast with a deadline of just 3 weeks in total from inception to final master.
The response was greater than first anticipated, with an array of amazing artists delivering stunning tracks. An incredible figure of 111 tracks make up the final running order, presented in alphabetical order.
The #SaveFabric compilation features 111 tracks from artists and producers who have played the London club over the years, with all funds going towards legal costs and other expenses.
Contributing to the massive collection are heavy hitters like Machinedrum, Clams Casino, Skream, and dBridge, plus over 100 artists from around the world. The compilation perfectly encapsulates everything that the electronic music community represents.
Pre-Order from the fabric website.
Great article Sagar. Cheers
Nice article Sagar.
Thanks for the insights man.