Come down and peruse our Bring and Buy sale throughout the day on Saturday 25th September. Opens at 11am and finishes at 4pm
Stall bookings: £10 per table, free if you’re raising money for charity.
Call to book a stall, 020 8780 9383
DIESEL PARK WEST
Friday 6th August, Tickets £10.00
Diesel Park West are for many people the most enigmatic band from the late eighties still performing today. Back in those still Thatcherite days the psychedelic guitar ground they occupied was often dismissed as a mere throwback to the mid sixties with only an enlightened minority realising their real musical significance. The beating heart of rock n roll is now far more aware of the Diesels sound and maybe that’s why any live performance these days is considered an event worth seeing .Drawing upon seven albums worth of material, and sometimes the most hip cover versions imaginable, Diesel Park West prove beyond doubt that they really are the torchbearers for an entire genre and with songs to match!
JAMIE HUTCHINGS
Sunday 22nd August, Tickets £5.00
Fifteen years of leading one of Australia’s most consistently creative and critically acclaimed rock bands, Bluebottle Kiss, saw Jamie Hutchings write and release over 130 songs. During that time the band relentlessly toured the country, the US and Europe playing with bands as diverse as Beck, Midnight Oil and Dinosaur Jr .With His Imaginary Choir, Hutchings releases his second solo album, an amazing collection of concise narrative driven songs inspired by amongst other things, the exotica movement of the sixties and the singer/songwriter movement of the early seventies.
YUCATAN
Wednesday 25th August, Tickets £5.00
We’re really looking forward to Welsh language band Yucatan. If you’re a fan of Sigor Ros, Arcade Fire, Super Furry Animals or Belle & Sebastian you’re in for a real treat. Expect big things for this unique ensemble.
Yucatan has been described as “stunning music from a special place” by BBC Radio One’s Huw Stephens.
“Yucatan clearly gaze with wonderment at every night sky as if it’s the last they’ll see, counting the stars one by one until it’s mapped to memory. It’s up there that Yucatan will sound at its most perfect, when the only object of note against an ocean of darkness is our own Earth. Llwyd’s music is that transcendental when at its finest, and we’re already looking forward to album number two and more of the same, if not just more.”
-Mike Diver
Drowned in Sound review
Listen at: http://www.myspace.com/yucatanambyth
Due to huge demand, Crawdaddy is now on both Friday and Saturday nights!
WE DID IT! THANK YOU!!
After an exhaustive campaign and overwhelming support from the public, we are absolutely delighted to announce that we’ve averted the scheduled closure on 31st January! The Brewery have reconsidered and we are now focussed on getting back to work promoting this wonderful music venue that we love so much. We could not have achieved this without the wonderful response from the public – to those who came down to the pub to show their support, signed the petition, left their comments on our forum, joined our Facebook group and to the bands and artists who didn’t hesitate at short notice to come and perform to save the Moon – THANK YOU!!!
There will be no Gastro Pub, the Halfmoon will stay as a music venue. And long may that continue. Full story below:
THREATENED MUSIC VENUE GETS LAST MINUTE REPRIEVE
One of London’s oldest and most famous live music venues, The Half Moon in Putney, which was due to close its doors on the 31st January has been saved. The historic venue which has seen performances over the years by The Rolling Stones, U2 and Kasabian was due to become a gastro-pub. But after an extensive campaign and massive public uproar plus huge support from the press as well as the venue’s local MP, landlords Young’s reconsidered their plans and have now announced that they intend to keep the premises open as a live music venue.
The Half Moon, which has been hosting live music nearly every night since 1963 got into difficulty over the last year as the recession coupled with rising rates and alcohol duty took their toll. In November the tenants received notice of the closure and a new business model was to be introduced. A ‘Save The Half Moon’ campaign and petition was launched which attracted hundreds of signatures and a Facebook group of nearly 6,500 members. The venue’s web forum received messages of support from people all over the world, including Ocean Colour Scene’s Simon Fowler, Eddie Reader, X Factor’s Jamie Archer and Howard Marks. The Musician’s Union also got involved, noting that the UK’s emerging talent rely heavily on local music venues as a career platform.
Unable to ignore the strength of public feeling towards the closure of The Half Moon and the determination of its staff to keep it open, Young’s offered a last minute reprieve – including a package to help the tenants get through these unprecedented economic times. In return The Half Moon have agreed to introduce food, and have employed a new promotions team who plan to revitalise the venue and its booking policy.
