Sydney day club Up closes after police allegations of repeated “drug incidents”
A WELL-KNOWN Oxford St hotel was forced to temporarily shut its doors, two people are due in court and one of the scene’s most popular day clubs is no more following police allegations of a series of “drug incidents”.
Randel Morris, promoter of Up Dayclub, where many of the incidents are alleged to have occurred, told the Star Observer that he believed the event’s closure was part of a concerted effort to shut down the few remaining day clubs on Oxford St.
The NSW Government’s Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority (ILGA) served a short-term closure order on Darlinghurst’s The Exchange Hotel on Friday, January 16 after a request from Surry Hills Police.
The order notice, which was posted on ILGA’s website and addressed to the hotel’s licensee, forced the venue to shut for 29 hours from 5am the next morning until 10am on Sunday, January 18 due to a “serious breach” of the 2007 Liquor Act related to the sale or possession of drugs which could pose a “significant threat or risk to the public”.
The closure period covered almost the entire time Up, which had a regular residency at the Exchange’s Phoenix Underground bar, would have operated as the event was due to kick off at 5am on both days.
Up billed itself as a “weekly morning recovery club where everything is uplifting” for “open-minded boys and girls who want to have a hassle free mingle and dance”.
Men-only Club Exile – which, like Up, is promoted by Morris – was also forced to cancel its January event that would have taken place on the Saturday evening.
After initially stating that that weekend’s Up was cancelled “for circumstances beyond our control,” on Sunday Morris informed regulars via Facebook that The Exchange had “advised” that the club would not be returning to the venue “until further notice”.
The Facebook post said the closure was because of “the venue’s compliance with an order relevant to the liquor act” and the safety of Up’s patrons was the organiser’s top priority.
“But due to a lack of respect, inappropriate and immature actions of a few, alongside the new extra power laws given to the police earlier this year to shut down venues we have no other option but to retire and hang-up our dancing shoes, at least for the foreseeable future,” it read.
Police told the Star Observer that several incidents at the venue, in particular from January 4-11 this year, “established there was a threat to the health and safety of members of the community”.
ILGA’s January 16 order cited penalty notices issued to the licensee going back to 2013 and made reference to police reports made following visits to the venue on the mornings of January 10 and 11, when Up was open, which said there were “practices that were not compliant with the drug policy of the premises,” “numerous apparent drug affected patrons,” and people “intoxicated by prohibited substances to a point where they required the assistance of an ambulance”.
NSW Police also confirmed two men were arrested on drugs charges at the venue on January 4.
A 51-year-old man, charged with possessing and supplying a prohibited drug and dealing with property suspected of being the proceeds of crime, will face court on January 29.
A 48-year-old man charged with possessing a prohibited drug will also appear in court on the same day.
“Both Up Dayclub and Club Exile are… highly reputable events, in keeping with the laws of NSW,” Morris told the Star Observer.
“I deny these allegations made against me and those made against the Exchange Hotel.”
Morris said shifts, or even entire jobs, would have been lost among security staff, DJs and bar staff due to Up’s sudden closure.
He also said while authorities in cities such as New York celebrated a vibrant night time culture, clubs in Sydney were being systematically closed down.
“There will be nothing left on Oxford St,” he said.
“They’re going after other clubs, what are they trying to achieve?”
Morris said he was “overwhelmed by the support” he’d received from event regulars on Up’s Facebook page.
The ILGA order notice also referenced a submission to the authority from the solicitors of Exchange licensee Darren Hickey saying he denied he or his staff were aware or permitted the sale, supply or possession of prohibited substances.
However, the notice also states that Hickey did concede that he had been “made aware of evidence of the use of prohibited substances on the premises by his staff, particularly cleaners working in the toilet areas”.
Hickey would not comment to the Star Observer, citing legal reasons.
Surry Hills Local Area Commander, Superintendent Bernie Ryan, denied the police were being heavy-handed and said the use and sale of prohibited drugs should never be tolerated.
“The NSW Police Force is committed to improving safety for all members of our community, and we will continue to take decisive action to ensure the people attending licensed premises are protected from drug dealers,” he said.
While I’m not advocating a position for or against drug use, shutting down a venue like this does not stop people taking drugs. People will still take them and get messed up. Wouldn’t the Public Health Authorities prefer it done in an environment with supportive harm minimisation strategies? Trained paramedics?
Also, the closure of Up! is really crappy for those of us in the world who work various types shift work and liked the early morning boogie on the way home after work!
Thanks NSW Police, I’ll be dancing in front of the mirror from now on!
David Rook does raise a good point – wtf has happened to Sydney – this was once such a fun town – I used to come here in the 80s and 90s and I cannot believe the extent of the devastation – it’s like Beirut – the gay scene here is totally wiped out – almost nothing left – it’s devastating and time and time again I hear it’s NSW Police who did this – sniffer dogs and squads of police everywhere raiding clubs – well done NSW Police – U have killed what was a great fun city – it now really sucks
Sometime a long time ago, I supported the beginning of the “Safe Place” project designed to give gay people safe places to run into if they were ever in danger. This was in parallel with a new “Community Policing” initiative whereby the gay community let the police inside their (then healthy) community so they could help fight gay-bashers.
Now it has come to this. A blatant misuse of the support afforded the police by our community. A total misuse of ploce power. A total rout of the community support we raised for them. And might I say – a baseless witch hunt.
This is and there never was dangerous drug abuse in our community. Drug use – sure. Dangerous abuse – no. Of course making a statement like that requires clear observation and the freedom to speak freely as an accurate adult. Contentious I know in the age of elite secrecy and darkness.
What we have now, at the END of the day is :
1. A straight police management with no accurate understanding of gay society, or society in general. They would do better to all go back to the Kings Cross ICE HEADS. At least they understand those goons.
2. A microscopic self serving secret elite hiding under the gay community and drawing in oppressive policing like flies to shit.
3. A stone dead and buried gay Community (its gone), and lets not forget, a gay suicide rate 14 times the national average.
I hereby apologize for my part in allowing this police oppression to start. I deeply regret it and I promise never to make such a mistake again. And I ask everyone to fight the data spy laws, fight the terrorism laws, and don’t cooperate with police – BECAUSE THEY ALWAYS ABUSE THEIR POWER IN THE END. ALWAYS!!! ALWAYS!! ALWAYS!
Yet one more example of how NSW police have beaten the life out of any gay scene in Sydney – all around the world people know Sydney is now a dead zone as far as clubs and dance parties go – well done to NSW police – u and ur loser sniffer dogs have turned gay Sydney into shitsville – a boring bankrupt place where everyone dies except u – u fuckers – who live off overtime and tax payer dollars