In the news today we hear that music venue Kanteena in Lancaster is closing down at the end of the year. It has been a good use of a building which was derelict for quite a while. Apparently the people running Kanteena originally thought they'd only have the building for three years but that has been extended to six years.
I've been to some good gigs there including Hayseed Dixie and This Is The Kit and it's been a popular venue at local music festivals. But if you mention the name Kanteena to local musicians you'll often hear about double bookings and money not being paid after gigs unless you go down and hassle them day after day. So some people won't mourn its passing.
But their closure will leave a hole in the local music scene. Yes there's the Grand in Lancaster and The Platform in Morecambe but Kanteena was different with its outdoor sitting area and more relaxed feel.
And there are other venues in the local area. Up until a few years ago there was a promoter who put on mainly folk gigs at Lancaster University and Ellel Village Hall. More Music puts on gigs at their own building as well as venues like The Hall and The Gregson and we occasionally get big names like Steeleye Span playing at the Grand. But so many bands bypass Lancaster and Morecambe these days and play at the Brewery Arts Centre in Kendal or the Victoria Hall in Settle.
The Platform seems to put on mainly tribute acts these days but a quick look at their web site shows that a few big names are playing there this year including Lindisfarne, The Beat (feat. Rankin Jnr), Huey Morgan and the afore mentioned Steeleye Span. John Power of Cast and The La's is playing with tickets ranging from £33 to £82 if you want to go for the meet and greet option.
People are inevitably moaning about how this is all the fault of the council and yet in the last year the Music with the Mayor initiative brought gigs to the local area ranging from sea shanty singers at the Platform to Frank Turner at the Town Hall. I reckon those people need to give their heads a wobble.
So what is the way forward for the Lancaster & Morecambe music scene post-Kanteena? Good question. The local music scene seems to be thriving - just look at the number of acts who played at the recent Morecambe Music Festival. And the Lancaster Music Festival has been very successful over the last 10+ years. But we need to do something to attract bands who otherwise will carry on up the M6 north to Kendal or south to Preston.
Will Kanteena relocate to a new venue? I'm sure the people running it must be looking at possible alternatives knowing that the current site will close down on December 31st. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens.
