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This move aims to eliminate distractions and foster deeper connections between clubbers and DJs, allowing for a more authentic and engaging nightlife experience. According to the club’s founders, the policy has received overwhelming support, with many attendees praising the initiative for enhancing the communal energy of the dance floor.

Amber’s is not the first venue in the UK to enforce such a policy. Clubs like Berlin’s infamous Berghain have long maintained a strict no-phone rule, but similar approaches are now emerging across the UK. In London, Fabric has encouraged guests to minimize phone use, whilst Glasgow’s Sub Club has also experimented with no-camera policies to maintain a more organic clubbing environment.

@its.kmo_ Inside Berghain The most iconic building of Berlin about which everyone whispers tips how to get in. The easiest way is to visit one of the exhibition in Halle am Berghain #berlin #berghain #berlinart #exhibition ♬ C-Quence Of Calamities – Sedef Adasi Remix – BASHKKA

The rise of phone-free nightlife reflects a broader trend of nostalgia for the pre-smartphone club era, where music and human interaction were at the heart of the experience. As social media continues to shape nightlife culture, more venues may adopt this approach to create more intimate and memorable experiences for clubbers.

Cellphones & Social Media changed Partying & Club Life Globally. You see ppl on their phones, taking pics, texting & posting pics on social media. We DANCED in the 90’s. We sat at the BAR & had drinks w/Women & actually TALKED, then Danced again. The Club use 2B an experience. pic.twitter.com/NPmTjHOttU

— TonyDaDome (@TonyDaDome) February 19, 2022

Phones shouldn’t be allowed in clubs or bars. We should be there to meet NEW people, not text people we already know.

— Nēv Schulman (@NevSchulman) June 7, 2014

Whether Amber’s sets a lasting precedent for UK nightlife remains to be seen, but early reactions suggest that clubgoers are ready to put their phones away and get lost in the music once again.

In an interview with Eastern Daily Press, a spokesperson for the venue said: “We’re incredibly humbled and privileged to announce that we’ve been shortlisted as Best Venue.

“We want to send love to everyone in the Fine City, without your energy and support we wouldn’t be here.

“Thanks to you, our little club in Norwich has been nominated alongside some of the most legendary venues in the world – Fabric, Amnesia, Drumsheds, Hï Ibiza, Sneaky Petes, Motion, Index & BS Warehouse.”The Dance Community is already stunned to see Norwich on this list. Let’s get voting and stun them again.”

Gonzo’s Two Room has played host to an eclectic range of sounds and performers. Their winter programme featured American garage house innovator Todd Edwards, D’n’B legend DJ Storm, and Rhythm Section’s Bradley Zero. They also showcase their local talent, with resident DJ’s Effy Mai, Tadi, Levi Fruits and Beeches on warm-up duties.

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A post shared by Gonzo’s Two Room (@gonzostworoom)

Talking to the BBC, owner Mike Baxter said: “It [live music] is a hard industry, but for us it was about making something awesome

“To see artists that – by definition – don’t belong in Norwich. You’d see those at shows in London, Manchester and Ibiza. We’ve developed relationships now with artists where we’re getting major artists that we’ve not seen outside of the major cities before who are coming for the crowd.”

It’s not the first time the Norwich nightclub has been recognized for industry awards. In 2023, the venue was a finalist in the ‘Best Club’ category at the DJ Mag’s Best Of British Awards 2023, going up against big names like Phonox in London and Patterns in Brighton.

In a write-up for DJ Mag in 2022, Ben Murphy gave a glowing review of the 200-capacity club: “The venue’s excellent sound, friendly atmosphere and mix-and-match decor — festooned with mirror balls, flock wallpaper and humorous portraits — have made it an essential nightlife hub in a city that in recent years has been underrepresented in dance music terms.

The winners of the BBC Radio 1 Dance Awards will be revealed live on Radio 1 Dance from 18:00 GMT on 21 February.

