| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Halfmoon facing closure. | |
| Posted by: | Peter Simpson | |
| Date/Time: | 27/11/09 14:23:00 |
| This is really sad news. I first made the trip to the Half Moon from university to see Nick Lowe in the mid 80s and then came to Putney regularly over the years to see gigs. Since I moved to Putney six years ago I have been every couple of months. It really is a special venue to have such high quality music in an intimate setting. Here is a link to the Evening Standard article mentioned by another poster. http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23775313-halfmoons-live-music-off-the-menu-as-brewery-plans-new-gastropub.do I understand that this music is not for everyone but I think that the other poster is slightly uncharitable. I live close to the Half Moon and I don't think the venue or its patrons cause any significant noise or disturbance. It is a shame that such a unique local resource could be lost by gentrification of the pub but I can understand that Youngs wants to maximise its rents. Whether another pub competing with the Dukes Head and the Spencer Arms with (over priced) food will be successful I don't know. I suppose the bottome line is that pub rock can't pay for such expensive real estate and it will move to cheaper areas of it survives at all. It is also a shame that so many shops are closing on the LRR at the moment. I don't know why market forces don't result in landlords lowering rents rather than resulting in empty shops. I also think that business rates should be charged according to turnover or profit so that small retailers in secondary locations can afford to trade. I am pleased to see Edwards Lister and Justine Greening putting their names to the support of the Half Moon. |