London’s 100 Club may be forced to close by the end of the year
Thursday, 23 September 2010
Written by Rob Sleigh
The owner of legendary music venue The 100 Club has confirmed that, due to huge rent increases, he may be forced to close the club within the next few months, despite the fact that it is still a very popular place. Jeff Horton, who has been the owner since 1985, told London’s Evening Standard that the rent had been raised by 45 percent.
The 350-capacity venue, which had previously been run by Jeff’s father since 1964, first opened its doors on Oxford Street in 1942. Although it began life as a jazz club, it became more widely known during the Seventies as a prominent punk rock venue.
In fact, it was during this week in 1976, that it hosted the now famous 100 Club Punk Special – a two-day festival with a line-up that included the Damned, the Clash, Buzzcocks and the Sex Pistols. The event became remembered as a significant landmark in the history of punk rock.
During its earlier days, the 100 Club saw performances by a number of well-known blues artists such as BB King, Muddy Waters and Bo Diddley. In more recent years, the likes of the Rolling Stones, Oasis and the White Stripes have played at the venue.
Talking to the Evening Standard, Horton blamed the system in the UK for allowing the rates to increase in this way: “In the US, the rents are frozen at certain venues that have a bit of heritage. Here it's a total free-for-all."
The 100 Club is not the first music venue to close in the area in recent years. Last year, the nearby Astoria in Charing Cross Road was closed and demolished to make way for the Crossrail project. The Astoria was built in 1927 and became one of the most popular live music venues in the capital until its closure.
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