Village bars resurgence is residents’ nightmare

As people move away from traditional entertainment hubs like Paceville, village bars are experiencing a revival. But the trend does not spell good news for residents. It’s gone midnight in the sleepy town of Lija and the streets leading to the village core are devoid of life. So far, so typical of a Friday night in your average Maltese village. But first appearances can be deceptive and, upon turning a specific corner, the scene changes drastically. The change can be heard before it is seen – a loud ‘murmuring’ that, as it turns out, emanates from a sizeable group of people who are enjoying a drink and a smoke outside the doors of a particular village bar. Their chatter is punctuated by the grating noise of distorted bass that can be heard through the open entrance doors. The effect is devastating to anyone whose home lies adjacent to the bar, as window panes and the old stonework react to the sudden blasts. The bar is located bang in the middle of what is supposed to be one of the quietest residential areas of Malta. A description that ceases to apply every Friday and Saturday night from 8pm up till the early hours of the morning. And it is a scene that repeats itself across an...