Club culture is working class. It always has been. Built in basements and warehouses by people the mainstream had no space for. Workers, queers, freaks, outsiders. That’s our lineage. We try to honour it the best we can.
Right now it’s hard. Venues are closing all over. Renting a space for one night costs more than it ever has. Nightlife keeps getting squeezed out of cities so something cleaner and more profitable can move in. We’ve been looking to start our own venue for a while and haven’t found one yet. Honestly, the future looks pretty bleak from where we’re standing. We keep showing up anyway.
And then there’s the other thing. Club culture is being hijacked. Diluted. Repackaged. Sold back to us as a wellness brand. A daytime activity. A networking opportunity. Flown-in celebrity TikTok DJs. Sober morning raves with matcha sponsors. Pride floats paid for by banks. “Alternative” spaces with a pretentious dress code, a guest list and a content strategy. Pseudo-radical, brand-friendly, perfectly photographable.
Real underground spaces are disappearing. The working class spaces. The ones that came first. We’re not giving up. We’re just tired.
May Day is ours. The dancefloor is working class. 🖤✊