Small gig venues ‘are thriving after doom and gloom at raft of closures’

A top clubland boss claims London is seeing a resurgence in small music venues as owners diversify and adapt to changes in the nightlife industry.

About 40 per cent of the capital’s live music spaces are thought to have closed in the past decade because of licensing and financial pressures.

But George Akins, 42, who has bought and is relaunching the Garage and the Borderline, said there has been an upturn at smaller venues as they improve their food and drink, and others are opening in disused commercial buildings and warehouses.

He added: “There was a lot of doom and gloom with places closing down, rents going astronomical, developers buying sites to make more profit.

“But there’s a huge resurgence in the small gig circuit. People are finding more ways to make money out of these sites by becoming better at food or drink, and going all day rather than trying to condense the sales period between 7pm and midnight.”

Venues such as Village Underground use industrial spaces in east London. James Paterson, events manager at London Fields Brewery, said: “Our diary this year is looking very healthy, so I’d say there has definitely been an upturn.”

Mr Akins, MD of the DHP Family which also owns Hackney’s Oslo, said transport links had also helped the scene: “A lot of venues opened up in Hackney and Dalston along the Overground line, therefore the rents are more realistic.” The Garage in Highbury Corner reopens next month with a cocktail and coffee bar downstairs, and Soho’s Borderline will be relaunched in March.

Mr Akins said: “You don’t want to lose the rock ’n’ roll-ness of the thing. But it doesn’t mean you have to drink a s*** drink, eat a c*** burger or frozen chips or be breathed on by a burly bouncer.”

London’s Night Czar, Amy Lamé, said: “I’m delighted to see signs of recovery for music venues in the capital, and I will be working with key players from across the industry to safeguard this vitally important part of our nightlife.”

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