London is a thriving hub for live music, but all too often we hear about seminal venues closing down as a result of being priced out of their space. One of the most well-known and loved venues in west London, Bush Hall, is now under threat of closing down.
Last week, the Bush Hall team posted a crowdfunder to state the need to raise £42,000 to keep the venue going. At the time of writing, £26,882 has been raised to save the iconic Shepherd’s Bush venue, meaning around £15,000 is needed to reach the set goal.
Bush Hall is an entirely independent venue, and like any grassroots space, has been facing continuous challenges, especially since the pandemic. In their crowdfunder page, they have posted to say they are about “[four] months away from making a hideous decision whether to cease live music at the unique treasure that is Bush Hall”.
What will the money raised for Bush Hall go towards?
On their page, the Bush Hall team have gone into great detail about why the money is needed and have broken down where the funds will go. £14,000 is maked for runing and promoting the programme for artists and musicians; £8,000 will go towards budget marketing, publicity, and advertising; £11,000 for urgent maintainence and repairs; and £9,000 for lease costs to avoid defaulting.
The cost of living crisis and pandemic has caused a change in the market, and means there is a “declining per head spend, spiralling utility and insure costs”, which means margins are low across the entire sector, and Bush Hall currently find themselves “sitting in the red month on month”.
Bush Hall as a venue
Bush Hall became a live music venue once again in 2001. It first opened as a dance hall in 1904, and has since held stints as a soup hall during WWII, a rehearsal space, and a snooker hall during the 1980s and ’90s.
Since it began putting on shows again, the 650-capacity venue has been the home to countless legendary London gigs, incuding R.E.M, Amy Winehouse, Toots & The Maytals, Adele, Florence and The Machine and many more.
It puts on around 140 shows each year, but in 2023 there was a 24.5% decrease in live music bookings. Their non-profit business, Music House For Children, is also under threat, should the venue not meet its funding goal.
Hammersmith And Fulham council also posted a piece for its residents to read about the history of Bush Hall and why it needs saving, which can be read here.
Read and donate to the crowdfunder to save Bush Hall here. Find Bush Hall at 310 Uxbridge Road, W12 7LJ (nearest station is Shepherd’s Bush Market)