Photo: Press/Facebook White Heat
Madame Jojos', one of London's best nightclubs and home to indie mainstay White Heat, has had its music and events license revoked following a violent incident involving bouncers using baseball bats.
The incident of "serious disorder" took place on 24 October and appears to feature bouncers alledgedly attacking a man with baseball bats.
According to Westminster council, a bouncer from neighbouring nightclub Escape headbutted a black male after a 'verbal altercation' and then a further fight broke out involving a taxi operator, who used a baseball bat. The victim then returned with a number of accomplices and began throwing bottles at the club, and according to police reports, bouncers from Madame Jojo's used baseball bats hidden within the venue. One man was arrested at the scene.
White Heat said in a statement: “We know a lot of you have been waiting to hear about what’s been going on with White Heat over the past few weeks. About a month ago our home of ten years, Madame Jojo’s, was shut down due to a serious incident of disorder outside. Yesterday the council decided to revoke the venue’s licence rendering us homeless and its staff, our friends, out of a job.
"We’ve been forced to cancel all of our foreseeable shows at the venue and it’s probably going to be impossible to have one last hurrah at Jojo’s for old times sake."
White Heat has been renowned as having one of the most forward thinking booking policies of any London clubnight and featured Lorde's debut UK gig. The team behind White Heat are clearly hugely disappointed in the decision, commenting: "Over the ten years we've been there we've put a lot into how the venue looks and sounds to make it the best live experience possible and to try and be one of the best places to watch new bands in London. So it really is gutting to have to announce that White Heat at Madame Jojo's is no more."
