Max HeyraudAs the Irish club scene faces barriers that prevent it from attaining its full potential, there is a rising need for change in the industry. Though government reform is mostly required to revamp the present system, some changes to Ireland’s nightlife may help it recover its energy and thrive among its European counterparts.
Ireland’s club scene has never reached the heights that are reflective of the talent on the island due to our country’s outdated late-night curfew, with many clubs and venues shutting at 2.30 or 3.00 a.m. In other European locations where clubs are authorised to operate into the early hours of the morning, they foster a more innovative approach to club culture, allowing places to be more creative with music played, while also supporting the economic sustainability of clubs in general. These curfews have prevented Irish artists and venues from competing with their European equivalents.
As we approach the end of summer 2024, many Irish DJs, promoters, and dancers have experienced club culture across various countries over the past few months. Upon returning to Ireland, they often share their experiences, sometimes critiquing the Irish club scene.
While it is true that the Irish club circuit receives less support and funding than its European counterparts and is not as deeply ingrained in our culture, there are valuable lessons we can learn from our neighbours that will immediately improve our club scene despite current licensing restrictions. Max Heyraud [Aero] discusses some immediate changes that could directly benefit Irish club culture under the current regime in place.
Staggered Opening Hours
Our archaic licensing laws have haunted Irish club culture for decades. From Special Exemption Orders, which require an additional fee for Irish venues to operate late at night, to our current 2.30am – 3.00am cut-off time for most spaces, with some rural clubs and venues closing even earlier. That being said, it appears that the problem will not be resolved, at least not before the end of 2024, so we must not use the early closing time as an excuse for our uninspired club scene.
Dublin Modular and Reclaim The Mainframe have had tremendous success by opening their doors earlier. Throughout the years, Ireland has had a rich culture of Sunday parties, with clubs opening earlier, and even during COVID, we saw clubbers flood venues at early doors, indicating that there is definitely an appetite, but perhaps it is time for a cultural shift for this generation of dancers. It makes no sense that nightclubs can only operate during the four-hour window from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m.
Although it may seem redundant to compare Ireland to the Netherlands, Germany, or even the United Kingdom, where electronic music and club culture are much more integrated into their cultures, it is difficult not to notice Ireland’s growing appetite for dance music in recent years. Our talent pool rivals that of the previously mentioned countries in many ways, but we consistently fail to capitalise on it because we simply do not have enough hours on the clock in terms of our dancefloors, but there is a simple solution. If we can open early for festivals, day parties, and concerts, why can’t people arrive a few hours earlier at a nightclub?
Camera Ban
The idea of banning phones or cameras has been a contentious issue in club culture around the world, and the idea of discouraging dancers from freely expressing themselves by taking a video or picture with their friends or of the DJ to capture a memory appears to contradict the very essence of freedom of expression that club culture represented; however, it is undeniable that the overuse of phones at parties can quickly crush a vibe.
In many cases, nightclubs and raves serve as safe havens for people to express themselves, with expressive clothes, dance moves, and whatever else people choose to do. The idea is that they’re dark, loud, and the ideal place to disconnect from whatever else is going on in your life at the time. The idea that someone could video you in a vulnerable state, whether you’re intoxicated, dressed, or acting in a way you wouldn’t want your colleagues, friends, or family to see is completely understandable. Clubs should be a private sanctuary for free expression.
Clubs with a no-photo policy have a romantic appeal. You have no idea what it looks, sounds, or feels like until you walk through those doors. You’ve heard stories and tales, but until you walk through those doors, you’ll never truly understand them. Similarly, your memories of those clubs are entirely formed in your mind. You don’t need to look at your phone to remember that magical moment – it lives in your mind, and it’s probably slightly altered, not completely factual, and even more magical because you’ll remember the walls shaking, the crowd screaming, and your skin sweating from your memory rather than how your phone tells you it happened.
Although being able to promote club nights and parties using videos from previous nights is critical, it is not necessary. Queer Irish club nights such as NSFW, Sanctuary, and others have implemented a no-phone policy and continue to grow in popularity as word of mouth spreads. FOLD, a London venue, is another shining example of a venue just across the pond that has managed to maintain a no-phone policy in a city where this is uncommon.
Longer Set Times
This one should be non-negotiable. DJs are virtually unable to fully convey their own personality within the confines of an hour or even an hour B2B set. These shortened set times give DJs little time to delve into their musical libraries and show the audience what they’re all about. Hour sets promote a rushed approach to DJing, encouraging a linear and one-dimensional approach to music selection, and DJs aren’t to blame. How can DJs experiment with different sounds, genres, textures, or rhythms when they are typically booked to play a slot with a maximum of twenty tracks?
We understand why these shortened sets are so common in Ireland, where we have more DJs than ever but fewer nightclubs than ever. This strange equilibrium means that more DJs than ever are vying for the same sets in the same venues. A standard Irish club night typically includes a headliner for two hours and two support acts for an hour each, one of whom is usually associated with the party and one of whom is a guest, so this four-hour timeframe now allows for one single guest.
