Hackney Council has denied a Dalston record store the license to host a silent disco due to concerns about potential noise complaints from nearby residents.
According to a report from The Standard, the owners of Recycle Vinyl were informed last week (July 15) that they could not go ahead with their event after misunderstandings regarding licensing led to multiple noise complaints from the community.
Recently, two parties took place at the venue’s “Rave Yard,” a backyard area that was previously part of Kingsland Nursery, which closed in 2023. The store aimed to use this space to draw attention to the decline of electronic music venues.
Although the owners sought permission to showcase DJs, the Metropolitan Police stated that the application lacked proper communication. “As a result, neighbors assumed an unlicensed event was occurring because of the noise level,” an officer explained to The Standard.
In light of this, the owners applied for permission to host “Vinyl Bitch,” a daytime dance music gathering for up to 150 people scheduled for July 19, from noon to 9 PM. However, both the police and council opposed the proposal, citing the likelihood of further noise complaints from a DJ-led event in the outdoor space. To address these concerns, the owners suggested turning the party into a silent disco, providing headphones for guests to listen to the music while enjoying the outdoor atmosphere.
Despite these efforts, the council stated it could only rule on the original request, which it denied the following day.
“From the beginning, we were set up to fail,” Recycle Vinyl lamented on Instagram. “A local resident we’ve dubbed ‘final boss Karen’ messaged a WhatsApp group just before our first party, urging others to complain as soon as it started. And they definitely did.”
In light of the feedback, police have also issued closure notices for upcoming outdoor events. “We attempted to reach an agreement with the police and Hackney Council for the silent disco to use headphones outdoors while DJs played indoors but were told we needed to submit additional temporary event notices, which were also denied,” they stated.
As it stands, future bookings for the Rave Yard will go on until the end of the month but will be relocated indoors at Recycle Vinyl. “In August, we sadly decided to cancel all our daytime parties except for our final event with Victor Simonelli,” they added. “It’s disheartening how one person’s unhappiness can spoil the fun for so many.”
This incident echoes recent struggles faced by other venues such as London’s MOTH Club, which has been fighting against council proposals for new flats that could threaten its existence. The club called on local supporters to rally against the planning applications and has accumulated over 20,000 signatures on a petition urging the council to reconsider.
After a number of high-profile cases, new government plans are being developed to provide “greater protection” for music venues that are subject to noise complaints.
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