At First it seemed that someone was pulling our legs. That, however, turned out to be a decidedly optimistic view.
On Wednesday 5th February in the Galway District Court, on the eve of the fourth Heineken Weekender, Judge John Garavan announced that nightclubs in the Galway, Clare, Roscommon and Mayo counties looking for special exemptions would have to adhere to a 45-minute break between 11.30 and 12.15 am, to turn off the music and serve food.
As if that wasn t imposition enough, the new regulations for club owners and promoters being unveiled by Garavan also included a ban on serving alcohol after midnight on Saturday, effectively wiping out the busiest period of trade in the week.
Clearly, these restrictive amendments have far-reaching implications for clubbing and dance music: how could clubs, in Galway, for example, stay open if the profits from their busiest night vanished? And even if the clubs remained open, would clubbers frequent a dry venue on the biggest night of the week? The fact that the announcement was made on the week of the Heineken Weekender undoubtedly added to its dramatic impact. So were the two events by any chance related?
I don t think it had anything to do with the Man coming down heavy against the kids: this law has nothing to do with the Heineken Weekender or dance music, Brian Spollen of MCD, organisers of the Weekender comments.
However, others disagree, arguing that the announcement must have been timed to coincide with the Weekender.
The judge probably wouldn t have been aware of the event, one local insider comments, but the Gardam certainly were and so I don t think this was just a coincidence. I think the bottom line is that the Gardam want the money to put more people on the streets and if there s a PR battle required to ensure that then recent events have certainly worked in their favour.
Club owners do acknowledge that there is a risk of problems with up to 3,500 people leaving busy city centre clubs within a relatively short period of time. Compared to 60 security personnel in the clubs, there are only six gardam on duty to control the crowds in Eyre Square.
In that sense, I understand where the garda are coming from, Simon Heaslip, manager of the GPO nightclub ovserves. The logic of the new ruling is that if there was no music, clubbers would eat a meal, but people go to clubs to dance, drink and ick someone up not to eat.
letter of the law
While the political machinations surrounding the incident are still unclear Salthill Gardam were unavailable for comment at the time of writing the undeniable truth remains that if the amendments are enforced, Galway clubs will be forced to close down. Until now, Simon Heaslip says that the clubs have obeyed the ruling to the letter of the law, but that the nightclub business is so unstable that if the amendments are enforced for a month or two we ll be out of business. Saturday night is when everyone makes their profit, and if these rules stay in place then people just won t go to nightclubs anymore.
Normally, Heaslip adds, club owners discuss issues with the gardam and solve them together, but the new restrictions were brought in without the knowledge of the city s club owners.
Another Galway club owner, who wished to remain anonymous, believes that although the venues provide much part-time employment in Galway, the authorities still view the nightclub business as being somehow disreputable and that they behave accordingly.
The big clubs in Galway employ between three and four hundred people. If I came to Galway to set up a normal company I d be welcomed by the local authorities and be able to get grants to set up my company, but because I own a nightclub I m not a legitimate businessman.
During the Weekender, rumours circulated that the enforcement of restrictive licensing laws in the Western district was an experiment, soon to be implemented on a nationwide basis. As the Irish clubbing scene, and in particular Dublin nightlife, becomes the focus of increasing attention from the international press, it would be a bitter irony if the authorities now chose to clamp down in the capital s clubland. One leading figure within the Dublin dance scene believes the restrictions in place in the West would be unworkable in Dublin.
If they tried to pull the same thing here there would be a bunch of very angry people up at the Phoenix Park in no time. Can you imagine turning off the music in the Red Box at half-eleven? What do you think 1,200 punters would do? They wouldn t just stand there. What s happening in Galway is a sick joke, especially as Ireland is coming into line with the rest of Europe Our licensing laws are crazy in a lot of ways but in this case the fact is these clubbers are being victimized.
Despite the current situation, many people involved in dance music remain optimistic, including MCD s Brian Spollen, who believes the passing of these restrictions mobilised clubbers and strengthened the resolve of the artists and DJs affected.
In a way, it worked in favour of the music, he argues. For example, when Monkey Mafia heard what had happened, they weren t going to play, but as an act of defiance they decided to play their hearts out for the time they had, and throw the ruling back in the authorities faces.
This law is unworkable, it ll be overturned, and hopefully it will also bring about a serious national debate on the paradoxes of Irish licensing laws. For far too long people have looked elsewhere, now they realise Irish club culture has finally come of age, and that it s time to stand up for their rights.