Goldie says he will melt his MBE to protest fabric’s closure

The pioneering DJ and producer told Channel 4 news that he is considering melting down his MBE and suggests that other DJs like Norman Jay and Pete Tong should follow suit

Goldie’s never been one to shy away from a big statement and his views on fabric’s closure are no exception. The drum ’n’ bass pioneer gave an interview to Channel 4 last night to discuss the recent closure of London’s fabric nightclub. During the interview the Walsall-born DJ told the channel that he is intending to melt down his recently-received MBE as a protest against the closure of fabric.

“I’m wondering whether or not the likes of me, the likes of Jazzie B, Norman Jay, Pete Tong for that matter, should just trade our MBEs in, melt them down and put them in a pencil-pushers coffee so it could can taste a litter bit sweeter for him today.” He said, “So he feels more successful in killing counter culture and culture itself.”

Goldie is known as one of the founding fathers of drum ’n’ bass and jungle music and, alongside his Metalheadz label, he has played fabric countless times. “This country was built on culture.” He told Channel 4, “and the moment you decide to close a club like fabric you look stupid.”

Fabric was closed permanently following weeks of speculation and the drug-related deaths of two teenagers earlier this year. A six-hour hearing yesterday lead Islington council to rule that the club had breached its licensing conditions and would therefore have the license revoked. There has also been some speculation that the real reason for fabric’s closure has been obscured in some way.

Fabric made a statement about the closure yesterday saying that they feel downtrodden about the decision, “Fabric is extremely disappointed with Islington Council’s decision to revoke our license. This is an especially sad day for those who have supported us, particularly the 250 staff who will now lose their jobs. Closing fabric is not the answer to the drug-related problems clubs like ours are working to prevent, and sets a troubling precedent for the future of London’s night time economy.”