Ebony Bell experiences the dangers of nightclub overcrowding.
Overcrowding in UK venues and nightclubs is a serious issue. Section 53 of the Licensing Act, 2003 states that if a venue is overcrowded it can have its licence revoked.
Nabila Nanfuka, 22, died in October 2011, after a stampede in Northampton’s nightclub Lava & Ignite. Two other women were left in a critical condition and many partygoers suffered minor injuries.
Recently I attended an event called I’m in Love with the Coco, organised by up and coming promoter, Lucian Debro, who is from Newham. Tickets had sold well, and the night was set for success.
I had been invited along to interview various mainly Grime artists including chart-topping rapper Wretch 32 who carries top ten singles under his belt such as Don’t Go and 6 Words. I was excited about going and made sure I was prepared to ask the right questions.
On the night of the event I was greeted at the venue – a place called Club Zero – by one set of security before going through another gated door to be greeted and searched by yet another set of security. My first thoughts were that the place was therefore very safe and secure. I finally entered the venue, handed in my coat and started to set up my microphone and camera pack. The lobby looked quite full – everyone was dressed in mainly white – but I thought nothing of it.
But as I approached the door to the main space I realised that there was the only one way in and one way out, and that it was jammed. I suddenly found that I was trapped. No one had any space to move, let alone dance.
Although I felt uncomfortable, I decided to fight my way through the crowd as I had a job to do. Being pushed left, right and centre whilst carrying film equipment was a nightmare. But the cram just got worse, so when I eventually found Lucian I told him I would not be able to carry out any of the interviews as I was concerned about the safety of myself and my equipment. I could feel my forehead dripping with sweat, and knew it was time to leave. But just getting out of the place took me about 15 minutes, as people were still trying to get in!
On exit I asked a security man why they were still letting people come in, and he replied by saying: “They purchased their ticket, it’s their choice to enter or not.” I was shocked, as the venue was clearly overcrowded and therefore in breach of the law. Far worse, it could have led to a similar situation as the one that happened in Northampton.
A few days after the event I spoke with Lucian about my concerns, but all he could say was: “I honestly never thought I would get such a huge turnout. It was crazy.” He then went on to say: “I can hold my hands up and say that I messed up. I never put a stop to the ticket selling, but on the other hand people did say they enjoyed their night.”
I later asked Lucian who was legally responsible for the overcrowding. His answer was: “The venue was not big enough for the event based on how many tickets were sold. But legally it is down to the management’s security as they should be aware of the numbers and capacity limits.”
So I called the venue’s management, but they refused to give a statement. So in the end a night that was supposed to have been spent questioning celebrities, turned out to be one after which I was forced to question the crowd control in nightclubs.