Save The Spitz

The Spitz, in Spitalfields market, London, is being threatened with closure. It's a great, small scale music venue that puts on great bands, exhibitions, and events. It's a lovely place.

Shows there tend to have more atmosphere than at corporate, only-here-to-sell-you-beer venues who shoo you out the door at 10.30 to make way for their money-spinning disco.

The last band I saw there was Heavy Trash, Jon Spencer's new group, who shook, rattled and rolled the sweaty little room until it groaned in pleasure.

Even if you haven't been there, it would be great if you could sign the petition. Small, passionate, independent venues like this around the world are being closed as the Starbucks and Tescos move in. Let's stand together and try and stem the tide.


SAVE THE SPITZ!

The Spitz has been given six months notice to quit our present site in Old Spitalfields Market by our landlord Ballymore Properties. In a worse case scenario this will mean that The Spitz will cease to exist at the end of September this year.

The campaign to Save The Spitz starts now and we need your support. Please go to www.spitz.co.uk and sign our online petition and/or make a domination to The Save Spitz appeal.

If you would like to get directly involved in the campaign please email rupert@spitz.co.uk

Another important way to support The Spitz is to use it as much as possible so please don’t forget The Spitz also has a fantastic restaurant and if you bring along a print out of this email we’ll give you 10% off lunch between 12 & 2 pm. Also, all areas of The Spitz are available for hire including the gallery, terrace and restaurant. All ideal spaces for parties, launch nights, talks, etc. We have an excellent programme of live music in the venue including the current Spitz Festival of Blues and the forthcoming Spitz Festival of Country in August and Spitz Festival of Folk in September. The Spitz Gallery also has a very strong programme including the forthcoming Chernobyl exhibition by Magnum photographer Paul Fusco called” Twenty One Years of Fall Out.

Please show your support for The Spitz by voting with your feet.

SAVE THE SPITZ!

Quotes

"I am outraged to hear that The Spitz is in danger of closing. In these days of bland, wholesale corporate homogenisation we need truly independent music venues like The Spitz more than ever. If the Spitz closes it will be an absolute disgrace and a sure sign that London is on the way to becoming a glorified shopping mall with a series of unnecessary restaurants and shops that only recognises the power of the City bonus and not the creative force that gave areas like Spitalfields its identity in the first place."

Beth Orton, musician, who has played at The Spitz four times.

“MOJO magazine is distraught at the thought of the Spitz closing its doors for good and all. It has served a world of vibrant, genuinely alternative music virtually single-handed. ”

Danny Eccleston, Consultant Editor, Mojo Magazine

''London is known around the world for its arts and entertainment, which
is the reason why so many people come here. It has a strong reputation
for a cutting edge and innovative music scene, which is nurtured by
having a range of live venues where music can flourish The Spitz is a unique venue which has enhanced the London music scene since it opened. If a classical music venue were under threat, the establishment would rightly be up in arms.

Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London.

"It is outrageous that The Spitz is under threat of closure and I wholeheartedly give my support to the campaign to Save The Spitz. In the last ten years London's cultural and creative axis has shifted from the West to the East and The Spitz is at the heart of this change. I have been to many ground breaking shows at The Spitz that I would never see at a more mainstream venue. The Spitz gives Spitalfields and East London it's creative identity and if it closes this will be lost"

Giles Deacon, UK’s leading fashion designer who is based in East London.