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Today's Music News
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Astoria's end
Bands wave goodbye to music venue The Astoria as final orders are called
14 January 2009 - The last ever gig at the historic venue takes place tonight (Wednesday 14 Jan), with Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. The Automatic, My Vitriol, The King Blues and VV Brown.London's iconic gig site, The Astoria, is due to be demolished in the coming weeks to make way for a new £10bn Crossrail project, linking East and West London via the West End.
Since it was built in 1976, it has played host to the Rolling Stones, Prince, U2, Foo Fighters, Eminem, David Bowie, Nirvana, Radiohead, Alice Cooper, Black Crowes and Black Sabbath.
The Enemy, who hail from Coventry, have played there many times.
Tom Clarke, frontman of the trio, said it would be a “tragedy” if the venue is closed.
"For anybody who goes to gigs in London, it's a staple venue. It's the end of an era."
Frank Turner
As for why he loves the space, he told 6 Music: “I’ve never seen a gig there where people are sat down upstairs not caring. It’s one of the most small, big venues you can play and it’s just the most amazing feeling.”
A place of firsts
One of the performers on the final night’s bill is the folk singer-songwriter Frank Turner.
He revealed they are planning a fitting, if a little “emotional” send off to the venue, where he watched his first huge gig.
“I bunked out of school and went to see Foo Fighters play in 1995,” Turner recalled. I was really excited because it was the first big show I’d ever been to.
“I did my first ever crowd surf and since then I shudder to think about the number of times I’ve been to the Astoria. For anybody who goes to gigs in London, it’s a staple venue. It’s the end of an era”
Save the bar
The news has even prompted Robin Turner from Heavenly Records - who look after Doves, St Etienne and the Manic Street Preachers - to launch a campaign to save the Keith Moon Bar, which is currently housed within the venue.
“It’s a slightly wistful campaign,” he explained. “Because obviously it’s something that can’t be saved but the Keith Moon bar was just one of those great hang outs, probably the epicentre of a million and one nights out and a million and one fantastic hangovers.”
Take a look
In the run up to its final days, we were guided through The Astoria by Ivor Wilkins, who has a 30 year history with the venue and is a manager at Festival Republic, the UK music promoters.
Wilkins reminisced: “One of my best memories was seeing Iggy Pop her and seeing the audience going absolutely mad and people stage diving, and then towards the end of his set Iggy Pop actually diving in there himself.”
For a historic journey inside the much loved music club check out 6 Music’s audio slide show.
Are you gutted that The Astoria will be no more? Pleased to see it go? Tell us how you feel about The Astoria closing down by leaving any comments or memories below.
Georgie Rogers
Search for The Astoria on bbc.co.uk
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