Luton’s internationally renowned jazz and blues nightspot, The Bear Club, is planning for the “worst case scenario” as the freehold of the building was listed for sale which could see them forced out in the summer.
The venue on Mill Yard, off Guildford Street, has come under threat before and been saved but unless the building remains unsold or the new owners grant a new lease beyond June, it could be curtains for one of the town’s only live music havens.
Currently on its annual January break, but set to re-open in February with Sharp Little Bones performing, The Bear Club was voted one of the top 25 jazz clubs in the world in a 2019 poll by All About Jazz.
It is also home to the Happy Shark Comedy club, which has seen shows from the likes of Ed Gamble, Ross Noble, James Acaster, Shappi Khorsandi, Josh Widdicombe and Sara Pascoe. A weekly drink and draw art event has also proved popular.
This week the building was put up for sale with commercial real estate agents SR Wood and Son Ltd advertising that the building could be turned into homes, writing ‘subject to the necessary permissions being obtained, residential conversion is a possibility’.
They added later on a Facebook post, reponding in comments to people expressing dismay at the possible closure of the venue that, ‘buying the property as an investment (with The Bear Club remaining in situ) is very much an option’.
In a post on Instagram, The Bear Club responded by writing: ‘We wanted to address the speculation surrounding the future of the club.
‘As we have previously flagged, the building in which the club operates is currently up for sale, and the freeholders have granted us a lease that expires at the end of June. This lease could be extended if the building remains unsold by then or if any potential purchaser is willing to grant us a new lease.
“We will be open for business from Friday 2 February until at least the end of June, offering a fantastic program of music, comedy and more. Please check our website for further details.
“We are understandably concerned about our ongoing position and need to plan for the worst case scenario. With this in mind, we are looking to secure the future of this valuable cultural asset for the community and the town beyond June.
“We are interested in hearing constructive suggestions or expressions of interest from those who want to be part of a potential ongoing solution.
“To facilitate the discussion, we are holding a meeting for members and other interested parties on Wednesday 31 January, at the club at 7:30pm
“Everyone is welcome to attend, but we encourage you to come armed with ideas and a willingness to engage in discussion.’
It’s not the first time the venue has been threatened with closure. In 2015 Luton Council served it with a noise abatement order after complaints from neighbours, but fans and members clubbed together to crowdfund soundproofing measures.
Founder and previous owner Justin Doherty announced in 2020 that the venue would close, but the Covid pandemic meant it couldn’t complete its final run of shows and once lockdown restrictions were lifted in 2021, the club received a £57,000 grant from the Cultural Recovery Fund, from the government’s £1.57billion investment in England’s arts and culture organisations.
However, in 2022 closure was announced again with Mr Doherty saying at the time that the “financial sword of Damocles swings overhead”.
Rescue came with a new ownership duo Giles Willits and Neil Simmonds, but little over a year after taking over they are now facing the prospect of the Bear Club going permanently into hibernation.
