Published
Mon, Aug 16, 2021, 16:06
- Until authorities enforce new laws in response to rising coronavirus cases, divergent door policies are squeezing an already battered industry.
On a breezy July night in New York, a lengthy line had formed outside Jupiter Disco by 10:30 PM. Inside the sci-fi-themed space, local heroes Marco Weibel and Kush Jones played a back-to-back of sinewy halftime and jungle, snippets of which intermittently infiltrated the outdoors and lifted spirits. But what started out as a snaking queue quickly halved as bouncers informed crowds to show proof of vaccine for entry—a new measure the club enforced amid spiking cases of the Covid-19 Delta variant. Despite warnings on event flyers, many were unprepared and decided to leave for other parties with no restrictions in place. One couple decked out in monochromatic tie dye called it quits and went home, grumbling about ever-changing rules.
Low turnout is a harsh consequence that clubs now face when enforcing strict rules such as vaccine proof or a negative test result. "We did see a decrease in business over the first two weeks of implementing the policy," said Jupiter Disco co-owner Maks Pazuniak. "It can be frustrating, a group of five will try to come in for example, and one person won't be vaccinated and they'd all leave. This happens enough times on a given night, and it will add up."
As clubbing capitals around the globe reopen for business, new outbreaks remain a thorny issue for venues. As of August 14th, New York's seven-day daily average of new confirmed cases stood at 1,301. In London, 3,157 new people tested positive on August 15th, while Berlin reported 615 new cases the previous day. Faced with a rising rate of infections, clubs have two choices. They can take preventative action by adopting strict entry protocols and bear the financial consequences. Or, they can take advantage of post-lockdown energy and operate normally until authorities change the law—a move that could potentially contribute to more infections in the long run.
For Jupiter Disco, the first option was a no-brainer "once it became obvious that the Delta variant would be part of our lives for the foreseeable future," Pazuniak explained. "[A month into reopening] we were watching cases rise but had also started anecdotally hearing about a lot of people in the community testing positive with breakthrough cases ...the last thing any of us wanted was for the space to become a transmission vector that helps spread this variant." Nowadays, another New York staple, expressed similar views when following in Jupiter Disco's shoes in late July. "As we enter this new phase of the pandemic, we want to make sure we're doing what we can to keep those people safe," the venue said in a statement.
Rather than place the responsibility on clubs, the onus ultimately lies with local governments to administer industry-wide regulations. Early this month, New York said it will return to mandatory vaccine proof for indoor establishments starting August 16th. UK venues are currently free to make their own rules until late September, when vaccine proof will be obligatory. Berlin, meanwhile, just conducted a pilot program to determine whether vaccine proof and negative test results are enough to stop infections at clubs.
"Without government backing, it becomes very difficult to enforce the Covid passport rule at the door," said James Abbott-Donnelly, who co-runs Leeds event space Sheaf Street. He's also behind a new 10,000 square-foot club called Testbed that's set to open in September. Unlike major UK establishments such as fabric and Printworks, Sheaf Street currently doesn't require a negative test result. "Without an industry standard in place, venues are kind of pitted against each other," said Abbott-Donnelly. "Not only are they already vying for a limited number of clubbers, their door policy now adds another level of competition. It's a disproportionate pressure put on our industry."
In Japan, a lack of clear direction from the government has created a grey area of varying regulations and unequal playing fields. Tokyo is currently in its fourth state of emergency but unlike a lockdown, indoor establishments are simply requested to close early and limit capacity instead of being forced. Contact is only running three daytime events this month although other clubs and bars are open all night, said director Yuko Ichikawa. Contact hopes to restart nightly parties in late September, but it's unclear what safety measures it can apply by then.
"Vaccination is very slow in Japan so showing the vaccine proof won't work yet," Ichikawa explained. "We just postponed one party as most of the youngsters haven't got jabs yet." Since Covid-19 tests aren't free, people might not want to pay for that if it's enforced, she added. "I hope the government arranges rapid lateral flow tests. If we can do the test prior to admission, that would be great."
Meanwhile, venues around China are preparing for worst-case scenarios as the country grapples with a widening outbreak that's curbed public transport services in some areas. In Hangzhou, it might soon be mandatory for clubs to demand vaccine proof or a negative test result, according to Yifei Shu, who manages Hangzhou club Loopy.
"Now, you have to show proof when entering some government areas and offices so I think most big EDM clubs will have the same door policy because they are categorised as entertainment," he explained. Underground clubs try to position themselves as culture, not entertainment, so there could be a scenario where big and small venues have different door policies, he continued. He isn't worried about that scenario.
"Guests who come to Loopy would like to support the venue and understand why we have to change the entry rules," he said. But with the city reaching a "critical point" in infection levels, the club might have to close again if numbers get worse, he warned.
Until government laws come into effect, door policies will continue to determine where ravers spend their money. "The music should always inform our party selections but when going out in a group, many friends would rather skip the formalities and go to a spot with easy entry," said 34-year-old London resident Gharima. "It's not ideal but it's what happens."
In Japan, a lack of clear direction from the government has created a grey area of varying regulations and unequal playing fields. Tokyo is currently in its fourth state of emergency but unlike a lockdown, indoor establishments are simply requested to close early and limit capacity instead of being forced. Contact is only running three daytime events this month although other clubs and bars are open all night, said director Yuko Ichikawa. Contact hopes to restart nightly parties in late September, but it's unclear what safety measures it can apply by then. "Vaccination is very slow in Japan so showing the vaccine proof won't work yet," Ichikawa explained. "We just postponed one party as most of the youngsters haven't got jabs yet." Since Covid-19 tests aren't free, people might not want to pay for that if it's enforced, she added. "I hope the government arranges rapid lateral flow tests. If we can do the test prior to admission, that would be great." Meanwhile, venues around China are preparing for worst-case scenarios as the country grapples with a widening outbreak that's curbed public transport services in some areas. In Hangzhou, it might soon be mandatory for clubs to demand vaccine proof or a negative test result, according to Yifei Shu, who manages Hangzhou club Loopy. "Now, you have to show proof when entering some government areas and offices so I think most big EDM clubs will have the same door policy because they are categorised as entertainment," he explained. Underground clubs try to position themselves as culture, not entertainment, so there could be a scenario where big and small venues have different door policies, he continued. He isn't worried about that scenario. "Guests who come to Loopy would like to support the venue and understand why we have to change the entry rules," he said. But with the city reaching a "critical point" in infection levels, the club might have to close again if numbers get worse, he warned. Until government laws come into effect, door policies will continue to determine where ravers spend their money. "The music should always inform our party selections but when going out in a group, many friends would rather skip the formalities and go to a spot with easy entry," said 34-year-old London resident Gharima. "It's not ideal but it's what happens."