We also understand why you booked two support acts instead of one. Ireland is not Germany, the Netherlands, or the United Kingdom; our club scene is struggling. We have more promoters than ever, and parties are suffering. More DJs on a lineup means that the extra DJs draw more of a crowd, whether it’s their friends coming down, their fan base, or their presence on social media. Unfortunately booking an extra DJ can mean the difference between making a profit or a loss.
Booking just one or two DJs for a single club night may appear to be a risky strategy, but there are advantages. Although promoters appear to be placing all of their trust in one act, the margins are smaller; in general, booking one act for four hours or two to play two hours each can be less expensive than booking four different DJs, or more in the case of B2B’s. When a DJ dives down their crates in full flow, it reflects highly on the promoter and fosters a culture that is focused on the music rather than altering the feel every hour with constant DJ switchovers. The continual changeover creates a push and pull effect, with each DJ attempting to leave their stamp on the club night within a limited window.
Less Headliner-Driven Shows
It appears that the headliner-driven framework for running parties in Ireland is changing; parties such as Deep Sea Dweller, Kriptik and Honeypot have run hugely successful parties without the idea that a club night should revolve around a single headliner. The headliner framework of running club shows promotes an unrealistic and profit-driven approach to events. The margins increase, the ticket prices rise, and everything becomes about one name rather than focussing on curating and creating atmospheres centred on the party or the dancer.
The idea of people only going out to focus on one act for a short period of time, with the rest of the lineup serving as an accessory, creates a diluted and nearly celebrity-centred approach to club culture, which contradicts the essence of dance music culture. As this trend continues, ticket prices will rise and smaller spaces will suffer. Although the concept of superstar DJs is not new, as artists such as Carl Cox and Fatboy Slim have been celebrity-style figures for decades, social media is transforming young artists into profit-making machines, turning them into brands rather than artists. People are almost buying into DJs as if their online personas are as important as the music they play.
Local parties and collectives that aren’t centred on the headliner are intrinsically beneficial to local dance music ecosystems, allowing young domestic artists to break through, as local DJs are frequently restricted in terms of what they can play because they’re often booked purely as warm-up DJs. Breaking away from the culture of only seeing headline DJs will allow promoters to charge lower ticket prices, as the current cost of living crisis is causing young people to abandon clubs in order to save money. Without headliners, ticket prices can drop dramatically, making club culture more accessible to everyone.
During Ireland’s 2008-2010 recession, headliner-driven events declined as promoters focused on throwing parties with local talent at lower prices, giving parties the opportunity to experiment with sound while also allowing that generation of talent to shine. Dublin’s Hangar was possibly the last major venue in Dublin to pioneer this concept, and the crop of talent that emerged from the space speaks for itself, as it allowed artists such as Tommy Holohan, KETTAMA, George Feely, DART, and others to play headline shows, ultimately propelling them to the next stage of their careers.
Bring Back Resident DJs
The art of the resident DJ is largely forgotten, but they are the foundation of any venue, club night, or city. They know the lay of the land, have been tried and tested, and often play at times appropriate for graveyards and tumbleweeds. The resident is synonymous with the club’s ethos, sound, and crowd – they are frequently the embodiment of how the space looks, sounds, and feels. There’s a comforting feeling on the dancefloor when a resident DJ who has earned their stripes is playing – it’s often not flashy or pretty, but it’s good, it does the job, and it’s done properly, and there’s nothing cooler than a DJ who can serve up a faultless set before or after a revered international DJ in their home town.
The resident DJ continually gives life to the local scenes night after night, year after year. Their work is characterised by subtlety, constancy, and a thorough awareness of their audience, venue, and music itself. Many of Ireland’s best DJs were once resident DJs in their local towns and clubs, perfecting their craft before taking the leap to play internationally. Showing faith and trust in an artist helps them to gain confidence and experience, DJing is like any other job, you need miles on the clock and experience to progress further and have confidence in your ability.
Darker Clubs
Dancefloors should be designed for dancing. Dancefloors should be created to allow dancers to forget themselves and feel comfortable dancing in their own place on the floor; unfortunately, many Irish clubs are not set up this way, and you have to wonder why. Are clubs purposefully making their interiors less dark or smoky in order to increase bar revenue? In Ireland, it appears that the lighting at events is just too bright, although this hasn’t always been true.
A dark and dimly lit dancefloor that seeps with smoke provides a sense of anonymity, essential for the free-flowing expressiveness that marks the freedom of expression and freeing release that is associated with dance music. In those dark corners and crevices of the floor, dancers are less self-conscious and can fully immerse themselves in the music, this offers a more all-encompassing and focused approach to the tribal feelings that are naturally enveloped in dance music culture. This freedom encourages a more genuine shared feeling on the dancefloor, bridging the gap between each dancer, and breaking down barriers, this darkness somewhat creates unity and a common feeling, that everyone is faceless, egoless and there to dance to the beat of the drum. The absence of light helps people to merge in with the communal energy.
Tengu is setting the standard for Irish clubs as one of the few venues that can recreate the darkly lit and smoky atmosphere that is typical in other venues around Europe. NSFW also gets an honourable mention for selecting a darker-lit space with smoke and plenty of corners for dancers to nestle into as they stay anonymous and lose themselves on the floor.
Photo Credits: Wibez Photography
