(Foireann Gaeltachta The Journal a chuir an scéal seo ar fáil. Tá leagan as Gaeilge anseo.)

WHILE NIGHTLIFE IN Ireland is going from strength to strength in some ways, nightclubs need to be given more supports in order to thrive.

That’s what Coillí Collins – or DJ Shampain as he’s more widely known – said in a conversation with The Journal ahead of his gig at the Airneánach festival in Galway on 27 November.

“I don’t think there is enough support there from the government,” he said.

“When you think back to 2019, there was a lot of support for the Give Us The Night campaign, and [organiser] Sunil Sharpe did a brilliant job of highlighting the issues facing the sector but Covid had an overarching impact on nightlife.”

“There were a lot of supports for bars during that time but there wasn’t as much support for events held in clubs, and to be honest I don’t think the government can really do much for nightclubs or electronic music in the way they can support other sectors,” he said. 

He explains that nightclubs are not as much of a priority for governments because they do not make money the same way other businesses do.

“The current economic models don’t suit nightclubs – and if you look at the Irish government, everything they do is based on how the economic models perform,” Shampain said.

“Take housing for example — [people] can’t build a house, and the government never stops to say, ‘oh maybe people need this’. I’m not surprised that the right supports are not being given to clubbing.”

Because nightclubs are often built in the centre of cities in Ireland, Europe and the US, they often have to deal with sound restrictions which put them on the back foot.

“For example, Fuse in Brussels is one of the oldest clubs in Europe and [authorities] wanted to get rid of it because neighbours across the road were complaining that it was too loud.”

“It’s a story as old as time, and sometimes it’s better just to focus on your own art and create a space for yourself to exist within that system.”

Shampain said that there are positive developments, however, and people who are helping to make the night-time economy more sustainable. 

He mentions Galway City Council’s new night-time economy advisor, Kate Howard, who has helped organise the Airneánach festival.

“I think people like Kate are doing a phenomenal job, because they care about and are interested in the arts,” he said.

“I met with her last week and usually for festivals like Airneánach, you would get a 20-minute slot, but she wants to really do something different,” he said. 

“It’s a shame that the former Minister for Culture Catherine Martin didn’t win a seat in the last election, because she did great work in supporting artists, especially in getting the basic income scheme for artists over the line.”

Shampain says he has seen a growing appetite for alternative music events, with regular techno nights now happening in bars like the Róisín Dubh. 

“When I started out at 18, there was not much choice for people in Galway,” he said.

“Clubs like Carbon, Karma and the likes were all focused on people who wanted to go out to go drinking. The music was just a part of that but it wasn’t the reason people were going out.

“If Kettama [a long-time collaborator of Shampain on their record label G Town Records] was playing in Carbon, people would say, ‘Oh that would be good,’ but they wouldn’t be going just for the music.

“I think nowadays there is a bit more importance given to who is playing and people now care more about what gigs are happening,” he said. 

Airneánach

This is the pilot year for Galway’s Airneánach – meaning ‘night bird’ -  festival which aims to celebrate the nightlife, history and culture of the city. 

The events will take place in Saint Nicholas’ Collegiate Church which is the oldest building in Galway at 700 years old.

Shampain – who has just released a new EP called Millennium Madness – will debut a more experimental alias called Cathedral at the festival.

“People would know me as a DJ in clubs or at festivals, or as someone who plays techno or music where the focus is the dance floor,” he said. 

“This project as Cathedral is something I have wanted to do for a while. The energy I have in my sets as Shampain come from experimental music so I’m looking forward to focusing on that a bit more.”

It is said that Cromwell and Christopher Columbus visited St. Nicholas’ church when they spent time in Galway, something that Shampain says will add to the atmosphere on the night.