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BOB 2015: FABRIC ( BEST LARGE CLUB)

Best of British 2015, educated by Point Blank

OTHER NOMINEES
MOTION, BRISTOL
MINISTRY, LONDON
EGG LDN, LONDON
RAINBOW, BIRMINGHAM

HAT-TRICK HEROES
For a third year in a row, DJ Mag’s readers have voted Fabric as Best Large Club...

With clubs closing left, right and centre, it might seem as if the field is thinning out but this year has seen Fabric go up against some particularly strong contenders up and down the country. Although Fabric’s longevity is remarkable in itself (it turned 16 this year), what’s truly impressive is that the club has kept up with the times. 

It says a lot that Fabric has not only remained relevant to the capital’s clubbing scene but also played a role in helping new talent develop. For the past few years, the club has been a home to grime night Butterz which, until recently, was one of the only regular grime nights in London.

In that time Butterz has gone from Room 2 to packing out the main room with acts like Kano, JME and Wiley. Likewise, the club has had a hand in supporting now established names like Jamie Jones and Seth Troxler from the early days of their career. “We’re always trying to identify new talent and we work hard to support them, plotting over the long term,” Andy Blackett, one of Fabric’s programmers, tells us over email.

2015 saw a number of memorable events hosted at Fabric. But perhaps the one that will linger longest, for those that got a chance to witness it, will be Craig David touching mic during Kurupt FM’s set — the homecoming we were all waiting for.

Other highlights included Daniel Avery’s summer residency, which included some incredible guests, and the club’s thirty-hour-long marathon birthday bash — something unheard of in central London these days.

Asked how it feels to win for the third time running, Andy replies: “We run our club 52 weeks a year and all of the team — from the stewards to the IT guys — put so much blood, sweat and tears into it. We’re not in it for the accolades but we’d be lying if we said acknowledgements like this don’t make it feel all the more worthwhile.” ADAM B