The Met Police have objected to an iteration of the iconic Blue Note Jazz Club opening in London because it could cause an “uptick in crime”.
- READ MORE: UK grassroots venues suffering from “the complete collapse of touring” – here’s how you can help
As per The Standard, the Met have objected to the jazz bar, which is planned to open in Covent Garden, over fears that “vulnerable” club-goers could become victims of crime.
The planned venue would seat 350 in the basement of St Martins Lane hotel, open to 1am from Monday to Friday. It was planned as a spin-off of the famous Blue Note Jazz Cafe in New York City which opened in 1981 and is widely considered to be the most famous jazz club in the world.
However, the Met have objected to the venue’s bid to be allowed to stay open until 1am serving alcohol, saying that it “could add to crime, disorder and public nuisance” in the West End.
At a hearing on Thursday (February 12), members of The Met told Westminster City Council the venue’s late running hours would “expose more people to crime and disorder in the immediate area” and that gig goers “leaving the venue late at night” may become a target for phone snatchers as well as illegal taxis who “prey on vulnerable, intoxicated lone females”.
Nearby residents also objected to the proposed running hours, urging councillors to limit the venue’s closing time to 11pm.
One resident wrote: “It is suggested that it is extremely likely that some of the dispersing jazz lovers may be inebriated to a greater or lesser extent or perhaps slightly disorientated by their emergence into the cool night air. They will be immediately vulnerable to the gangs of criminals who already prey on similar groups of people in the Soho area.”
Those behind the planned venue said opening to 1am was “integral” to its use. They said: “London’s cultural fabric is on the line here. Grassroot music venue infrastructure will fall even further and remain below replacement rate if new venues like this application are not supported.”
Councillors are expected to make a decision about the venue’s licensing application within five days.
It comes as 2024 saw the UK lose one grassroots music venue every two weeks – with nearly half making a loss and 200 remaining in a state of emergency as the country faces a “collapse in touring”.
Presenting the findings of their 2024 annual report at The Houses Of Parliament last month (Thursday January 23), the Music Venue Trust invited new patron Kate Nash along who has been very vocal about the dire conditions that most recording artists find themselves in – taking to OnlyFans for her ‘Butts For Tour Buses’ campaign to protest the industry and raise money for live shows. Speaking in the House Of Commons, she described touring as “one of our favourite things to do, but it is becoming increasingly more difficult to do.”
With a lot less money being made from recorded music than every before due to the impact of streaming, Nash said that many artists could simply not afford to tour – something she described as “a fucking disgrace”. This, combined with grassroots venues having closed at a “disastrous rate” has been reported to have caused “the complete collapse of touring” across the UK.
The idea that the upper echelons of the music industry should be paying back into the grassroots and wider ecosystem was backed by the government’s CMS Select committee enquiry last year before a levy on stadium and arena gigs was recommended. A deadline of March has been set for voluntary action before the government step back in and investigate making it mandatory.
However, despite the likes of Coldplay, Sam Fender and Katy Perry making major contributions of their own, the benefits of the levy may not be felt for some time – and the MVT’s report shows that venues are not out of the woods yet.
Last year saw around one venue close every two weeks, with a near 20 per cent increase in “emergency cases” with 200 still on red alert for closure. The report also found that venues investing in sales of food, alcohol, merchandise and more to subsidise the live music they put on due to a number of financial strains – including energy bills – has increased by 440 per cent in recent years, and from £114,814,162 in 2023 to £162,067,095 last year.
As a result, the UK has seen a decrease in the total number of live music shows (down 8.3 per cent since 2023) accompanied by an even steeper decline in ticket revenues (down 13.5 per cent since 2023).
“So many people have said to me: ‘2024, what an amazing year. We’ve had the CMS Select Committee, the levy’s coming on board, isn’t it incredible? We’re all united on this, isn’t it amazing?’” MVT CEO Mark Davyd told the House Of Commons audience. “No, 25 venues closed in 2024. Anybody in this room who thinks that’s good, put your hand up now. That’s one venue every two weeks. We are not acting fast enough on these things, it’s as simple as that.”
In the wake of last year’s CMS Select Committee investigation into the state of the grassroots, the LIVE Trust has been set up to deliver any future levy income where it’s needed most. The LIVE Trust will dish out vital funding and act on behalf of the live music industry, which contributes £6.1billion to the UK economy while employing 230,000 people.
Radio DJ and former NME journalist Steve Lamacq is among the founding trustees, who said that they were looking “to provide help to a whole range of people in the live community, be that venues or artists or promoters, which is why we’re looking to build a team that truly represents all aspects of the industry and has an understanding of how we can best distribute our funding.”
Read more on the current crisis facing music venues from the MVT’s annual report launch featuring Kate Nash in Parliament here.