WILDLIFE: EXTINCTION 2 – WEST END VENUES

by Susie Wild Post to Twitter

Hello January. Hello Misery. At least for London’s West End London gig circuit for in this rock’n’rollover week has seen the closure of London’s sticky yet beloved Astoria, its sister venue LA2 and the sweaty indie dance box, Metro. Yes, folks, it’s true, the three classic live venues skirting Soho are all due for demolishment in preparation of a larger ticket hall at Tottenham Court Road tube station and the controversial Crossrail project.

How did they say Goodbye? The 2000-capacity Astoria, which first opened its doors as a cinema in 1927 closed them for the final time after hosting a benefit gig on the 14th with Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly for Billy Bragg’s charity Jail Guitar Doors. In the interim it has hosted landmark gigs by Radiohead, Nirvana, U2, Rolling Stones and Kylie Minogue as well as the ever popular G-A-Y club night. LA2 closed on Thursday with regular night Push featuring Cajun Dance Party and Joe Lean And The Jing Jang Jong while Metro (who staged early gigs by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Kings of Leon) had a blow out last night with their staple club night Blow Up.

Ivor Wilkins, Astoria & Astoria 2 Regional Manager said of the closure: “Having witnessed over 20 years of incredible music, the loss of such a fantastic venue with its electric atmosphere that few others possess is a terrible shame, and one, unfortunately, we had no control over. Its history of live music will remain in our hearts; beer-soaked and memory-stained. It is the end of an era.”

That it is; another mini collapse in the house of cards that is London’s club land. Only last year Canvas, The Cross and The Key fell foul of redevelopment in Kings Cross. Turnmills couldn’t afford the soaring rent and had to close its doors in March. After 13 years the end has come for The End, which will be shutting up shop on the 24th of January. All that before I even start to mention paparazzi favourites like China White. In fact, according to Time Out’s calculations, by the end of this month “around a dozen club spaces with a combined capacity of more than 12,000 will have closed since the beginning of 2008” which is a pretty damn significant figure.

The end for The End this maybe, but is the fat lady singing for London’s live music scene? I doubt it. If anything hard times will only lead to harder partying, if in more innovative ways and locations, and many of the club nights have plans to continue elsewhere. Blow Up starts up at Bar Rumba on January 24 with promised late-night live sets and guest DJs.

DIY fashionista hangout The Ghetto, who jumped before they were pushed into closure, moving from behind the Astoria to the cheaper rent of Old Street. They have since sent out a press release proclaiming: “The West End is dead! Long live the east.” Following this week’s closures it is quite plausible to expect the heart of the capitol’s live music scene to shift East or even South East, but the reality is that this is a long way off from happening, and the aircraft carrier that is Matter (O2) cannot make a big enough diference by itself. Yet not everyone will get a happy ending – after months of searching out a suitable alternative Central London venue, The End’s regular Durr have opted to host occasional parties instead of shifting further a field.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes indeed but in true out with old, in with the new 2009 resolutions style there are exciting if uncertain times ahead.