The Prodigy have shared their help for the marketing campaign to avoid wasting the O2 Academy in Brixton.
The long-lasting London venue drew controversy final yr following a deadly crowd crush that occurred at an Asake live performance. The occasion — which left two useless and one in essential situation — finally led to the academy having its licence suspended for 3 months.
The Metropolitan Police have since claimed to have “misplaced confidence” within the security of the venue and made a push for the placement to shut its doorways for good.
An on-line petition was then launched to counteract the closure whereas numerous artists and business professionals additionally spoke out in opposition to the potential shutting down of the venue.
Yesterday the Night time Time Industries Affiliation (NTIA) launched a marketing campaign alongside Save Our Scene and Brixton BID to maintain the O2 Academy in Brixton open. You may help their marketing campaign right here.
Now, The Prodigy have backed the marketing campaign and urged the general public to help it too.
It’s tremendous vital that it is in a position to proceed to be a spot that you may go and see bands play reside. In case you agree please, put your full help behind them, as we do.https://t.co/PbCyxw4vNq
— The Prodigy (@the_prodigy) Could 14, 2023
They wrote: “Brixton Academy is our residence. What occurred there just a few months in the past was tragic & very critical classes have to be learnt from it. It’s the venue that has been on the coronary heart of our band, the one which we have now performed probably the most and the place followers from all all over the world come to see us play.
“It’s tremendous vital that it’s in a position to proceed to be a spot that you may go and see bands play reside. In case you agree please, put your full help behind them, as we do.”
The NTIA beforehand stated the venue “has been a part of the cultural tapestry of London” and “probably the most celebrated venues within the UK, internet hosting efficiency royalty from a vastly numerous internationally acclaimed pool of expertise”.
Regardless of the Metropolitan Police lately saying it had “misplaced confidence” within the venue’s operator AMG, the NTIA stated: “For many years the Brixton Academy beneath Academy Music Group administration has been a secure and inclusive area for individuals to take pleasure in a variety of cultural actions, from awards, reside and recorded music, comedy to company occasions and filming. The venue has a substantial workforce and is among the key employers of younger individuals inside the space, supporting a variety of companies and freelancers inside the local people and throughout the UK, making an enormous contribution to the native and nationwide economic system.”
It added: “We can’t lose sight of the tragic incident that occurred in December, however would respectfully ask that the Authorities think about working with AMG and the venue to be taught from what has occurred and improve the licence and security measures to make sure that this by no means occurs once more.”
In the meantime, George Fleming, CEO of Save Our Scene, stated that he was involved that “if the [Lambeth] council & [the] authorities continues to undermine tradition and shut down venues, we may see the business transfer additional underground the place there’s not the identical stage of regulation or security. All they need to do is have a look at what occurred within the 90s”.
He went on: “On this case, we’re urging Lambeth Council to work with Brixton Academy on discovering a constructive method to hold this sacred area open & secure for individuals to take pleasure in. It’s far too vital for the native economic system & our tradition to shut down and would set a precedent, which our sector cannot afford.”