Junk is under threat of closing down, and they need our help

It’s a cultural hotspot, and fear-mongering is killing it


 The Daily Echo, in a rather sensationalist article, have outlined that Junk is due to have a review of its license.

To begin with, it seemed unlikely, but as the day drew on, finally Junk made a statement outlining that while the accusation was true, the details were distorted, and misleading.

First off, let’s just clarify that Junk certainly is not “at the centre of a series of violent incidents” – Junk is a nightclub that abides by the exact same standards as other nightclubs, and in some ways even more so, and as an individual who has reviewed a number of events there, and interviewed a number of DJ’s playing there, I can safely say that the management are consummate professionals, as are the staff, and any incidents that happen are completely due to certain individuals ruining the fun for everyone – shutting Junk will not make those individuals disappear, the two entities are completely separate.

It’s language like this that paint these Thatcherite, terrifying images of nightclubs as seedy locations, inherently linked to crime, when they are just as legitimate a business as any other, and probably have to endure far stricter licensing laws than countless other sections of society. The stabbing that they refer to did happen, of course, but where is the mention of how Junk responded? They shut the club for 24 hours, noticeably increasing security measures at the next event and were commended by the police for their cooperation. It’s also apparent through the statement “that almost 75% of incidents not inside the venue / positive / no further action. The few remaining incidents are those when someone has been escorted from the premises in an instance of internal control due to their behaviour in the premises to once again keep the venue a safe place.”

Junk is a music venue primarily. It might not play host to acoustic guitars, under the dim glow of candlelight, the music might be a little bit faster than usual, and a little too electronic for you older, stuffy types, but that doesn’t mean you have to incessantly demean and target a nightclub that is one of the few cultural hotspots of an otherwise very bland city.

This exact same targeting and demonisation is happening across the country, with countless nightclubs shutting down, and countless more under threat from said pressures. This affects us, as students, because these are our places of worship. They are our little breaks from the pressures we face at university, the pressures we face at home, the pressures we face in the housing market, or the jobs race. How many times have you stood, smiling with your pals on the Junk dancefloor, telling them you love the song that’s playing or you that you love them?

How many times have you got dressed in your new outfit and headed out to have your mind blown by Jackmaster or Annie Mac, or Cristoph or Eats Everything, or any of the number of amazing DJ’s that have played there? What about all you beautiful, crazy Retrojammers, how many good nights have you had boogying down to music you wouldn’t be able to hear in any other club? How many nightclubs have had a documentary done by Radio 1 about them!?

Junk isn’t just a nightclub, it’s an institution, a cultural hotspot, a stomping ground. It’s down to us, and anyone who loves the place to stand up and say no, we’re not letting you take our club from us – or you may just wake up one day and find another Wetherspoons.

Click here to sign a petition to save Junk from closure.