Superclub Crisis: Cream Abandon Weekly Events

Superclub organisation Cream have closed down their flagship Liverpool club for the rest of the summer, in the latest escalation of the crisis affecting Britain's superclubs. Though a press announcement described the closure as being subject to a "30 day review period", just four more club events are scheduled between now and mid October, suggesting weekly events there are effectively finished.

"The company has experienced first hand a significant shift away from the weekly club nights towards the highly successful large- scale event like Creamfields," Cream admitted.

Local newspaper The Liverpool Echo was more specific blaming falling local attendances and a shift away from the concept of superclub entertainment.

"One of the reasons is the proliferation of bars with late licences who do not charge to get in, and provide DJs and dance floors," they suggested.

"If I'm absolutely honest with you, if the club was doing the sort of numbers it was doing four or five years ago we wouldn't be making this decision," club chief James Barton told Radio 1 several days later. He did, however, remain upbeat, citing the club's continuing success with Creamfields, Ibiza and sales of compilation CDs as positive signs of the group's longer term future.

"Now we are perfectly positioned to develop into new forms of events, music and media. Cream continues to be at the forefront of global youth culture," he claimed.

http://www.cream.co.uk
Tags

• cream
• james barton