Live venues – every city has them, and they range from small rooms that hold 200 to huge arenas that can hold 20,000. Live venues are where a band builds its reputation as fans build memories. Every fan has a favourite venue, but there are some venues that are universally popular – Glasgow has the Barrowlands, Nottingham has the Rock City and London...

Well, London recently lost one of its most historical venues: the Hammersmith Palais. Then, in March 2008, former London Mayor Ken Livingstone uttered those words that left many Londoners devastated.

“The Astoria can't be saved.”

The London Astoria means different things to different people. If you walked past 157 Charing Cross in the early 1900s, you would have been walking past a pickle factory. If you took a stroll by the newly opened Astoria in 1927, you would have seen a beautiful new cinema, a beacon of entertainment and progress. Located in the infamous SoHo area of London, the Astoria was converted for theatrical use in 1976 and has since become a world-famous music venue.

If you walked past the Astoria in 2007, you would have probably seen a group of eager rock fans queuing to see their favourite band, or a crowd of colourful characters waiting to get into one of London's most popular club nights, G-A-Y, which was held at the Astoria until December 31st 2007.

If you walk past the Astoria in late 2008, you'll probably see a pile of rubble.

Of course, the council behind its destruction have tried to diminish the importance of the converted cinema by claiming they'll just build a new venue. This idea has been dismissed by many, and it raises the question: what makes the Astoria special?

Aside from the 80 years of history, the Astoria has played host to some of rock's biggest and up and coming acts. Old favourites such as Black Sabbath, U2 and The Rolling Stones have all shaken its walls. Grunge king-pins Nirvana played a show there in 1989, long before their fame and success came calling. Everyone from Green Day to Robbie Williams has taken to the Astoria's stage. “Do you remember when they played the Astoria?” is a common question among London gig-goers.

But does the survival of the Astoria rely on a sentimental minority? Sentiments aside, the Astoria isn't just one of London's most famous venues – it's one of the best. Often mentioned in London music press, the Astoria's sound quality is exceptional, right up to the balconies.

It's ironic that the Astoria, once a sign of progress in pre-war London, is being demolished for progress' sake. The legendary building, just minutes from the Tottenham Court Road underground station, will be replaced by a train station and multi-use building. Former Mayor Livingstone has outlined a “live music strategy” to counter growing fears for London's live music scene – which began with the closure of the historical Hammersmith Palais – and a newer, larger venue will be built in the Astoria's stead.

This in itself is a laughable option. The London area has at least 3 huge venues – the Earls Court Arena, Wembley and the newly opened 02 arena. London doesn't need a new, big venue. Bands like HIM, Muse and Biffy Clyro made their names at smaller venues like the Astoria and would not have been able to pay the fees demanded by larger venues in their early years.

Logic states that if the smaller venues – the Astoria holds about 2,000 – keep disappearing, then up and coming bands will have nowhere to play. Some bands won't be able to afford the fees of larger venues without raising ticket prices. There are no winners in this situation.

I remember in my early teens, flicking through music magazines and looking at the concert announcements. I lost track of how many fantastic bands were playing one-off shows at the Astoria. I was aware of the venue's importance before I had laid eyes on it. Other people were aware of the venue's reputation as well – ever since the early '90s, the Astoria has been shortlisted in NME's Best venues list. In fact, the venue is so popular with the New Musical Express that they use it to show case their award nominated artists every year.

The Astoria has even outlasted some of the bands that have played there. Rage Against The Machine used the Astoria to bring their political message to the capital before they split. System of A Down, who recently declared that they may never reform, also put on a show at the Astoria. Rage Against The Machine may have reunited, but the Astoria may not be here for them to play this time round.

The Astoria even survived World War 2, and it's now so much more than a venue. It's an integral part of London's history, it's a place where teenagers congregate and spend of their happiest hours, it's where thousands of bands have put on their best shows. The building that houses the Astoria may have been built on the site of a pickle factory, but the Astoria itself is built on the joyful memories of the hundreds of thousands of people who attended shows there. Thirty-five thousand people joined the movement to save the Astoria, only to be told it can't be saved.

At the end of March this year, British-based band The Enemy gave many a ray of hope when they announced that the venue's owners had told them the Astoria was going to survive until 2011 at least. But this remark is in direct contradiction to the comments made by Crossrail, the company planning to erect a train station on the site as part of a plan to expand London's central underground system, who told the BBC that demolition may be required as soon as the start of 2009. London's Mayor Ken Livingstone - who claimed the Astoria couldn't be saved - isn't even the Mayor anymore, further casting doubt on the Astoria's future. While it remains to be seen when the Astoria will be destroyed, it's clear that it will be demolished, and the demolition may take place in less than a year.

Images used through Creative Commons. At top: Nina Jean; Above: travelbug.nz,
Carl D. Patterson, Stripey T-shirt and Matt Brown

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