Ian Schrager wrote disco history with “Studio 54”. For many, the nightclub was the center of the world back then. And what does New York have to offer today?
New York – The co-founder of the legendary “Studio 54” nightclub in New York, Ian Schrager, currently does not consider the metropolis’ club scene to be outstanding.
“There is no good club scene in New York these days – not like in Germany or in other cities,” said Schrager, who will be 75 on July 19, the German press agency. “By regulating the industry and trying to protect everyone, it has been emasculated. That can no longer work. There are now people in New York who, if they can still hear noise after eleven o’clock in the evening, call the police. “
The nightlife is an important incubator for cultural ideas, said Schrager. “If you choke that, it’s not a good idea. I know that there are problems and that they have to be dealt with – but they are not dealt with correctly in New York. “
New York has lost its exclusivity
Other cities in the world – including Berlin – have caught up on the other hand. “There are a few of these nightclubs in Berlin and also in Ibiza, where this very specific electricity is in the air,” said Schrager, who now works in the hotel industry. “New York no longer has this exclusivity.”
“Studio 54”, which he founded in 1977 together with his business partner Steve Rubell, who died in 1989, was like his “first love”. “There was of course the stars and the lighting and all that, but for me it was just that freedom. As soon as you passed through that door, you were free – free to do what you wanted and free to be whoever or whatever you wanted. “
He would have allowed his children to go there too, said the father of three. “It would have been very difficult for me to tell you that you are not allowed to go there.”
The legendary “Studio 54” can be revitalized, said Schrager – but he would no longer be there. “I’m through with the business.” His time as a night owl is over. “In the meantime I’m in bed well before midnight, before ten, and get up early.” Dpa