Also shortlisted for the best venue award are:

• Amnesia, Ibiza
• Drumsheds, London
• Index, Dublin
• Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh
• Blackstone Street Warehouse, Liverpool
• Fabric, London
• Hi Ibiza, Ibiza
• Motion, Bristol
• The Warehouse Project at Depot Mayfield, Manchester

Vote for Gonzo’s Two Room or your best dance venue here!

The refurbished IKEA warehouse has a capacity of 15,000 and has hosted day festivals as well as club nights for mainly dance music. The venue is currently subject to an emergency licensing review after the Met Police asked Enfield Council to investigate.

The review comes after multiple incidents at or near the club. A 27-year-old man died after attending an event on October 12, and a 29-year-old woman after an event on December 7 – both deaths are believed to be drug-related. Another man was attacked with a weapon inside the venue on November 16^th.

A spokesperson for the police said: “Public safety is our priority and following a request from the Metropolitan Police, Enfield Council held an extraordinary licensing hearing for Drumsheds, operated by Broadwick Live.”

“This follows three serious incidents at the venue in recent weeks, with our officers investigating two unexpected deaths and a non-fatal stabbing.”

At the licensing hearing, the venue was allowed to keep its license before a final decision to continue or condemn the club is made on January 7. Additional contingencies and conditions have been put in place, such as an increased police presence. Enfield Councillor Susan Erbil said, “council officers and the police will continue to monitor the premises to ensure these conditions are in place.”

The nightclub, which opened in 2023, is one of the world’s biggest and has a size of 608,000 square feet, which is about the size of eight football pitches. It’s played host to big names such as The Chemical Brothers and Four Tet. But it’s recently come under fire for overcrowding, specifically at an event for D’n’B label UKF on December 13.

UKF – unsafe conditions/Rant
byu/Sea_Flow_83 inDrumsheds

Upset concertgoers complained about the crowding, unsafe queues and “aggressive” security on social media, with a petition being launched for fans to receive refunds. “Numerous people were subjected to frightful conditions that risked their safety at a recent event ran at the venue Drumsheds in London,” the petition reads. It goes on to speak about the possibility of “crowd crushing” and “widespread panic and fear” among the attendees.

A review from Music Tech put forward the chaotic gig as potentially the “worst-organized event at the venue yet”, calling its safety measures “woefully inadequate”. First-hand accounts from disappointed fans reported “ridiculous” queues and feeling unsafe.

Nightlife in the UK is in a floundering state. Research shows that over the past four years, the UK has lost 37% of its clubs, around 10 closing each month. In London, a total of 3,011 night economy business closed between March 2020 and December 2023, the most for any English region. You can read our article on the withering nightlife scene here.

We’re excited to announce loads of support acts for our upcoming UK tour, hand picked by the band and @This_Feeling.

Find out more and get your tickets here: https://t.co/q1winTEx5b pic.twitter.com/IKPxZeMWuG

— The View (@viewofficial) October 9, 2023

Bringing local, emerging bands on tour is a great way to give them the spotlight and reach fans in a way they may not have been able to otherwise. This Feeling announced “We’re delighted to announce some amazing support bands for our upcoming UK tour. Each band have been hand picked by the band and club night This Feeling to give young, up and coming acts the chance to share a bigger stage with The View.”

This Feeling founder Mikey Jonns shared his excitement for the upcoming tour, by saying “As a young band the opportunity to play big venues with a big band is a dream so huge love and respect The View boys for making that dream come true for loads of brilliant acts we’re working with – it’s gonna be a blinding night of music from start to finish!”

Different bands will support The View on different dates of the tour. Support acts will typically join the Scottish trio on dates in their local area. You can find a full list of tour dates and support acts below.

For tickets to the upcoming UK tour, click here.

