KUALA LUMPUR – The Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has suspended the operations of Angkasa Event Space, closing down the live music venue that has served as a hotspot for Malaysia’s independent music scene, its operator said.
On Twitter, the venue’s co-founder Mohd Zulhelmie Zullifan, also known as Elmi, said the closure happened yesterday evening after authorities raided the premises in Bandar Sri Permaisuri.
In the late night posting, Elmi shared a photo of himself outside the venue which had been sealed off by DBKL.
Dah rindu, @AngkasaSpace. pic.twitter.com/54U89lYTfr
— Uncle Elmi (@ELMIELMO) July 24, 2022
He added that he was giving up on managing the event space.
“I’m not going to do anything. I will refund all tickets for future shows, and I will also refund deposits of future events,” he said in the post, sharing a photograph of himself with a group who appeared to be workers of Angkasa Space.
I’m letting this place go. It’s a pity, but I can no longer bear it.”
The Vibes has reached out to Elmi for more information on the raid.
However, in another tweet, he hinted that the suspension was due to issues involving entertainment licences for Angkasa Space.
He added that DBKL had previously asked the venue to have permits for every single gig.
The permits, he said, required an RM30,000 deposit to be paid to DBKL, and refunds can take up to four months.
“I have done this (applied for permits), it’s not that I haven’t. RM30,000 is not for people for our scene. That’s a huge amount.”
DBKL suruh setiap gig buat lesen hiburan. Lesen hiburan kena bayar deposit DBKL RM30k. Nak dapat balik RM30k tu, kena tunggu lebih 4 bulan.
— Uncle Elmi (@ELMIELMO) July 24, 2022
Aku pernah buat, bukan tak pernah. RM30k tu bukan untuk orang dalam scene kita. Amount tu besar kot.
Elmi’s posts on the matter were widely shared on social media, and it was not long before he received offers for crowdfunding and free performances to raise money for any related fines.
Thank you do ramai offer nak perform for free untuk crowdfund bayar saman. Aku sumpah terharu dengan tweets korang semua. https://t.co/2CjjNWH1gq
— Uncle Elmi (@ELMIELMO) July 24, 2022
Based on its rate card posted two weeks ago, Angkasa Space charges RM1,000 on weekdays and RM1,500 on weekends, for the rental of its space and equipment, excluding the costs of a sound engineer, stage, and lighting crew members, and cleaning services.
With a maximum capacity of around 200 audience members, the entry fee for any given show ranges between RM25 and RM45, depending on the acts and event involved.
Since opening its doors in 2018, Angkasa Space has hosted a slew of gigs and performances, mostly independent, underground, and up-and-coming musicians – with genres ranging from indie rock, hardcore punk, to extreme metal, and even hip-hop.
Some of the notable acts who performed there included indie darlings Masdo, Iqbal M, and Kyoto Protocol.
In February 2020, the American thrash metal crossover band Power Trip performed a set there as part of its Asia Tour that included stops in Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
One of the last performances held at the venue took place last Saturday, featuring veteran musician Datuk M. Nasir and his band Kembara who were recording a session for Astro-run TV Channel HLive.
DBKL’s move to suspend Angkasa Space comes just over two weeks after it temporarily suspended the operating licence of the Crackhouse Comedy Club in Taman Tun Dr Ismail after a viral video of a woman allegedly insulting Islam in an open mic performance. – The Vibes, July 25, 2022
