Human patterns are cyclical. They always have been and always will be. We let something to continually grow until it reaches the point where it a major factory reset is inevitable, allowing for a new, fresh start. I’ve shared my opinion about London’s nightlife plenty of times and as someone who’s worked in the industry for longer than I want to admit, I’m always excited to reassess where we’re at.
As people get older and generally tend to go out less, they soon forget the importance nightlife had on shaping many of their relationships, or how it allowed them to express themselves freely and because of that they place less value on the industry later on in life leaving it to young people and artists to defend it.
I mean how many of your friends have you made chatting shit on a sweaty dancefloor? That’s how I met a lot of mine. Not all cities can be like Berlin or Manchester that do all they can to protect nighttime establishments and it is no secret that London has been going through it recently.
Hell, not just London. Across the country over 800 late night venues have shut down since 2020. This is due to a number of factors - exorbitant business rates and rents, lower revenues and a shift in the culture.
Over a year ago, when I last spoke about this, Gen Zers had shown to be taking a new approach to going out. Only 66% of them had consumed alcohol within the past 6 months and while since then they’ve increased their consumption to roughly the same level as other generations, their approach is what I really want to talk about. Gen Z are more interested in experiences. They pick and choose the events they want to go to with much more thought than any of us used to.
Whereas 10-20 years ago, you could almost guarantee young people would be out at least once a week, that’s just not the case now. I mean I used to be out seven nights a week, there wasn’t a place in Soho that didn’t know me… for better or for worse.
Going on a night out can now cost hundreds of pounds - no wonder kids aren’t doing it
You could argue it’s because they want to be healthier and as someone who’s been sober for 19 years now, I’m all for that. But, I’m sorry, we can’t ignore the fact that to even think of planning a night out you have to fork out hundreds of pounds. It’s madness. Gone are the days when club entry was a tenner. And that’s not to say I don’t understand how incredible it is to have venues like Drumsheds put on massive shows with all your favourite artists. The standard of music you can find in venues is higher - I mean London is one of dance music’s capitals of the world. But, to expect kids who are on pretty much the same wages they were on ten years ago to fork out £30-£60 a ticket, £15 a drink and even up to a TENNER for the cloakroom… of course the industry is going to struggle. I’m glad to at least see a number of other DJs accepting lower fee gigs here and there, taking on and helping to promote new talent. It is so important to contribute to the community that’s given you so much.
We may as well get excited about change! Let’s be honest, the cost of living has not eased up these past five years on and so we’re now picking and choosing where to go more carefully - hence why day clubbing is surging. I’ve seen it first hand with my Full Fat brand - people of all ages coming together on the dancefloor. All’s is not lost - could this be the start of the rebirth I mentioned? Possibly. Day parties in London and around the world are surging in popularity while nightclubs and bars are struggling. I think perhaps the idea of being able to get home early feels better and safer for many. It doesn’t promote the notion of binge culture so much either.
These are all things I’m for so it’s up to the nighttime industry to pivot and address change in a way that benefits all. Councils need to do more to help bars and clubs survive, but venues themselves can also step it up. Those old school tactics of heavy handed security and strict door policies need to be looked at. The younger generation shouldn’t feel like they’re paying for the legacy left by previous generations. Of course women wouldn’t want to go out that often if they know they’re going to be frisked every single time they enter a venue. For the most part ID scanning is necessary, but people still want to be treated with respect. I commend kids for knowing their boundaries more than perhaps we used to or even millennials did.
As things are getting bigger and bigger in other countries, with the likes of UNVRS opening in Ibiza and European clubs killing it, let’s just try embrace the changes happening at home. A lot of people don’t wanna go out because they choose not to drink. I’m loving seeing the rise of sober clubs. The fact this is a more responsible generation who just wanna have fun without the headache the next day, then why not trust us a bit more maybe? With day raves booming and this new approach to parties I’m excited for this factory reset.
Support from local government must come quick in order to save nighttime businesses. We’re always talking about it but no one’s really doing anything. With more support it’ll allow the industry to have enough funds to reinvest, to create spaces people want to go to and to allow punters to afford going out more often. Right now, I wouldn’t even have more than a few nights to recommend to friends and that’s not to say the choices are all that bad. It just feels like the time for more individuality to come back into clubbing. Bring character back to the dancefloor.
Fat Tony is a DJ and a best-selling author
