Mayor of London Boris Johnson has announced his support to stop live music venues closing down.
Since 2007 so many venues have shut their doors that the capital's population of 8.6 million has just a lowly 88 places to see live music. The Light Bar, 12 Bar Club and Madame Jojo’s closed for the purpose of “regeneration”, essentially to make way for expensive flats.
The Vibe Bar suffered such huge financial losses due to licensing changes they were forced to close in 2014. When it first opened on Brick Lane 20 years ago the area was considered a no-go zone, far from the gentrified neighbourhood we know it to be today. The problem here, as with so many other venues, was that as people moved in, attracted by a vibrant, cultural scene created in no small part thanks to its night life, they became annoyed with noise levels and crowds. The local council was lobbied with complaints of drunkenness and anti-social behaviour, which led to restrictive, shorter licences. Owner Alan Miller said they lost 30% of their business as a result.
Johnson is backing an initiative called “Agent of Change”. This would make property developers responsible for looking at the impact of a live music venue on new residents, rather than leaving it up to the residents and councils to sort out. Johnson is not standing in the 2016 election, and has recommended that the next Mayor get behind the bid.
Will the Agent of Change principle work? Should Johnson have done more during his tenure given that almost 35% of music venues closed during his term? Or should we get a Night Mayor, something that has already worked successfully in Amsterdam?
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