Tour dates:

02/11/2023 – Rescue Rooms – Nottingham (with The Rosadocs)
03/11 – O2 Academy 2 – Liverpool (with Wull and Lissy Taylor)
04/11 – O2 Academy 2 – Manchester (with Shambolics and ROLLA)
10/11 – Waterfront – Norwich (with Bag of Cans)
11/11 – The Rocking Chair – Wrexham (with Jonny Ash)
15/11 – Junction – Cambridge (with Oscar Corney)
16/11 – Marble Factory – Bristol (with Twin City)
18/11 – Concorde 2 – Brighton (with Hope and Ruin)
22/11 – Old Fire Station – Carlisle (with Dictator)
23/11 – Tramshed – Cardiff (with Ratoon)
24/11 – Warehouse – Leeds (with The Sheratons)
25/11 – Keele University – Keele (with The Lilacs and Ruby J)
28/11 – Docks Academy – Grimsby (with Breeze)
29/11 – Engine Rooms – Southampton (with Dead Freights)
30/11 – The Mill – Birmingham (with Rosa Caelum)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      01/12/2023 – Foundry – Sheffield (with CRUZ)
02/12 Newcastle University – Newcastle (with The Lilacs and Soup)
07/12 – Scala – London (with Shambolics and Spangled)
13/12 – O2 Academy – Edinburgh (with Shambolics and Ben Walker)
14/12 – Grand Hall – Kilmarnock (with Shambolics and Ben Walker)
16/12 – P&J Live, Hall C – Aberdeen (with DAYTIME TV and Ben Walker)
17/12 – Caird Hall – Dundee (with DAYTIME TV and Ben Walker)
18/12 – Caird Hall – Dundee (with DAYTIME TV and Ben Walker)

Tom said in a recent interview, “ There’s loads of people that actually haven’t been to the venue.” “I Think previous clubbers are to want to return and the young generation are going to come back. Thats why we’ve given it the name New World, so that we can get that new experience again.”

It has been eight years since The Arches has proudly held music events. Due to a number of alleged drug and alcohol-related incidents reported by the police, a new nightclub licencing curfew was introduced in Glasgow. It meant that all clubs were to stop selling alcohol and close at midnight. The previous owner said that it lost up to 50% of its revenue and the business sadly went into administration.

Tom has been in communication with the Scotland Police and shared the Watch Tower group’s zero-tolerance drug policy and has agreed on a new licencing curfew of 2am. He said “Obviously, there’s been tragic news in recent weeks. We’ve worked very closely with Police Scotland on our drug policy. We have a zero tolerance drug policy and our message is clear. You know, drugs are illegal and we do not expect people to bring drugs to the venue.

He continued, “We were training with a pure market leader in harm reduction, and we will be working closely with all of them on this and that the event is to ensure that everyone comes to our events and they have a safe and fun time.”

This historic building, situated below the central railway station, was further used from February 2018 as a food market, called Platform, offering a variety of eateries.

Glasgow city is world famous for its legendary music scene. It is internationally recognised as Scotland’s music capital with over half a million people enjoying gigs in its iconic venues every year. And New World is set to join the party with a show-stopping headline by DJ’s.

Tom added, “This project is of huge cultural significance for music in Glasgow, Scotland and beyond. Seeing the unfortunate closure of numerous venues in recent years has been hard on the industry. The venue’s history is renowned, and it holds a special place in people’s hearts, so we know that today’s news will mean so much to so many.”

No announcements have been made as to who will be performing; however, you can visit the Glasgow New World website and sign up to receive the latest news and updates.

Eight people had to be taken to hospital after a ‘chemical substance’ was released at Pop Works nightclub in Doncaster https://t.co/oLFY7DMTqD

— LBC (@LBC) July 31, 2023

A chemical substance, described by authorities as being closely related to pepper spray, was released inside the Pop Works night club in Doncaster, South Yorkshire on the night of 30th July. People attending the club, reported that individuals were seen coughing, vomiting and struggling to breathe. Eight required hospital treatment, although long lasting injuries are not thought to be a danger.

