JUNK CLUB HAS LICENSE REINSTATED, LEFT WITH 200K DEFICIT AFTER LEGAL BATTLE

Junk Club in Southampton has revealed it is under extreme financial strain, following a series of licensing appeals that have left the club in over £200K debt. 

The club's trouble began in January this year, when four men were involved in a stabbing altercation close to the venue. The incident, that included two men that had recently left the popular night-spot, incited a license review over the following months which saw the club's opening times reduced and other restrictions implimented.

Yesterday, the club appeared in court once again — the venue's license has now been reinstated in full. "Our license has been reinstated to what it was pre-incident on 22nd January," said spokesperson for the venue, Luca Pilato.

"Closing hours have been reinstated back to 4AM. It was confirmed by the magistrate that we are in no way a venue that has more incidents above the average of any other — in fact quite the contrary. We have further agreed that everything we have implemented since the incident in January to ensure a safe venue will continue.

"We are now left in a crippling financially position with a £200k deficit hole with us all but losing the business. We are indebted to virtually every aspect of the industry from suppliers, security company, print companies, production companies, staff, agents, website technicians and acts that we owe money to. We now set upon the monumental task of re-building the business and its good name and geting every single person re-paid," Pilato said. 

Junk's licensing woes follow a string of well-documented UK club closures over the last twelve months, including the loss of fabric nightclub's license in September. 

"We bear no malice or ill feeling towards the police or council who are under tremendous pressure with cutbacks and reduced budgets to carry out their licensing objectives. We have been advised that if councils get the opportunity to close a venue and gentrify an area it makes strong financial and political sense.... the biggest example of this being the recent closure of Fabric in London that has been heavily publicised," continued Pilato.   

In 2014, Junk Club won DJ Mag's Best Small Club award at our Best Of British awards in London — the venue has also been nominated multiple times. 

Upcoming events at Junk Club in Southhampton include House Meat Disco on 12th November and Do Not Sleep with Darius Syrossian on 19th November. More info on listings via RA.