Carrie Davies, bookings manager at The Half Moon from 1998 – 2006 has returned and is now a partner in the business. The venue’s former marketing and technical guru Stevie Wyatt is also back after 3 years freelancing as a consultant. Promoter of the reputable weekly Halfmoon Unplugged, Redvers Bailey will also be taking a more permanent role. Together the team aim to expand on the Half Moon’s programme of up & coming newly signed and unsigned acts, reducing the amount of cover bands.
“Incredibly relieved” was the reaction of The Half Moon’s tenant, James Harris who went on to say “The support from the public and the industry has been overwhelming. This was never just about jobs, but about a part of our music heritage. We still face tough times ahead, but at least we can move forward now, and my staff and myself are thrilled and excited”.
* * UPDATE 4/12/09 * *
This is an update on the situation of The Halfmoon facing closure by 31st January that we announced last week (see original statement below).
There has been overwhelming support from the public, the press, the music industry, our local MP, Wandsworth Council, The Musicians Union and even a few celebrities, all shocked that a successful live music venue with over 50 years of legendary music heritage may be forced to close it’s doors to make way for a gastro pub.
While the future of the Halfmoon remaining as a music venue is by no means secure, we are confident that the ultimate decision-makers have been unable to ignore the strength of feeling towards the Halfmoon’s closure.
The current management have always maintained that even though they accept they may have to leave, all they want (like everybody else) is for the Halfmoon to continue as a live music venue. Despite this, our brewery Youngs have remained quiet about the future of the Halfmoon after the 31st January.
It is also important to reflect, that the troubles the Halfmoon have faced financially are not because of low turnout of gigs. Ordinary pub custom is down but music custom is down only very slightly. Rising rents, alcohol duty, wholesale beer prices and the recession are the reasons for the Halfmoon dilemma, not a downturn in live music. Since we announced the closure, the venue has continued to thrive with a number of sell-out nights and a forthcoming programme of music right up to the end of January which is both diverse and popular. The Halfmoon is not a failing music venue, it is a success, and this popularity and success would undoubtedly continue if the building were to remain what it has always been – a music pub.
* *PRESS RELEASE 25/11/09* *
Dear Music Lover
Your favourite live music venue is facing closure.
The Halfmoon Putney, one of London’s last independent live music venues, may have to call time on almost 50 years of hosting live music.
Due to market forces, the current economic climate and other circumstances beyond our control, The Halfmoon will not be able to carry on as a music venue after 31st January 2010.
As a customer you probably already know that The Halfmoon is a beautiful welcoming pub and an exciting atmospheric venue, but it possibly holds even greater value to the bands that play there.
The Halfmoon has been hosting live music regularly since 1963. Since that time it has seen performances by, among others, The Rolling Stones, U2, The Small Faces, Ralph McTell, Badly Drawn Boy, Kate Bush and countless more.
As well as still catering for touring bands and artists The Halfmoon has, more recently, been an important stepping stone for emerging talent, notably Kasabian, Imogen Heap, The Wombats, Newton Faulkner, Mr Hudson, Amy McDonald, and Natasha Bedingfield. Oh, and Jamie Archer of X Factor fame!
When bands are making the transition from playing in the corner of a pub to much bigger venues, they need that stepping stone. Places like The Halfmoon fill that niche.
Current tenant James Harris says “We are at the grass roots of live music and The Halfmoon is an engine room for rising bands throughout the UK, who are now running out of quality venues to play.”
Band member, sound engineer and host of Halfmoon Unplugged – Redvers Bailey says “It will be a sad day when The Halfmoon closes. I can’t think of many venues I’ve been to who can cater for professional touring bands and rising unsigned bands and are willing to treat the two no differently. Speaking as a band member I’d say I haven’t played at any 200 capacity venue that offers as good sound/lighting production, atmosphere and door deal.”
Without the right measures being taken The Halfmoon could easily join a growing list of music venues that have closed in recent months/years. It would be another blow to music and culture in London if The Halfmoon disappears as well.
You can help save The Halfmoon. Please vote with your feet and come for a drink, or come to one of our nightly live music shows. To see what’s on visit the gig guide at http://www.halfmoon.co.uk. If you can’t make it down in person then visit our forum here The Halfmoon Forum and show us some love for all to see
Warm regards,
James Harris
Tenant
Halfmoon, Putney
020 8780 9383
www.halfmoon.co.uk
Halfmoon Facebook
Halfmoon Unplugged Facebook
“The real shop floor for musical talent is pubs and clubs, that is where the original
work is. But they are being closed down on a daily basis. It is impossible to
put an act on in a pub. It has become too expensive through excessive
regulations. The music industry has been hugely important to England, bringing
in millions. If anyone thinks the X Factor is going to do that, they are wrong.”
Sting in the Evening Standard 11.11.09
