London Loses Yet Another Underground Club to Property Developers
London Bridge under-the-arches club Crucifix Lane have announced they’re shutting down permanently after Easter, having been ‘consigned to the history bins at the hands of London’s super rich.’
Unveiling details of this Easter weekend’s final parties (Cartuli’s Day on Thursday April 2 and Solo Danza on Saturday), the club said their closure is ‘yet another sad and shameful example of the little people getting pushed aside at the expense of London’s rich culture’.
“Crucifix Lane is the next London nightclub to fall foul of rich redevelopers and callous gentrification,’ they continued in an angry press release.
“Just around the corner from Cable (a club that suffered the same fate not so long ago) and in the same set of railway arches, Network Rail are coming in to batten down the hatches and take control of the space to make way for London Bridge Station expansion.”
Originally known as Happy Jacks, the classically rough and ready two room arches club played host to Andrew Weatherall’s acclaimed Sabresonic parties in 1993 and hosted scores more underground events in the ensuing years including Whirl-y-gig.
Crucifix Lane General Manager Alex Brooks (who took over running the venue in 2011) was stoical.
“All good things come to an end,” he said.
“It’s time for us to leave the area as the new wave of residential and businesses arrives. The venue was here long before either of those, when London Bridge was a desolate industrial only area.
Until recently we’ve been able to co-exist, though with the major works above us on the railway, we’re the next arches needed back.”
Club publicist Chris Halliday less so.
“I worked at Cable Nightclub before it closed under similar circumstances and worked closely with the team at Crucifix Lane so this is really upsetting to see,” said Chris.
“The forced club closures in London Bridge have been particularly brutal and it’s a huge shame for the area,” he added.
https://www.facebook.com/crucifixlanelondon
