The Musicians’ Union (MU) is disheartened to hear of yet another small venue under threat from adjacent development – this time Bristol’s Thekla.
On Wednesday 9 November, planning was approved by Bristol Council for the development of buildings in Redcliffe Wharf into offices, homes and a leisure space.
Assurances were given at that meeting that the developers will work and liase with the venue on a new noise impact survey and an improved sound insulation scheme to protect both Thekla and future residents against noise problems.
However, it is crucial that public support is maximised to ensure that all parties keep to the commitments made.
Paul Gray, MU Wales & South West England Regional Organiser says:
“Thekla is a hugely popular and iconic music venue in every sense of the word. It has become a Bristol institution. We are in close contact with the venue owners and will be working with and supporting them over the coming weeks.”
Bonzo Dog Doo Dah singer Vivian Stanshall bought the venue in the early 1980’s, and set about refurbishing the former cargo ship into both living accommodation for his family and a floating theatre named ‘The Old Profanity’. Since 2006, Thekla has operated under the DHP group as a hugely successful 400 capacity live music venue hosting an A-Z of international artists.
Find out more about the campaign to save Thekla via the venue’s official Facebook and Twitter feeds.