This piece could have been entitled or subtitled ‘Why London will lose its place as a cultural centre’
In light of a DJ magazine article citing a report on the UK's "worst year for venue closures," London's cultural climate has seen better days. With a staggering loss of 125 grassroots spaces in 2023 alone, as reported by the Music Venues Trust, the city's vibrant music scene is facing a critical threat—one that resonates deeply with my observations of London's cultural shift.
Recently, there has been considerable reflection on the past, with an eye turned nostalgically toward the early 2000s. Festival line-ups this year feature acts from LCD Soundsystem to Bloc Party, the documentary 'Meet Me in the Bathroom,' which focuses on The Strokes and the New York scene, 6 Music's Indie Forever show, and an article in The Guardian by Daniel Dylan Wray about that influential period. it's evident that those years hold significant personal resonance for many people including myself. Numerous cultural elements converged to forge a golden era, one marked by a blossoming of creativity that galvanized vast populations globally, prompting them to engage with the dynamic music and the vibrant scenes of that period. However, this peak, rich in innovation and unity, suggests a bittersweet tone—as for many aspects, it represented a final flourish. It may have indeed heralded the onset of a gradual decline that has persisted ever since.
Despite a pervasive nostalgia for London's cultural heyday, there emerges a deeper, more sobering realisation: the pivotal elements of our culture are steadily slipping into the shadows, compounded by corporate monopolisation of our urban spaces and a general decline into economic hardship. This has led to a tangible displacement, with authentic people and establishments being irrevocably uprooted, shuttered, and permanently erased from our cultural landscape.
Amidst this pervasive sense of loss, there emerges a great sadness for the younger generation—those now bereft of the expansive and transformative experiences that were once almost a rite of passage. This applies keenly to the budding musicians, aspiring artists, and passionate new music aficionados who may now never fully realise those ambitions, especially in London.
And I also find myself contemplating the trajectory of London's cultural evolution, particularly within the music and arts community. It is impossible to ignore the symbiotic relationship between the city’s music scene and its standing as a cultural nexus. The question lingers: As venues shutter and memories fade, can London maintain its reputation as a cultural touchstone?
The financial pressures facing young people and the increasing commodification of time have also contributed to the decline of social and cultural spaces. The transformation of London's landscape into a more risk-averse, corporate-focused environment has stifled the grassroots movements and alternative scenes that defined the city's cultural identity.
I had a revealing online exchange with a DJ from that era who is still active in the London scene, about the changing dynamics for young people and the club scene. He depicted their predicament with incisive clarity:
“The cultural and physical landscape has undoubtedly shifted. With an abundance of social activities available at home - from streaming services to video games - the expense of nightlife and beverages becomes more burdensome. Today's youth are increasingly health-conscious. Simultaneously, there's a social media-fueled desire to attend 'filmable' occasions. This situation is indicative of a broader trend: the decline of 'third spaces' such as pubs, cinemas, libraries, and social clubs. As time turns into a commodity, paradoxically, our lives seem more isolated, though we are part of a larger, interconnected world.
In the current UK scene, young people are less inclined to just go out to a good club on a weekend to see new/unknown acts, they are more interested in splashing out once every 6 months on a mega-event with a festival-style lineup of well known DJs and enthusiasm for new or underground acts wanes“
To further the dialogue and those sentiments I injected that for me, corporate influence has monopolised our music and DJ culture, pushing it toward mainstream rock and stadium-style performances. This has shifted the mindset to glorify only the most prominent names, perceived as the pinnacle of professionalism, contrary to what the scene was originally all about. This is a departure from the past focus on the underground scene. Previously, there was a strong post-punk ethos valuing innovation and the avant-garde. However, big labels and corporations, dominant in the costly city landscape, tend to just buy what seems solid and don't originate anything. Consequently, the new generation, unfamiliar with the earlier model, has accepted this as the norm. This is an evolution that does little to benefit the grassroots, the underground, or the marginalised. Moreover, with these entities wielding significant financial power in contrast to the widespread economic strain, the struggle for the smaller players becomes even more pronounced.
If you reflect on the genesis of House music, Its very name originates from a niche haunt and sonic haven for a gay and at the time very marginalised community. They spurned the glossy anthems that big record labels hawked, instead championing sounds conjured by local talents wielding modest gear like Drum machines, Synths & 303’s. This maverick choice became the unique auditory landscape of the city, Chicago.
Even more intriguingly, this community had the courage to venerate music largely dismissed by the American mainstream; they found a resonance in the misaligned music genre’s such as Italo Disco. Despite its naive simplicity and jaunty vibrancy, or perhaps because of them, this European take on disco—with its unabashedly campy and tremulous vocals—boasted a youthful sincerity and an n overall feeling of spirited soulfulness that far surpassed the refined, overproduced soul and pop hits of its time. Again, it’s hard to believe now, but this marginalised community with its misaligned music became the sound the city would become famed for and grew into the global phenomenon that it is today.
Throughout my life, London has been synonymous with youth movements, alternative scenes, and underground music. Its landscape is dotted with cheap, accessible venues that sustain an underground circuit—a haven for niche and grassroots music. These places are crucial for marginalized and fringe groups, providing spaces for them to dance, enjoy their music, and celebrate their unique identities. Whether it's the vibe of the local community or a broader regional identity, there's a palpable oscillation between the traditions of the longtime residents and the transformative influx of modern influences. This dynamic interplay captures the essence of our city, crafting what eventually becomes the modern soundtrack of London. These cultural pockets are the ones stand in defiance of the prevailing mainstream norms and the corporate entities that seem perpetually 'out of touch' with the city's workings. They are too removed from the authentic cultural heartbeat of the city to truly grasp it.
