Thousands join fight to save city music venue
MORE than 10,000 people have backed a campaign to save a much-loved music venue after plans to demolish the site were revealed.
The owners of Gwdihw on Guildford Crescent in Cardiff announced on Wednesday that it will close in January because landlord Rapports will not be renewing the lease.
Rapports has notified the council of its intention to demolish the row of buildings – which also includes the Thai House and Madeira restaurants.
Cardiff Central MP Jo Stevens raised the closure of Gwdihw in the House of Commons and asked for a debate about protecting cultural assets against developers.
She told MPs: “Yesterday, I learned that a brilliant live music venue – Gwdihw – in my constituency and other long-standing local businesses are being forced to make way for unnecessary commercial development.
Radio 1 DJ Huw Stephens backed the campaign, saying: “Cardiff needs its independent venues. It also needs its architecture and beautiful streets like Guildford Crescent. It’s what makes our capital distinctive. We will become a city of flats if we’re not careful.”
Labour AMs Julie Morgan and Jenny Rathbone have also written a letter to Huw Thomas, the leader of Cardiff council, urging the authority to “preserve Guildford Crescent’s special architecture and history by implementing the conservation area as soon as possible, to prevent these historic venues from being lost”.
The council has been consulting on plans to give the street protection from development or demolition by making it a Conservation Area, however it is not known if that can be formally adopted before the demolition order goes through.
Giving the protected status would also do nothing to protect the businesses as the landlord would still be entitled to end the lease of the three businesses.
Daniel Minty, who also campaigned to save Womanby Street last year, said: “Gwdihw is such an important part of Cardiff’s grassroots music industry and Thai House and Madeira are both family-run businesses which bring vibrancy and culture and colour to the city.
“Not only have they been there for decades but the buildings are also historical. You can’t just get a sledgehammer and wipe out a piece of history.”
At the time of writing, the petition had just passed 10,000 signatures.
One supporter wrote: “I love these restaurants and Cardiff needs to keep its independent businesses to maintain its character and keep city centres worth visiting.
“Otherwise we’ll all be eating in generic outlets in out of town shopping centre car parks and city centres will die.”
The owners of Gwdihw issued a statement saying they hoped to carry on the Gwdihw name in a new venue in 2019.
But Mr Minty said: “Gwdihw would survive wherever it went, as would the other two, but you can’t move history.
“Gwdihw is known for its unique building. It has its curves and edges and it’s a bit rickety and it’s bright and colourful and represents everything that is Gwdihw.”
So far 285 people have also objected to the planning application.
One person who objected called the plans a “gross act of cultural, architectural, historical and economic vandalism”.
Another wrote: “Can we have a debate please on what additional measures are needed right across the UK to protect cultural assets against the threat of greedy developers?”
THERE was a definite sense of deja vu when the news broke this week that much-loved Cardiff music venue Gwdihw was to close.
In a statement, the owners of the venue said their landlords have decided not to renew their lease leaving this vital grass-roots hub for live music to shut its doors. It then quickly emerged that the landlords, Rapports, want to demolish the entire block at the historic Guildford Crescent.
The distinctive, brightly painted venue, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in November, has hosted a number of up and coming and established acts including Catfish and the Bottlemen, Gruff Rhys and Boy Azooga.
The landlord’s actions also affect the long-standing, family businesses Thai House and Madeira Restuarants, who are also to vacate their premises by the end of January.
The news has understandably triggered an outpouring of frustration from Cardiff’s music community, coming on the back of last year’s Save Womanby Street campaign, which helped secure the venues in the city’s music quarter.
This was achieved through people protest and the resulting support of council and government. However, this would never have been achieved if thousands hadn’t taken to the streets of Cardiff in April last year for the Save Womanby Street march. Then a strong message was sent to those in positions of power: the cultural heritage of a city is invaluable and must be protected at all costs.
In the case of Gwdihw it has become a bedrock of the city’s music scene – a vital launchpad for new musicians to develop their art in a welcoming, inclusive environment.
Cardiff council recently undertook a consultation on whether to grant Guildford Crescent protected conservation area status. In addition, a year ago it announced it was working on a live music strategy for the city which would put live music at the heart of the city’s development.
Ten-thousand people have so far signed a petition to protect the Crescent with hundreds objecting to the proposed demolition of the block. To allow this to go ahead would surely undermine everything the council has put in place.
What gives a city its unique character is its independent businesses and its historic buildings. Take those away and you rip the heart and soul out of a city. Another battle between developers and culture looms large. There should only be one winner.