While some reported that a gas-like substance was set off, the nature of the matter has been unverified. Police and emergency services were called to the scene at around 5am, after a number of people became unwell. A multi-agency investigation revealed that the substance was most likely something resembling a pepper spray, although further investigations will be carried out to confirm the substance and identity of the individual who released it.

UPDATE: Following reports a number of people felt unwell after attending a #Doncaster venue this weekend, an investigation has determined that pepper spray or similar was used.

We continue to appeal for info https://t.co/AOE3wsCr5t pic.twitter.com/yCZZXCXqsA

— South Yorkshire Police (@syptweet) July 31, 2023

A statement given by Superintendent Peter Thorpe of Doncaster said, “while our enquiries into this incident remain ongoing, we want to reassure the wider public that this was thankfully a relatively minor release of something akin to a pepper spray, which didn’t cause any lasting injuries and the majority of people at the venue were unaffected. However, the fact remains that whoever chose to bring that substance to the venue clearly did so to cause harm or injury, and we are working to identify those responsible.”

The police confirmed that all eight individuals taken to hospital had been released without further injury. The authorities have also appealed to potential witnesses or those who may have information, to come forward so that a complete understanding of what occurred at the club can be established.

Pop Works expressed deep regret over the incident and do intend to operate as normal, albeit with heightened security measures to keep the public safe within its venue. A statement by the club on social media read, “we would like to apologise to everyone who was inside at the time and who was involved in the incident. What a world we live in that people would make businesses harder than it is in this trade after Covid. We are deeply sorry. Our main priority is our customer’s safety and well-being after making sure that the care needed for those involved was provided.”

Police have pointed out that any individual who has information but wishes to remain anonymous can do so by contacting the charity Crimestoppers by calling the Contact Centre via freephone at 0800 555 111 or through their website at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.

These restrictions come despite Ireland having a high vaccination rate, around 90% at the time of writing. There is a sense of frustration around the decision; Donall O’Keeffe, chief executive of the Licensed Vintners Association (LVA) told the BBC: “We were told that if we waited until the majority of the public was vaccinated we would be able to get back to trading. Well we waited and that wasn’t enough.” On the LVA’s Twitter, they posted a tweet reading: “Based on this announcement the reintroduction of the full level of supports for the people who will once again find themselves out of work and for the businesses who employ them is essential.”

Based on this announcement the reintroduction of the full level of supports for the people who will once again find themselves out of work and for the businesses who employ them is essential…

AND the Gov must develop nuanced longer term, practical solutions for hospitality

— LVA (@LVADublinPubs) November 16, 2021

Martin, about the restrictions, said in a statement: “We’ve got to make decisions today but also I think collectively as a society we’ve got to look out for each other and just be very aware that the situation is getting worse, and will get worse before it gets better.”

Three months ago, Ireland had announced that they were to lift all restrictions. Now, however, amid a concerning rise in cases in numbers that approached the January peak, they are taking sharp and decisive action. Work from home is being advised, and the rules around testing and close contact have been made more stringent.

The curfew comes less than a month after the lifting of the previous 11:30 pm curfew, made on the 22nd of October. The rise in cases can be explained in part by the lifting of these restrictions, as well as the waning effectiveness of the vaccine. Health officials have commented on the vaccine that it has been less effective than they hoped at limiting the spread of the vaccine, according to Reuters.

The LVA’s Twitter account has been retweeting critics of this move, most notably from Richard Guiney, who says that “we need clear policies for living with Covid. Long term closure with intermittent re-opening doesn’t work for anyone.” 

We need clear policies for living with Covid. Long term closure with intermittent re-opening doesn’t work for anyone. What are the conditions and ground rules that we can live by? Or are we looking at permanent restriction and closure? https://t.co/RCL6yEoslT

— Richard Guiney (@GuineyR) November 16, 2021

See official guidelines from the Irish government here.

Image credit: Raymond Flotat