Rock venues in London and Oldham to close

Popular rock bar Big Red is to close its doors next month after a 16-year run on London's Holloway Road. And Whittles in Oldham is closing so that the site can be developed into apartments.

Big Red's closure was announced in a Facebook post that read, "We are sad to announce that we will be closing our doors for good next month. After 16 awesome years , our lease has come to an end, and unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control, it will not be getting renewed.

"We want to thank you all. It's been a blast! We will be packing in as many of our favourite monthly nights into the time we have left, and hope you all can join us at some point on our farewell tour."

"I'm absolutely gutted," says Metal Hammer editor Merlin Alderslade. "Big Red is the best bar in London, and my haunt for the better part of a decade. I hope there’s a way its spirit can carry on."

Big Red is also a live music venue, and in recent years has played host to acts including The Cadillac Three, Monster Truck, Inglorious, Tax The Heat and The Graveltones. It has also been the venue for the annual Heavy Metal Truants charity auction.

The owners of Whittles also announced their closure on Facebook, saying, "Following a meeting with the landlords last week we have been informed that the building has been sold with a view to being developed into apartments.

"We have been given four weeks notice and our last trading day will be Sunday 22nd September.

"We are obviously all upset more so because it’s the end of an era for this iconic live music venue.

"We have bookings beyond the end of September and numerous people to contact personally over the next few days. (Please bear with us and we will be in touch).

"We would like all our customers old and new to join us over the next few weeks to help us go out with a bang!

"Just while we get things sorted the pub will be closed this week and then business as usual from Friday lunch time."

For details on the final events at both venues, visit the Big Red Facebook page, and the Whittles Facebook page.

Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 40 years in music industry, online for 27. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.