The decline of clubbing
俱乐部纷纷关门大吉
Less dance
跳舞的人越来越少
Nightclubs try to turn around their ebbing fortunes
夜总会试图扭转其不佳财运
LOVERS of thumping music and human sweat are growing scarcer. A third of nightclubs have shut in the past five years. The market value of the industry has fallen from £1.8 billion ($3.6 billion) to £1.4 billion since 2007, according to Mintel, a consultancy. The biggest nightclub firm, Luminar, which owns Oceana and Liquid clubs, went into administration last October. Old hands saved it, buying 66 of its 79 venues in December; only 55 remain open.
喜欢重金属音乐和火爆音乐的人越来越稀少。在过去五年时间里，三分之一的夜总会都已经关门大吉。自2007年以来，这个行业的市场价值已从18亿英镑（36亿美元）降到14亿英镑，根据英国一家敏特咨询公司统计。最大的夜总会公司Luminar旗下拥有奥西阿纳（Oceana）和（Liquid）液体俱乐部，去年10月进入破产管理状态。资深同行拯救了这家公司，在十二月份购买了79个场所中的66个；仅有55家还在营业。
Youngsters drink less often, and frequently “pre-drink” when they do, guzzling cheap supermarket booze before going out. The average customer now quaffs just 1.8 drinks at Luminar’s clubs. A change in the licensing laws has also dented sales. Before 2005 clubs had few rivals after 11pm, when most pubs closed. They had “a licence to print money,” admits Aaron Mellor of Tokyo clubs. Many pubs now offer alcohol later.
通常，年轻人很少喝酒，并且经常在正餐喝酒之前，提前“喝上一些”，在出门之前豪饮廉价超市里买回来的酒。现在Luminar俱乐部平均来看顾客大饮特饮的仅仅是1.8升的饮料。法律许可的变更也使得酒的销量下降。之前在晚上11点以后，2005家俱乐部几乎没有竞争对手互相抢生意，因为大多数酒吧都关门了。东京俱乐部亚伦梅洛尔承认这样的话，他们就有了“摇钱树”可以大赚一笔。后来，包括现在许多酒吧也都卖酒。
The economic downturn has made things worse. Borrowing is trickier, and jobless and cash-strapped youths are less likely to go out. Universities, which supply many clubbers, have stopped expanding. A club with 100 fewer people than it can hold feels empty, says Jon Collins, head of CGA Strategy, a nightclub consultancy—“and who wants to return to an empty club?”
经济低迷则形势更糟。借贷更加棘手，失业和资金短缺的年轻人很少出去聚会。大学有许多俱乐部成员，但人数也已经停止增加。少于100人的俱乐部还感觉有些空荡荡，乔恩•柯林斯说，一家夜总会咨询公司CGA的负责人，“谁还想去一家空荡荡的俱乐部？”
Club owners have turned to social media to stave off decline. They recruit promoters—the young and popular, mostly—to post links to their club nights. “Guaranteed banger tonight,” writes one. Friends can add their names to a list for discounts. After a night out, photos of revellers appear on friends’ Facebook feeds, branded with the club’s logo. Peter Marks, head of Luminar, says 1.2m people view these pictures every month.
俱乐部老板为避免陷入衰退境地已经转向社会媒体投放广告。他们招募年轻人和人气旺的推广员，有个人链接了夜总会的帖子，“保证今晚绝对火爆，”。名单中填写朋友名字的可享受折扣。出去聚会一天晚上后，狂欢者的照片上带着俱乐部的标志就出现在朋友的Facebook动态上。Luminar的负责人彼得 马克斯说，每月都有120万人查看这些图片。
The best clubs now offer comedy, live music and food in the day, says Michael Oliver of Mintel. But this is not an option for some. Sound systems necessitate thick walls and few windows, which does not make for an attractive dining space. Mr Marks says he gained little when his clubs offered comedy gigs and food. Salvation may eventually come from a new floor-filling pop-music genre. But nobody can will that into being.
最好的俱乐部现在都提供喜剧服务、现场音乐和当天美食，英国敏特的迈克尔•奥利弗表示。但对于有些人来说，这不失为一个选择。音响系统需要设计成厚厚的墙体和少安装窗户，这与设计一个魅力别致的用餐空间相反。马克斯先生说，他的俱乐部提供了喜剧演出和美食服务则盈利很小。最终可能得由一个新的人气火爆的流行音乐流派来救赎。但是再也无人打造出那种火爆的气氛了。
经济学家
2012-11-01
经济学家
562次
点赞(0)
收藏
登录
