Published
Fri, May 19, 2017, 15:00
- "It's better to jump than be pushed," the 22-year-old club and gig venue said in a statement condemning a lack of local authority support.
The Edinburgh nightclub and gig space Studio 24 will close next month.
The 22-year-old city-centre venue cited complaints from neighbours and the high cost of obeying council regulations for its decision to close, though it has since emerged that the owners have sold the building to a property developer. In a statement on Studio 24's Facebook page, the owners suggested that a possible hearing on the renewal of their license may have also been a factor, though a council spokesperson told Resident Advisor that no such review was scheduled.
"We are gutted that we have had to come to this decision," read the statement, "but with years of investing thousands upon thousands in soundproofing [and] legal fees in order to stay open, alongside complaining neighbours [and] harsh council-enforced sound restrictions, we feel that these problems will not leave us." It went on: "We feel that it's better to jump than be pushed, and perhaps us leaving the entertainment circuit in Edinburgh might make the powers that be realise that a shake-up of how a capital city's music scene should be supported [is needed]."
In 2005, the club announced it would close after a spate of noise complaints, but a campaign reversed that decision. Studio 24's license was suspended in 2009 after a fresh round of complaints over noise and underage revellers. The venue, formerly known as Calton Studios, hosted Maribou State and AJ Tracey earlier this year.
Gig and club venue closures are a longstanding issue in Scotland's capital. In March, Electric Circus closed after the neighbouring Fruitmarket Gallery, on Market Street, chose to extend its premises into the space occupied by the venue. (Both buildings are owned by the city council.) Another club and gig venue, The Citrus Club, closed earlier this month.
A recent campaign led by Music Is Audible resulted in the city council's decision to relax its complaints policy, which previously required music to be "inaudible in residential properties."
A city council spokesperson said: "Council staff have been speaking to Edinburgh's venue owners and performers for more than a year to establish a plan for live music in the city. During this time, significant changes have been made to make Edinburgh's noise policy clearer and fairer with the removal of what became known as the 'inaudibility clause'. Since the new conditions came into effect for Studio 24 in November, the council hasn't received any noise complaints relating to the venue."
Paul Lawrence, director of place for the city council, said: "We haven't been made aware of the venue's reasons for closure but I would welcome a meeting with the owners to discuss their situation."
Read the club's statement in full.