We talk to the venue’s director about a “new chapter” and Motion’s legacy across the world
BristolLive took one last look around Motion as the team prepare for its closing weekend(Image: Paul Gillis/Reach Plc)
It’s fair to say that when iconic Bristol music venue Motion announced it was to close its doors forever, a collective sob rang through the city. The venue, which has been a staple of Bristol’s music scene for almost 20 years, confirmed late last year that it was to close.
Despite some lingering hope to begin with, this weekend (July 18-20) will be its last – at least at its current location.
It’s already marked the occasion with a ‘funeral’ for the venue, complete with coffin and floral wreaths. But it’s not saying farewell quietly, with a 24-hour party featuring the return of the first ever artist to perform here.
Since the announcement, managing director Dan Deeks says the venue has been approached by everyone from financial workers to estate agents to try and offer support and help in order to keep the venue open. And people from as far as Japan and Canada will be making the journey specifically this weekend, to say goodbye.
Dan tells BristolLive: “The response has been absolutely massive and really heartfelt. We’ve had lots of kind messages of support and people posting their memories on social media. We’ve had loads of correspondence and people reaching out to offer support, with some actually offering direct help on relocating the venue.
A last look inside Motion before it closes for good(Image: Paul Gillis/Reach Plc)
“I had a guy that got in touch and basically said that his son went to university in Bristol and loved coming to Motion, and he went home and told his parents about going there, and the dad worked in finance and said he knew lots of people in the industry and he offered to help us, too.
“People in all sorts of jobs were coming up with some really good ideas to try and keep us going, and obviously we were not expecting that at all. But it means the world.”
Motion’s legacy
Motion has been dubbed as one of DJ Mag’s best nightclubs in the world and is widely known and loved by artists and ravers alike from all over. But when it comes to the legacy Motion will leave behind, it’s not just the titles and mentions in the press that Dan hopes will stick around, but a sense of community and the pivotal role it has played in many people’s life stories.
He tells BristolLive: “We’ve heard so many stories from people who have met their spouse at the venue, their best friends at the venue, and I think importantly, with a lot of divisions in society, these kinds of venues have created spaces in which people who wouldn’t necessarily normally socialise are all mixed up together, enjoying themselves.
“It’s created a space where people can be a bit more tolerant and understanding of each other. And I think it’s massively important – dancing, socialising, listening to music, it’s all scientifically proven to be good for your mental health especially with all the pressures that people are facing nowadays.”
Motion Director Dan Deeks(Image: James Beck/Freelance)
It’s not just the guests and party-goers that have forged a community here, however. “We’ve had a lot of people that have come to the venue and have decided they want to be involved in it and so they’ve become bar staff, they’ve climbed up through our workforce,” Dan goes on to say.
“Some of them have gone on to do really amazing things within the industry – a lot of them aspire to be musicians, some have gone on to do things in bookings, management, and some even work at record labels now. So we’ve got some really good success stories to tell. And that’s quite bonkers to think about.”
Dan’s colleague Martin Page (owner/director) added: “I’ve heard legacy being used to describe the importance of these last shows and while that feels fitting, to me this is really just a pause. A moment to take stock and reflect on a brand and venue that’s been so deeply loved.
“The building itself was always just the backdrop, a catalyst that brought people together and sparked something special. This isn’t the end — it’s the beginning of something new, built on everything that came before.”
A new site – ‘it’s happening’
Dan also tells BristolLive that the team at Motion have found a new location and so the Motion days may be over at the iconic venue on the Feeder Road, but a new chapter is dawning – and it won’t be too far away from the original site.
Dan says: “It’s happening. We’ve got another site very close by, and we’ll be revealing the details of it very soon. That came about through the community and people coming together and being very very understanding.
“We’re obviously really upset about losing the Motion site. It does come with a lot of constraints because it’s listed and we are very ambitious with what we want to do and how we want to do things.
Inside the Motion and Marble Factory venue that has hosted parties and events in Bristol since 2006(Image: Paul Gillis/Reach Plc)
“But ultimately, we are very grateful to our landlords for the opportunity there. I think they’ve been massively supportive of all our crazy ideas. But for us now it’s a new chapter and we want to keep the spirit of Motion alive and keep it moving into the future.
“The new site is much more favourable in the long term and the longevity of it will be much more in our control. We’ll test out the best way forward through events, and we’re really excited for what’s to come.”
‘Crazy ideas’
Dan also gives a lot of credit to local authorities in Bristol, as well as the city as a whole, adding: “A lot of it is down to the Bristol community and the uniqueness of Bristol really. Bristol’s very diverse, full of lots of different types of people, and I think sometimes we all focus on getting annoyed about things and making a lot of noise about the negatives, but we sometimes don’t celebrate as we should our accomplishments.
“And that’s our message from here on out and has been for the last couple of weeks – this is really now a celebration of Bristol. It’s good to be a collective voice.
“City councils and licensing authorities are very innovative and really good here in Bristol and I’d say the same for the police and fire as well. I don’t think they get quite as much credit as sometimes they should, because they are actually very pro-events and the attitude is never just ‘no’.
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“One of the things that’s been a big help for us as independent venues – we have these absolutely crazy ideas for the venue and they’ve always got a really good attitude to make it work, and safe. So I’d give a massive amount of credit to them.”
Dan is aware of issues facing the industry and, while it was an issue around property ownership that inevitably forced the closure of Motion, Dan still believes there’s ‘a lot of opportunity’ for venues in this day and age.
He says: “A lot of venues – like Dare2 in Bristol for example – are all about making sure they’re being used in the daytime too, and not just the odd weeknight and weekend. They serve up coffee, host live music and events, and I think there’s a huge opportunity there for more venues to do the same and not ‘lose the day’ so to speak.”
Thank you and goodnight
Finally, Dan shared some of his memories and highlights from over the years, saying: “A real highlight for me was the Deadmau5 event last year. He was one of the first superstar DJs we had at Motion and he’s played here three times.
“I’m a huge fan of his music and everything he’s done, so that was a huge standout for me. Another was when Dan Eats Everything did his Essential Mix at the venue – he’s an ambassador of Bristol and a really lovely person and we’re massively proud that he’s from Bristol and what he represents.
Posters line the walls from Motion events that have come before(Image: Paul Gillis/Reach Plc)
“We’ve had some really big artists over the years, whether they’re on their way up or already very established and we’re just really proud of the fact that we got to be part of their journey.”
He’s also shared a message to the city: “I want to thank everyone involved with the venue, whether it’s people who have been, or worked, or performed. And we’re just very grateful to the whole city for the opportunity we’ve been given over the last 20 years.”
Motion closes its doors for the final time this weekend (July 18-20) with multiple events as part of its ‘Closing Series’. Find out more about them here.
And share your Motion memories with us by emailing ellie.kendall@reachplc.com.