‘The loudest bass I’ve ever heard’: resident says her home was left shaking by car park party near Goldsmiths Row venue

A Hackney resident has described how her home was left “shaking” for hours by a party held in a residential car park near Goldsmiths Row last month — the latest in what she says has been a string of noise and anti-social behaviour problems in the area.

The resident, who asked not to be named, says her quality of life began to suffer when Gauchoworld Space opened its doors at 145 Goldsmiths Row in August 2025. She had moved to the area less than a year earlier, in September 2024.

The venue describes itself as “an independent cultural space” created by Gauchoworld, a print and digital magazine documenting “music, fashion, sport and youth culture”.

The space, it says, is used for editorial work, community programming, creative gatherings, screenings, talks and cultural events — and “was created to give independent culture a physical home in the area, not to operate as a nightclub”.

It is not known whether the venue holds the necessary licences to run events, although Gauchoworld says “appropriate” processes are being followed and that it is working to operate “correctly”.

The resident says events at the space, which include food, drink and music, have grown in popularity since it opened.

While she describes the events themselves as “respectful” and acknowledges they tend to finish by 11pm, she says crowds regularly block the full width of the pavement and road outside, with attendees openly drinking and using drugs in the street.

Music, she says, can be heard from her home around 30 metres away — even with the windows shut.

Tensions appeared to escalate after this year’s Hackney Half, when the logo of the Panna Run Club, an affiliated running group of Gauchoworld, was spray-painted across the pavement outside the venue.

The venue says it commissioned an artist to create work for the space with appropriate permission, and that the artwork was later graffitied over by unknown individuals.

Things came to a head on Saturday 23 May when a party was held in a private residential car park near the venue between 4pm and 7pm.

“It was the loudest bass I’ve ever heard, not being in a music festival,” the resident said. “I could feel it in my chest and my head.”

When she went outside to investigate, she found a large white transit van fitted with speakers parked in the car park, a crowd of around 100 people spilling out across the road, and a food grill set up nearby. The junction, she says, was impassable to traffic.

Her calls for help went unheeded. The council’s noise complaints line was not staffed until 9pm, she says, and when she dialled 101 she was told: “You’re just going to have to get used to it. These do happen this time of year.”

She approached the partygoers herself to ask them to turn the music down.

“He said, yeah, because you’ve asked nicely, we’ll turn the bass down. I knew it was a lie,” she said. The music, she says, only got louder.

The following morning the street was strewn with bottles, cans and single-use plastic cups. “Mixed in with the litter are Gauchoworld-branded juice bottles,” she said. “So it’s very clear that it’s them.”

“If I was having a party, I would let my neighbours know,” she added. “I wouldn’t mind a street party, I wouldn’t mind hearing people being merry and playing some music. But it was absolutely unnecessary.”

Hackney Council has confirmed it received a complaint suggesting unauthorised activity at Gauchoworld Space on 12 May, and has opened an enforcement case, which is currently being investigated. This is not thought to be linked to the incident on 23 May.

In a statement, Gauchoworld said it took residents’ concerns seriously. “Hackney is home for us, and being respectful to the local community is important,” the venue said.

“Where events take place at the space, we work to keep sound at a manageable level, finish activity responsibly, manage guests, and reduce disruption outside the venue.

“Regarding Saturday 23 May, there was a small gathering at Gauchoworld Space, which included a chess club.”

However, a post on Gauchoworld Space’s own Instagram account advertised an event with London-based musician Benjiflow at the venue, running from 2pm to 7pm that afternoon.

The venue denied any link to the car park party itself. “The event said to have taken place in a private car park was not organised by Gauchoworld Space, was not held on our premises, and had nothing to do with us,” it said.

“We are therefore unsure why an affiliation has been made between that car park activity and Gauchoworld Space.”

Gauchoworld added: “We are proud to have built a space that supports young creatives, music and community culture in Hackney. At the same time, we understand that being part of a neighbourhood comes with responsibility.

“We encourage local residents to come through, speak with us directly, and experience the space for themselves, as many locals already have. Gauchoworld Space was created to be open, welcoming and accessible. This space is for everyone. We will continue reviewing how events are managed and will take reasonable steps to be mindful of residents.”