Two years ago, Police raided and closed down Plymouth's premier dance culture venue, arresting a number of drug dealers, the club promoter, and the DJ. This month, with the passing of their sentences, we saw a change in the use of British law that now allows d.j.s to be imprisoned for the kind of music they play.
As promoters and D.J.s, the recent closure of 'The Dance Academy' in Plymouth, England, marks the beginning of a new wave of attacks upon dance culture. Resident DJ Costelloe has this month begun a five year prison sentence- why?
For playing music in a club where drugs were being bought, sold, and taken..
..and for playing music that the court ruled to encourage the use of such substances.
..there was no evidence that the DJ (or the club promoter, also now in jail) were in any way linked with those found dealing in the club. Strangely, the dealers mostly got off lightly.
My only source for this information is the current issue of MIX MAG, which I bought this morning. As a 'survivor' of the early party scene, this news concerns me greatly.
The club owner, Iranian born Manoucher Bahmanzadeh, has been sentenced to NINE years!!!
.. by anybody's standards made plenty of effort to prevent drug use in his club- shopping over 50 dealers to the Police himself over a 15 month period, had CCTV installed before it was mandatory for the license, and offered to pay Police to stand outside his club to deter dealers... so if this is considered 'inadequate', there is probably not a single UK dance venue that could not be closed in an instant under this legislation, and its recent interpretation. Any of us can be locked away for the music we play...
