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Paul Weller, Gruff Rhys and Suggs campaign to save British pubs

Artists come out in force to help launch 'Save Our Pubs!'

December 19, 2008 | 5 Comments
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The likes of Paul Weller (pictured), Suggs and Super Furry Animals' Gruff Rhys have joined a new campaign hoping to to save the traditional British pub.

Save Our Pubs! is organised by the authors of new book 'The Rough Pub Guide; A Celebration Of The Great British Boozer', NME writer Paul Moody and Heavenly Records' Rob Turner.

"Local pubs are closing at the rate of 57 a month," they explained after visiting pubs where the likes of Joy Division and The Rolling Stones formed for their book. "Classic interiors are being torn down and local communities denied a focal point, to make way for flats and gastro-refits overseen by the disciples of General Gastro (Gordon Ramsay). It's nothing short of cultural vandalism. I mean, how many bands formed in Starbucks?"

The campaign has also drawn support from actor Rhys Ifans and Fatboy Slim's wife Zoe Ball.

To support 'Save Our Pubs!', go to Roughpubguide.co.uk.

Paul Weller tickets:

Date / Time	Artist	Venue	Town/City	Buy
Nov 25, 2009 19:30	Paul Weller	Assembly Rooms	Derby	Buy Paul Weller tickets from Seatwave
Nov 26, 2009 19:30	Paul Weller	Norwich U.e.a.	Norwich	Buy Paul Weller tickets from Seatwave
Nov 26, 2009 19:30	Paul Weller	Norwich Arts Centre	Norwich	Buy Paul Weller tickets from Seatwave
Nov 26, 2009 19:30	Paul Weller	Norwich U.e.a.	Norwich	Buy Paul Weller tickets from Seatwave
Nov 28, 2009 19:30	Paul Weller	Preston Guildhall	Preston	Buy Paul Weller tickets from Seatwave
Nov 29, 2009 19:30	Paul Weller	Barrowland	Glasgow	Buy Paul Weller tickets from Seatwave
Nov 29, 2009 19:30	Paul Weller	Barrowland	Glasgow	Buy Paul Weller tickets from Seatwave
Nov 30, 2009 19:30	Paul Weller	Caird Hall	Dundee	Buy Paul Weller tickets from Seetickets
Nov 30, 2009 19:30	Paul Weller	Caird Hall	Dundee	Buy Paul Weller tickets from Seatwave
Dec 02, 2009 19:30	Paul Weller	Victoria Halls - Halifax	Halifax	Buy Paul Weller tickets from Seatwave
Dec 02, 2009 19:30	Paul Weller	Victoria Halls - Halifax	Halifax	Buy Paul Weller tickets from Seatwave
Dec 03, 2009 19:30	Paul Weller	Carlisle Sands Centre	Carlisle	Buy Paul Weller tickets from Seatwave
Dec 04, 2009 19:30	Paul Weller	The Spa Royal Hall	Bridlington	Buy Paul Weller tickets from Seatwave
Dec 04, 2009 19:30	Paul Weller	The Spa Royal Hall		Buy Paul Weller tickets from Seetickets
Dec 06, 2009 19:30	Paul Weller	St George's Hall	Bradford	Buy Paul Weller tickets from Seatwave
Dec 06, 2009 19:30	Paul Weller	St George's Hall	Bradford	Buy Paul Weller tickets from Seatwave
Dec 07, 2009 19:30	Paul Weller	Venue Cymru	Llandudno	Buy Paul Weller tickets from Seatwave
Dec 07, 2009 19:30	Paul Weller	Venue Cymru	Llandudno	Buy Paul Weller tickets from Seatwave
Dec 08, 2009 19:30	Paul Weller	Guildhall	Portsmouth	Buy Paul Weller tickets from Seatwave
Dec 08, 2009 19:30	Paul Weller	Guildhall	Portsmouth	Buy Paul Weller tickets from Seatwave

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Comments (5)

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jaygill

Dec 19, 2008

it's all well and good crying about it and saying what a travesty it is but it doesn't in any way deal with the real reasons behind the closure of drinking establishments at all it's just another group of celebrities jumping on a bandwagon and not actually doing anything about the situation what so ever.there are reasons people are drinking less and choosing to drink at home more rather than at increasingly expensive public houses and bleating on about communities focal points and places where bands formed will achieve fuck all and it's just a joke.the general public at large are dealing with an economic crisis, less jobs, less money, while the cost of drinking in these establishments steadily rises and the government put a halt on happy hours and cheap drinks promotions in an effort to curb this so called NEW trend called binge drinking.i for one still cannot really afford to go out drinking as much as i used to, it may be ok for these celebrities with time and money on their hands to sit about in pubs spending money like nobodies business but here in the real world those luxuries are slowly and steadily slipping away from the vast majority of the people on britain.so quite frankly paul weller and co can go fuck themselves or try and do something a bit more constructive for a cause they claim to be so behind.

vibedoctor

Dec 21, 2008

Blimey, jaygill. You sound like you could do with a drink.

krishna86

Dec 21, 2008

Chill the fuck out Jay mate, you sound like you need a visit to the pub yourself! All they're saying is that traditional, old-fashioned pubs with character and charm are being replaced by trendy, plastic sports bars and cavernous, soulless chain pubs like Wetherspoons. This has nothing to do with the credit crunch, the binge drinking debate, celebrity culture and whatever else your paranoid, grammatically-inept rant was about. You're saying Paul Weller & co should "go fuck themselves" for not doing anything constructive, but you're the one who's railing against the economic crisis on the NME website. What the fuck is constructive about that?

Andy P

Dec 21, 2008

Well said jaygill. It's an interesting topic. I also have to commend any effort to raise the issue of the amount of 'locals' closing. I live in Islington and I lost my local a year or two ago. Even in Islington when a local closes the locals never seem to recongregate in another local. When it's gone it' s gone and that's it. It seems that old fashioned locals simply don't seem to be economically viable these days. It seems that unless they knock out sausage & mash at Â£12.00 and a jukebox at 0.50/track they can't exist. The only thing to do is use your local before it goes the same way as Woolworths and Pinnacle(rip). Cheers and happy xmas!