Sad news for night-time entertainment in MK is the closure of the Empire yesterday. 

Word is that the Empire will not be following up its license application after it was delayed for a month. The story from the people in the know is that the application for the new license introduced by the government this month was delayed and the club was told not to trade until further notice. A further review sitting on August 21st was deemed to be too late, taking the club outside the boundaries for a viable business and so is being closed. 

All events are cancelled as of last night, including Cyberkitten, UK Subs, the Jamaican Celebrations, and everything after. The successful U18’s night was held in the Ice Rink next door on Thursday, with Nicky Blackmarket banging out the last set ever for the Rosenburgs and Lady Sovereign cancelled. 

"The Rose's" have a long history of throwing the biggest parties in Milton Keynes as owners of the Sanctuary Rave Venue in Bletchley now an Asda on the new stadium site. The Empire has a unique place in the history of Milton Keynes, but not always in the hearts of locals. Located in the Leisure Plaza , the towns precursor to the Theatre District, which included the popular Café Moonshine, Bowling Alley, Ice Rink and Nightclub. 
Fallen from grace when the theatre district was built, First Leisure finally ran it into the ground and the venue lay silent for a couple of years. Eventually inhabited by the Rosenburgs, who stripped everything out, painted it black and turned it into a venue, they threw some of the most low down dirty parties ever seen, with promoters including Accelerated Culture, Hardcore Till I Die and Sidewinder, who played host to over 20,000 party goers from all over the country by imaginative use of the whole Leisure Plaza. 

Upstairs the former Spice Room underwent a successful rebranding to ClubMono. The 450 capacity room single handedly kickstarted the music scene in Milton Keynes for a while there with just about every gigging musician and DJ in the area, as well as hundreds of UK hip hop, African, Drum and Bass and Bhangra artists playing there in the year and 8 months since it reopened. 

Radio Free blatently stole broadcasts from under the noses of Tim Westwood, Nicky Blackmarket and many more by secreting cables around the building and plugging a laptop in. Highlight for us was Hardcore Till I Die arena at Energy where we managed to intercept the video signal and send our own to the main screen, while operating lights and lasers. Fun job. 

In the end unpredictable attendance driven by the long stigma toward the venue, general decline in the late night sector, and the burden of the new licensing legislation forced the owners to limit the damage and close the club. 

What next for the club ? Who knows! Anyone got a job for a good house engineer ? Comes with 16 digital channels, amps and an Internet radio station. 

For a more comprehensive ramble about the history of venues gigs and promotions