The clubbing world is in arms at the moment, as a rather shocking piece of news has filtered through the grapevine… Plastic People has been given notice from the Metropolitan Police to remove the license from the prestigious club on the grounds that it would be a prevention of both public nuisance and crime anti disorder.

Plastic People is the home to nights such as Medium, FWD>>, CDR and is well known for having some of the biggest underground acts in the world play at the venue. The sound is immaculate, and for many people, this venue is their favourite in the world.

One such person is Benny Blanco, who created the page Keep Plastic People Alive which is currently doing the rounds on Facebook. At the time of checking, there were around 8,800 people in support of Plastic People, though the number rises by the minute. Benny Blanco also hosts the Nonsense nights at Plastic People.

"I started going to Balance from the very first event back when it was at Oxford street," Benny muses "Ade would be at the decks, with about 15 full record bags, from 10pm until 4am by himself. The night was visionary, all about the art of selection."

Plastic People started out in Oxford Street around 1998, before moving a year later to its current home in Curtain Road, Shoreditch. One thing the club is well known for is the sheer quality of the sound at the venue. "Ade bought a couple of EMP radio broadcast turntables, which have no pitch control, just a stop and start, just for the quality of sound. Again it promoted the art of selection. When guest DJs played at Balance, they would usually remove the EMPs and bring in a couple of Technics instead!

"The Funktion one sound-system is perfect, it is so well-known, it is publicized on the Funktion one website because of its quality. Then again, Ade spent a lot of money on it."

Another aspect which has cemented the club as one of the best underground clubs in the world is the sheer quality of the line-ups. As Benny put it: "Where else would you find Gilles Peterson and Theo Parrish as monthly residents?" All too true. Added to that, the likes of Four Tet, Herbert, Skream and Wiley have all made appearances, and there was never really a dull month in the calendar since Plastic People started.

"The important thing with Plastic People is that it was all about the party. It was always affordable, never more than a tenner, and the entry fee would usually just be in place to cover for a flight from America for one of the guest DJs."

Most people, me included, don't understand why the police have decided to act now to shut down Plastic People. "I have never witnessed any trouble at all," Benny says. "Obviously, you see a few pissheads, who get chucked out of the club, but that happens everywhere. The club operates an anti-drugs policy, like everywhere else, and the club doesn’t attract anywhere near as much trouble as some clubs. We have two of the best bouncers working on the door for us and I'm shocked at the decision."

Recently, clubs have suffered quite a bit. Herbal lost its license last year, seOne has just closed, Ministry of Sound is under threat from housing developments, as are several clubs in Bristol, and quite a few more clubs around the country have either lost their licenses or are under threat. This comes as another blow.

However, all is not lost. Another club which recently was under threat of closure has just reopened its doors. The Black Swan in Easton, Bristol, was shut with immediate affect under new licensing laws on December 24th 2009 (not a particularly nice date to choose when to shut a club). The club went to two separate council hearings, the first was rejected, but on the second hearing they regained the license. This may not have been possible if it weren’t for the massive support during that troubling month or so. Around 4,000 people joined a facebook group (similar to Keep Plastic People Alive) called Reopen the Black Swan and a lot of people petitioned the council to reopen the nightclub. It appears to have worked; the club has recently re-opened their doors.

Here's the official statement from the management of Plastic People:

 

"Hello everyone and thank you very much for your support. We know that Plastic People is loved by all of you, but we could never have predicted the reactions from so many people in such a short time. It has been overwhelming. On behalf of everyone here at Plastic People, special thanks to Benny Blanco for starting the Keep Plastic People Alive Campaign and to all of you who are showing your appreciation for what the club has done over the last 16 years.

Charlotte and I are in no doubt how serious this situation is and as a result had a meeting with the solicitor yesterday. This does not mean that all hope is lost and that Plastic People has come to its end. However, it does mean that we must do all we can to co-operate with the Police and Hackney Council in order to ensure that we can keep the best dance music venue in London open for all to enjoy.

Here is a breakdown of the whole process:

• The police have made an application to Hackney Council for a review the premises licence at Plastic People on the grounds that the way the management have been operating the club has breached the existing terms of its licence and failed to prevent crime and disorder and public nuisance.

• The notice outside the club's premises will be there till the 11th March, which is the closing date for representations to be made by ‘interested parties' (unfortunately this does not include you guys, but there may be an opportunity for you to make a contribution, see below) for or against the closure or any other outcome of the review.

• After the 11th, the licensing department at Hackney Council will, within 10 days, write to all parties concerned to invite them to a sub-committee hearing on a given date at a given address where they would make their case. That hearing should take place by the 31st of March.

• It would then be up to the Committee to decide on the eventual outcome which could be one or more of these:

(a)    To revoke the license altogether;

(b)   To suspend the license for a period not exceeding three months;

(c)    To modify the conditions of the license;

Once a decision has been made, we would be notified and in the worst case scenario, we would have the option of appealing, but our current aim is to work with the Police and the Licensing Authority to find a solution that is satisfactory to all. Having never had problems with our licence over 16 years, whether in Oxford Street or Shoreditch, we are optimistic that this will be possible. Whilst the management concentrate on working With the Police and Hackney Council to address their concerns, much still needs to be done.

Unfortunately, we can't make the full version of the Police application openly available at this stage. A collection of people involved in the club are setting up a Committee called Friends of Plastic People. They will gather people's experiences of working with and attending Plastic People over the years. They will meet this week and no doubt they will let you know how you can help.

I would urge everyone to hold back on making representations to the Police or the Council in the meantime, but by all means carry on spreading the word.

Once again, my most heartfelt gratitude to all of you!

Bernard KOUDJO
Plastic People LTD
Curtain Road
Shoreditch, EC2A 3QE"

 

Hopefully, all is not lost, as I for one could not bear to see this club disappear.

KEEP PLASTIC PEOPLE ALIVE!!!

 

Words: Joe Goldsworthy

 

Related Links:

• Herbal Shuts Its Doors
• London Club Closures
• Benny Gold Arrives In The UK
• Tasha In The Neighbourhood
• Dub Police In Store Event

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