In late June 2006, development company Derwent Valley Central struck a deal with Mean Fiddler to buy the London Astoria, and rumour is that they intend to demolish it in order to build a new development of shops, office space and flats. They're destroying an arts venue to make way for more shops, and all to profit from the Olympics.
We think that this is just rude; when it's gone and the Olympics are over, we, the people who actually live here will have made a huge loss. After all, London's our city, we want to keep the things that make it special. We're all for making loads of money but not by getting rid of such a legendary, fantastic venue.
It'd be terrible to lose the only venue of its size in its area of London. Other similar ones like the Electric Ballroom and Koko are way north. For most people, that's pretty inaccessible, and let's face it, Camden isn't the nicest place to be caught late at night. Having a venue just off Oxford Street is easier to get to and much safer.
With the music scene expanding the way it is at the moment, places like this are more important than ever. If you cut out the middle sized venues, how will a band progress properly from small to huge? And it seems to us that most young bands dream of playing the Astoria; having just lost Top of the Pops wouldn't it be harsh to lose this as well?
We're not here to moan without suggesting an alternative, so to Derwent Valley Central and anyone else interested, here's our solution.
So help us out; support the cause! T-shirts and posters will be made available soon, and whether or not you're a Londoner, if you care about live music, give us a hand. We shouldn't take this lying down; and if enough of us made a stand, Derwent Valley might just be ace and pay attention.
Bulldozers move in in 2008. We're not giving up hope yet... and neither should you!
