A new book is on the horizon to celebrate the importance of grassroots music venues, with money from each copy sold going towards protecting those we still have to ensure that 2023's increase of closures isn't repeated
The numbers around independent music venues in the UK aren’t good. According to the Music Venue Trust, a charity that protects, secures and improves grassroots music venues, 2 venues closed per week in 2023.
Sweaty Ceilings is a new book project that will celebrate London’s indie music venues, directly raise funds for the ones we still have, and cast an eye back at those that we sadly don’t. The work of artist and designer Sophie Mo and independent music manager Tash Cutts, their plan is for a group of top class music writers (plus myself) to each write a chapter dedicated to one of these extremely vital spaces here in London, illustrated by photography, original illustrations, posters and memorabilia. Planned venues include: 100 Club, Bush Hall, Cafe Oto, Corsica Studios, Electric Ballroom, Fabric, Heaven, Jazz cafe, Koko, Moth Club, New Cross Inn, New River Studios, Notting Hill Arts Club, Old Blue Last, Royal Albert Hall, Scala, Sebright Arms, Shacklewell Arms, The Dome, The Garage, The George Tavern, The Lexington, The Roundhouse, The Social, The Waiting Room, Troxy, Underworld, Venue MOT, Village Underground and Windmill Brixton.
Today the team has launched an Indiegogo crowd-funder to get this project up and running, where £5 of every booked pre-ordered will go straight to MVT, with the rest covering the publishing costs of the project.
Needless to say, independent music venues across the whole of the UK have played a pivotal role in whatever success Loud And Quiet has had, not only acting as a breeding ground for all of the artists we write about, but quite literally performing the role of stockist of our print magazine since 2005. Without them we wouldn’t have gotten anywhere, so I’m very honoured to be involved with a project as creative and important as this.
