Brixton venue the Dogstar has reportedly been taken over by squatters days after its permanent closure.
On October 30, the long-running South London nightclub closed after decades of parties when its operator, Antic London, entered administration in July and could not find a new buyer.
Per Brixton Buzz, legal notices have been seen displayed in the windows on the ground floor, with sheets and curtains preventing anyone from looking in. One legal notice reads: “Legal warning, take notice that we occupy this property and at all times there is at least one person in occupation.”
It also reads claiming that the current squatters can only be removed if a county court order is issued. The four-floored building that housed the Dogstar once featured a restaurant, four large dancefloors and five bars.
Brixton Buzz adds that it is not a criminal offence to squat in a commercial property or open land, as long as criminal damage is not done.
The Dogstar was originally named The Atlantic, and it was notable for being once called “Brixton’s most visible Black pub” and at the epicentre of the 1981 Brixton riots. The venue closed in 1994 before being reopened and renamed the same year by Antic London.
Per Mixmag, Dogstar was also known as one of the UK’s first DJ bars, and its drum ‘n’ bass nights featured the likes of Mike Skinner from The Streets and Fabio and Grooverider.
Earlier this year, the Music Venue Trust found that, among the key findings into their “most challenging year”, last year saw 125 UK venues abandon live music and that over half of them had shut entirely – including the legendary Moles in Bath.
Other historic venues are also at-risk of shutting down – the Salford Lads Club is under threat of closure due to rising costs and a drop in grant funding. To remain open, it must raise £250,000 by mid-November. Among those chipping in to help have been Graham Nash, Morrissey, and Noel Gallagher.
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