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METRO CLUB TO CLOSE - January 2009
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On Tues 20th Jan 2009 The Metro Club, 19-23 Oxford Street,
London will close.
This is due to the proposed Tottenham Court Road Station
extension. We have been notified by Transport For London that the
venue is to be acquired by a compulsory purchase order, under the
Crossrail Act.
Although the rumblings of Crossrail have been going on for many
years it has come up far quicker than any of us could have
expected. At present we are looking for new premises to relocate
the venue to but have yet to find one suitable. Ultimately it is
another nail in the coffin for Central London's live music and club
scene. And when you are about to be served 28 days notice just
before Christmas you have to ask why not give people more time to
relocate? Why destroy successful businesses when in a recession?
Why the hurry? Where is the Westend heading?
The final club night of The Metro Club will be Sat 17th January
2009, which will be the Blow Up Club night, currently in it's 15th
year.
Blow Up took over the running of The Metro Club as a separate
venture to our club night and record label on November 5th 2001,
just as the new new wave of bands were about to really start making
their moves, many of them at the venue. From debut UK appearances
from The Killers, Kings of Leon, to early shows from Bloc Party,
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Kaiser Chiefs, to hundreds of other new and
breaking acts as well as a few legendary characters making an
appearances such as Dion's first and only UK show in 18 years in
2007 and madcap krautrockers Faust. And to name a few from the pop
world: MIKA (first ever show), Scissor Sisters and Robyn.
A totally independent venue - not corporate - which is rare, and
soon to be even more so in central London.
Today we have launched a photo gallery on
http://www.blowupmetro.com, featuring just some of the photos from
our archives taken at the club over the last 7 years, with more to
be added soon.
If you would like to leave any comments on our closure, please
leave them here on the official venue facebook page here: facebook.com/blowupmetro.
Thank you to everyone who has supported the club. Please stay
tuned and lets go out with a bang!
Paul Tunkin
Blow Up Metro
read more…
http://www.blowupmetro.com/closure.aspx