If you have a knack for nightlife, then you may have partied at the King Cross nightclub Soho. This was one of the oldest clubs in all of Sydney and its closure is a shock to many fans. Social media was ablaze yesterday and today with reports circulating that the club was shutting down. Many treated the reports as rumors perhaps because this was a favorite joint for many. However, the news hit home when Andrew Lazarus the owner confirmed that indeed the club was closing down. The lock-out laws whip has now landed on the club which has been in operation for 20 years.
Lazarus said these laws were destroying an entertainment precinct with his establishment being the latest victim. When the laws came into effect, patronage to the club declined significantly and the increased cost of compliance only made a bad situation worse. Continuing operations at the club is no longer viable and closing the club was only prudent.
An iconic club
Soho began its operation over two decades ago. For eight years the club operated under the name YU, however, in 2009, the club reverted to its original name. The club had been the life of the party on several nights when they hosted international acts such as Afrojack, Felix Da Housecat, Pual Van Dyk, Hardwell,Laidback Luke,Basement Jaxx and John Digweed.
The club praised for promoting local talent
Sydney DJ Glover, also took to social media where he praised the club for promoting and supporting local talent. He went on to say that the club had provided hundreds of DJ’s the opportunity to showcase their talent. He recalls having played in the club and said the venue offered him and many others a boost in their careers. His sentiments were shared by other musicians and fans who took on to social media to express their views. Many recalled of the nights they had performed at the club while thousands of fans shared memories of their fun times at the club.
The club previously under scrutiny
This is not the first time the club is making headlines. In 2013, the club had its share of bad publicity, when the 23 year old son of Andrew Lazarus was convicted for sexually assaulting a teenager right outside the venue. He received a three year imprisonment sentence.Luke Lazarus testified in court saying that visits to his father’s club had given him a sense of entitlement and power. The club also faced negative publicity because at the time of the rape incident, pictures of a drunken young woman lying on the floor with her legs apart were posted on the nightclub’s facebook page. This only served to fuel the public rage as hundreds took onto to social media to criticize the incident.
The laws lockout more establishments
At the beginning of the month, Oxford St Nightspot had announced that it will be closing, prior to this, other late night venues, the Backroom and Flinders in Potts, also called it a day when they closed, citing the controversial lockout laws. The new rules were enacted to help curb alcohol-fueled behavior often experienced in bars, clubs and pubs. The law covers major hotspots such as Kings Cross, Cockle Bay, Darlinghurst, Hay Market and Rocks. Since the enforcement of the laws, patrons who leave or those ejected from such premises will not be allowed to re-enter. Licensed premises are not allowed to serve alcohol after 3am while bottle shops were prohibited to sell alcohol after 10pm.
Patrons and fans of the Soho club were forced to come to terms with the fact that the curtains had fallen on this venue; however, they will carry the memories with them for a long time.
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