News

Clubs and DJs have been ‘left in the corner to rot’, according to Faithless’ Sister Bliss.

Painting a stark picture of the UK’s pandemic-ravage nightlife economy in a recent interview with BBC Radio 6 Music, in support of the outfit’s new album, ‘All Blessed’, she called on Westminster to step in and offer greater support to artists, venues and the wider sector.

“There’s a lack of leadership at the top which means certain industries have been given support and then others have been completely ignored,” the DJ and musician said. “The electronic music scene and clubbing is definitely an incredible part of our cultural and economic force, and it travels all over the world globally. 

“We really, I think, have been left to rot in a corner so it’s good to see that venues and artists are trying to galvanise it — with the Let the Music Play movement — trying to bring the plight of venues and freelancers, like myself, to the fore.” 

The UK government has so far committed more than £2.25million to venues in England from a total funding pot of almost £1.6billion to support culture and arts, but it is feared these figures are well-below what will realistically be needed for many institutions and individuals to survive as nightclubs remain closed, and most promoters are unable to cover costs running socially distanced events. The UK’s furlough scheme is due to end next month, at which point there is a strong likelihood permanent closures and redundancies will increase in the worst effected sectors. 

DJ Mag has been publishing in-depth features exploring the realities of clubs and music culture during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Read our take on the ethics of raving right now, and this investigation into the potential impact of ongoing travel complications and low tourism on our nightlife capitals.