March 12, 2008 12:17

London's Astoria venue 'can't be saved'

Capital's Mayor Ken Livingston confirms club will close

One of London's most popular live music venues, the Astoria Theatre, looks set to finally close.

Rumours about the closure of the central London venue have long circulated, with 35,000 people reportedly signing a petition in attempt to prevent its demolition.

However, London's Mayor Ken Livingstone has revealed today (March 12) in a report that the Astoria will close due to a new building and transport development in the area.

With regards to preventing the closure, Livingstone said: "There are some instances where that just physically isn't possible. The construction of (new underground railway line) Crossrail means that the Astoria can't be saved."

He also added that the Astoria will be replaced with a new venue designed as part of the nearby Tottenham Court Road development, adding: "We're basically putting in a vast train station but the developers that have actually drawn up the scheme for the area are replacing it (the Astoria) with a larger live music venue."

Livingston also revealed he is now plotting a 'live music strategy' in order to protect landmark venues in the city after other venues such as Hammersmith Palais and The Spitz have been forced to close their doors in recent months, reports BBC 6 Music.