22/11/2024
THANK YOU FROM THE MOON
Every week on average two UK grassroots live music venues close. Sadly it's now our turn. As of today we've handed our keys back to our landlord and The Moon will be closed.
Despite our best efforts to keep going during the past few years, the burden of a cost of living crisis and the mounting costs of running a business where survival always runs on a knife edge have proven too difficult for us to continue. Every time we think we've overcome a hurdle, another 5 appear and there are so many factors involved, not one particular reason but dozens. We've fought so hard and are so proud that we've kept The Moon alive for this long, especially during the most difficult times that no-one could have predicted back when we reopened the space in 2017.
We cannot thank you enough for helping us through the years, for helping us to re-open the venue in 2017, for coming to us week in and week out, for getting us through the good times and the bad, for supporting us when we were closed in 2020-21 during the pandemic and coming back in droves again after that time. We loved the diversity of our audiences and musicians who walked through our doors and will take so many happy memories forward of brilliant and life changing nights.
Thank you to our brilliant staff throughout the years who have worked tirelessly on the bar, behind the sound desk and DJ decks, security team keeping us safe, flyerers getting people through the doors, and the hard working bands and promoters putting the gigs on - we wouldn’t have survived so long without you putting your all into it, night after night. You made The Moon and we will always be grateful.
We'd like to say a huge thank you to the entire music community around us, it has honestly been the best time of our lives, and we have thousands of great memories. From the thrill of booking exciting bands who go on to bigger things, to hosting events that couldn't find a home, artists who were getting overlooked or brand new first timers, to proudly adding CARDIFF to that tour poster. All the friendships made, relationships built, people who got engaged, married, celebrated, remembered. Having the best parties, discovering the best music.
Womanby Street is losing a vital part of its live music heart, but we firmly believe that Cardiff is getting exciting again and has so much potential, so much to offer. Please don't think the answer is simply to replace us quickly and hike up the number of small venues. We don't need too many small venues all doing the same thing, we need great quality venues that are supported, celebrated, protected and USED. Venues that create legacies, bringing people together for years to come, full to the brim with events and audiences, a wide spectrum of genres and events, affordable, accessible and inclusive.
We are gutted that we weren't able to carry out all our plans we had, do something about the toilets, stage height, backstage area, redo the décor, furniture, artist murals, fix basically everything all over again and expand into all sorts of exciting adventures.
Grassroots music venues need constant support, and we are a prime example of what happens without that help. The financial pressures put on independent music venues are extreme, and the support we receive just isn’t enough to match that. We have appreciated the grants and funding provided by Creative Wales and Cardiff Council in recent years, but the support can’t come only in emergencies or through special projects.
Music venues need constant support through levies on the much more profitable parts of our industry. These insignificant amounts on huge ticket prices would provide a significant benefit to independent venues around the country. We also feel the pressure of business rates and taxes that burn through any small profit we make and leave us barely breaking even on the most popular of nights. Increasing the business rates in Wales on music venues and continuing to charge VAT on ticket sales is going to close more and more music venues in the years to come. We ask the government to reconsider these charges and question where music will be without independent venues like us in years to come.
Finally, for the really horrible but important bits of admin:
We’ll be working with the promoters and artists at all upcoming events to try and find alternatives. Please keep an eye on your emails if you’ve bought tickets for any updates on changes, cancellations etc – all cancellations will be refunded.
Please bear with us as we work through all the difficult processes and be patient as we do. We have all now lost our livelihoods and are absolutely heartbroken to lose the biggest thing our lives.
If you haven’t heard from us about an event or any outstanding correspondence in the next 7 days please email [email protected] and we will get back to you as soon as is possible.
STAFF & FREELANCER SUPPORT FUND: If you would like to donate something to help our staff & freelancers while they seek other employment to help them get through the next couple of months (or just to say thanks 🙂 ), please consider donating here https://crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-the-moon-cardiffs-staff - This will of course be on top of any redundancy payments.
LOCAL PRESS: Please don’t hassle our staff for comment, it's an upsetting day for everyone. Feel free to just use wording on here and if you need stats or quotes about the state of the UK live music industry it’s all on the Music Venues Trust website https://www.musicvenuetrust.com/
Thank you again, see you at the next gig
From all of us at The Moon
