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Topic: London's Astoria could lose it licences Return to archive
04-08-03 01:09 PM
CS UPDATE:

No satisfaction for Astoria
By Ross Lydall, Evening Standard
8 April 2003
It is one of London's most famous venues, its stage graced by Prince, David Bowie, Oasis, Eminem, Blur, U2, the Pet Shop Boys, Blondie and Morrissey.

But now the Astoria in Charing Cross Road faces a fight for its existence. The prime live music venue, due to host a another sell-out Rolling Stones concert on 27 August, is fighting a new move by Westminster council to remove its entertainment licence following a string of allegations that it has become a centre of gun culture, drugs and violence.

A double shooting in October 2001 - linked to the notorious rap band So Solid Crew - and its history of violence convinced the council to refuse its licence last September. The Astoria's owners, the Mean Fiddler group, appealed successfully to magistrates last month to have the licence reinstated

But the council has refused to let the matter drop and is now asking a judge to uphold the original decision to refuse a licence. A Westminster spokeswoman said this was based on its initial belief that the licensees had failed to uphold public safety.

Between September 2001 and May 2002 the emergency services had been called 152 times to the venue - 42 times over assaults or reported assaults. Nine of the incidents involved door staff, including allegations of serious assault by staff on female customers.

The Astoria will continue while the appeal is pending - no date has been set for it. Vince Power, chairman of the Mean Fiddler, said he was "absolutely stunned" that Westminster had decided to appeal, claiming it would be an "appalling waste of public money".

He said: "The Astoria is a world famous music venue, in the heart of London, which attracts a crowd of

380,000 music fans every year. I struggle to understand what the council would stand to gain from seeking its closure."

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