Visitors to London might observe the gleaming new developments and buildings, fashionable eateries, and a working-class aesthetic with a trend towards 'thrift store chic' fashion, and mistakenly interpret these as signs of progress. They obscure and divert attention from a more accurate portrayal of the city's direction.
But London, much like other bustling cities, is unfortunately losing something due to skyrocketing prices. Although there is an incredible progressive community in this city that celebrates uniqueness and individuality, it’s becoming more and more challenging for small independent businesses to thrive, especially those with an artsy and rock and roll vibe. It’s disheartening to see corporate monopolies dominating the scene, as it’s normalizing mediocrity and pushing away a more adventurous and inquisitive crowd. As a result,it’s becoming very risks adverse in London has become quite corporate-focused, which is a real shame. it’s totally destroying what London used to represent.
To ensure my point is clear, I will spell it out explicitly. Gentrification in cities often heralds a shift towards conservatism, as the quirky, eclectic character that once defined neighbourhoods is replaced with uniformity and exclusivity. The influx of wealth that drives up property values tends to displace long-standing communities and local cultures, favoring more commercial and mainstream tastes. This process can stifle the creative and diverse spirit, traditionally associated with dynamic urban centres, by prioritizing stability and order over the vibrant chaos that often fuels cultural innovation. As a result, gentrification can unintentionally transform cities into more conservative, less culturally diverse environments.
The transformation underway is fundamentally altering what London once signified. While I embrace nostalgia for days gone by, the current trend is a charade: affluent individuals masquerading as torchbearers of a bygone cultural epoch. Theirs is merely a performance, lacking any authentic progressive ideology or convictions.
A pervasive myth suggests that affluence equates to cultural enlightenment and progressivism, while ordinary folks are branded as conservative by default. Believe me, a city exclusively inhabited by the wealthy will not become more vibrant or culturally rich—perhaps only more sterile. Contrary to what some misinformed individuals may think.
Perhaps London risks evolving into a more ‘austere’ metropolis, and regrettably, there are those who mistakenly view this as progress. Perhaps they mistakenly link techno music with austerity and view it positively—a kind of misguided notion that seems all too common these days, sadly. Take, for instance, the 'happy to settle for less' mentality associated with the trend of minimalist living. It's a concept that might sound appealing, unless you have actually endured the hardships of being compelled to live with next to nothing.
Paul Morley, a legendary music journalist with proud Mancunian roots and an advocate for the cultures of the North, once delivered a scathing critique of London's corporate mindset towards creativity. He wrote, "the absolute contempt for London! London is a metaphor. It embodies all that is conservative in the business approach to culture, art, and entertainment. It's a reflection of laziness."
His words ring truer with each passing day.
We find ourselves sliding toward this dismal state because too many have been content to fall in line with this conformist thinking or have aspired to do so, only now to be rejected by the very system they embraced.
Morley's acerbic yet increasingly relevant commentary extends: “The joining the status quo, equals success, equals superiority, toughness - it's the easy option for the middle class though - it's the sell outs & dickheads. Handed to them on a plate & they end up taking it because they are lazy”
Reflecting on this reminds me of other historical eras we’ve witnessed, each with their unique parallels. Two particular comparisons strike a chord: the era of Progressive Rock and the artistic rebellion of the Futurists in the early 20th century.
Reflecting on the current cultural trajectory of London recalls striking parallels with transformative epochs from the past. Take, for example, the decline of Progressive Rock, with its intricate musicianship and grandiose aspirations of elevated artistry, which stood unassailable until the raw vigor of punk shattered its cultural ascendancy.
Today, London's youth stand in need of a similar insurgence—a punk-like revolution to reclaim and reshape their cultural landscape. Yet the looming crisis for London is the exodus of these very revolutionaries. The prohibitive cost of living is driving out the young creatives who are the lifeblood of such cultural metamorphoses, leaving the city at risk of a cultural sterility unseen in prior times of change.
But what it really looks like is what the Futurists art movement recognised in the early 20th century was they needed to pull down the Traditional arts of the rich, with it’s claim of superiority and cultural dominance, there rudimentary, often childlike art was also that challenge the status quo back then they recognised it for what it was, the culture of ‘out of touch’ stuffy old men with deep pockets, but paradoxically stifled the very vibrancy and dynamism that art and culture necessitate. This old guard, mired in conservative values and wielding financial power, effectively suppresses innovation and diversity, imposing a stranglehold on the city's cultural heartbeat.
Fortunately there is good news. You don’t need to live in London anymore. With Globalisation, the internet, you can find alternative people everywhere, progressive communities, truly artistic creative communities, with good music, good culture in nearly every big to middle size city in many other countries in the world, where people will care more if someone tries to be a new band putting on a gig, where it’s probably cheaper, less cynical, supportive of grassroots, probably with even all year round better weather, it’s already happening, I’ve seen friends move to places like this, and with the displacement of many people to these cities they are becoming better. And this is where London and other big capital cities will lose. You might say you’ve let the status quo win but Let them have the stifled, over priced shit weather city, they’re welcome to it I say.
