Pryzm boss blames “younger individuals consuming much less” for nightclub closures

The boss of Pryzm in Kingston has stated one of many causes for the widespread closure of UK nightclubs is “younger individuals consuming much less”.

Final month, the way forward for Kingston Pryzm was positioned into doubt after its proprietor Rekom UK, which owns the Pryzm and Atik manufacturers, went into administration. The corporate cited challenges throughout the nighttime trade over the previous 12 months, blaming elevated vitality costs and college students chopping again due to the present value of residing for its points.

Nevertheless, final week, Banquet Information confirmed that Kingston Pryzm, the venue the place it steadily hosts ‘outstore’ gigs, will stay open regardless of its homeowners calling in directors.

And now, Rekon UK CEO Peter Marks has informed the BBC that younger individuals and college students are going out lower than ever earlier than due to adjustments in consuming habits, in addition to the price of residing disaster and hovering hire costs.

“A variety of college students who was once paying, say, £800 a month for his or her lodging, have been dealing with [higher rents of] £1,200 a month,” he stated. “Clearly individuals nonetheless like popping out, [but] if cash is tight [they] are coming later, so that they’re arriving at our doorways later and so they’re spending much less.”

“I walked round between 7pm and 11pm, and there have been not more than 200 individuals out within the metropolis. Two years earlier than, it could have been actually fairly busy and buzzing.”

Banquet Information usually places on intimate album launch exhibits within the venue and has hosted gigs by the likes of Billie Eilish, The 1975 and Boygenius, whereas Future Islands and Yard Act are among the many acts scheduled to play there sooner or later.

This week, statistics have been revealed that exposed round 31 per cent of nightclubs within the UK have been compelled to shut during the last three years. The Evening Time Industries Affiliation known as for rapid authorities motion to handle the disaster, figuring out a “profound and systematic marginalisation of the nightclub sector”, which poses a menace to the “vitality of our cultural panorama”.

One other report revealed in January confirmed the “catastrophe” that struck the UK’s grassroots music venues in 2023, with calls rising for a ticket levy on bigger arenas and funding from the broader trade. It recognized the core points as hovering vitality costs, landlords rising fee quantities, provide prices, enterprise charges, licensing points, noise complaints and the persevering with shockwaves of COVID-19.

Final 12 months noticed the Music Venue Belief ship their first annual report on the Homes Of Parliament – warning grassroots gig areas within the UK have been “going over a cliff” with out with out pressing authorities motion and funding from new massive arenas. After the stark warning that the UK was set to lose 10 per cent of its grassroots music venues in 2023, the MVT and others from the sector ended the 12 months by telling NME how 2023 was the “worst 12 months for venue closures” whereas “nobody in music trade appears to care”.