Ireland has always had a notably conservative approach to nightlife. It jumps out clearly when you move here from abroad, and witness clubs closing, as standard, at what would be the very heart of the night in much of Europe.
In that context, the new 6am licensing laws for nightclubs is beyond welcome in the recovering music community.
After all, in a modern society, does it not seem a little childish and inhibitive to say that punters in the heart of the capital city, at a certain point of the night which most adults see a few days a year, have to pack up and go home?
This new scenario will change the environment entirely for the young who stand to benefit, and may even benefit our drinking culture: no need to cram an entire evening into a shorter period (if that sounds ridiculous, you’ll have to trust me that it absolutely happens).
But beyond the punters, the move stands to benefit Ireland’s flailing dance music scene, too, and boy does it need it. Sure, there are some superb DJs and live dance acts out there, but they struggle, because the environment best suited for their music is so limited. There are no multi-hour sets, the atmospheric stuff comes at a time before the night is truly in fade-out mode, and the audience are turfed into the streets at a time before these acts would even normally perform in London or Berlin.
A fledgling scene, then, can only benefit. I’ve long known a couple of people who insist they’d rather go out in Berlin a few times a year (with all the costs that are involved in that) than go out every weekend in Dublin. Perhaps, with a more modernised take on what nightlife should mean, we’ll finally put that behind us.
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