SHE’S the woman who’s kept London clubbers dancing for a quarter of a century.
As iconic nightspot fabric marks its 25th birthday, Mark Gwinnett meets the DJ whisperer who made it happen.
The bass is thumping, the lights are strobing, and a sea of euphoric faces moves as one.
It’s a scene that’s played out every weekend for 25 years at fabric, the London club that’s become a byword for cutting-edge dance music.
But behind the legendary lineups and unforgettable nights is the woman with the golden ears – Programming Director Judy Griffith.
Since the club’s inception in 1999, Judy has been the driving force behind fabric’s musical direction, handpicking the DJs and crafting the sounds that have kept the dancefloor buzzing for a generation.
One such name is Craig Richards, whose legendary 4am sets between 1999 and 2003 became the stuff of clubbing folklore.
“Craig Richards’ 4am sets were the stuff of dreams,” Judy said.
“People would religiously come to the club at that time of the morning just to hear him work his way round that sound system 25 years on he is still creating the same vibe.”
Then there were the marathon sets from Chilean techno titan Ricardo Villalobos, often stretching to 12 hours or more.
“Ricardo Villalobos, alongside our resident Craig Richards and sometimes with Richie Hawtin, Zip would come and play long, anything from 6 – 12 hour sets and blow our minds, sometimes we would go on till Sunday afternoon,” Judy said.
fabric’s 10th birthday in October 2009 saw the first of its now-legendary 30-hour parties, with a lineup featuring Richards, Villalobos, and the late, great Andrew Weatherall.
But it hasn’t all been plain sailing.
In 2016, fabric was shut down for 7 months.
But Judy said some hope came out of the difficult times, explaining: “(It was great) seeing how the power of the people and our incredible global community coming together.”
And its status as a landmark in London was further cemented in 2021 when fabric received a grant from the Arts Council England in recognition of its contribution to British culture.
Ad in March, 2022, fabric presented Mary Anne Hobbs – ‘All Queens’ brand where the entire club was staffed by women including sound technicians, operations, security, bar and all female artists on line up.
For the future? There’s plenty in store.
And with Judy at the helm, fabric’s future on the cutting edge of dance music seems brighter than ever.
