“The show must go on” is the rally call from organisers after illness forced one headliner to pull out of this week’s series of gigs at The Castle, though a homegrown Luton act who has previously “packed” the venue is still on the bill.
The spirit of the UK-wide Independent Venue Week remains key for the Luton hotspot – that it has never been more important to support local live music venues as up and down the country they brace for “an extremely difficult year”.
Tonight’s (January 28) IVW showcase at The Castle features The Lounge Society, who have performed with the likes of megastars Blur, The Strokes, and Fontaines D.C. Support comes from local noiseniks Owes and Ramona Marx.
But there will be a change to Wednesday’s line-up after Low Girl had to pull out. Singer Sarah Cosgrove shared the difficult news in a heartfelt statement, saying she’s been suffering with a “bad case of flu” and is now “struggling to speak” after developing a chest infection.
The good news is that Low Girl are set to return to The Castle later this year, with a date to be confirmed.
But writing about Wednesday’s Independent Venue Week show, Cosgrove said: “Because of this, we’ve made the difficult decision to cancel our IVW shows. We’ve been fortunate enough to never have to cancel a run of shows before due to illness, but I feel sad about it and I’m very sorry to those who have bought tickets. I’m also sorry to the lovely support bands that were booked to play with us, as we were really looking forward to meeting you and hearing your sets.
“Lastly, we recommend seeing what else the great venues we were booked have on for Independent Venue Week to best support them. Having a manager who runs an independent venue [Bedford Esquires] has made us all very passionate about how important these places are, it’s just a shame to not be partaking this time around. Hopefully be seeing you all soon before too long, much love from us to you.”
Despite the setback, Wednesday night’s remaining acts — Framatics and Luton’s own The Looted Youth aka Ben Thomson — will step up to ensure the evening remains a celebration of grassroots music, with the last-minute change making the night a pay-what-you-can event, payable on the door.
Promoter Ben Barry from Vandalism Begins at Home, who has previously banged the drum for the week-long event, has encouraged gig-goers to rally behind them.
“We hope Sarah gets well soon. Also, the show must go on and we’re lucky to still have two fantastic acts on the bill, and this is an amazing opportunity to support one of Luton’s very own,” he said.
“The Looted Youth are a hometown act, and the last time they played The Castle, it was a celebration and they packed the venue. I’ve no doubt they’ll do it again. Add Framatics into the mix and it’s the kind of electric atmosphere that you won’t want to miss.”
Barry also highlighted how attending the event would help The Castle.
“We’ve made the night a pay-what-you-can event, but supporting doesn’t just help the bands; it helps The Castle continue to thrive as Luton’s home for live music. By coming to the show and buying tickets, people will be making sure this venue can keep the music alive.”
The Castle echoed this sentiment in a Facebook post that underlined the importance of supporting grassroots music spaces during challenging times.
“This week is a celebration of the UK’s grassroots music venues, and that in itself feels special for us, especially during a time when every venue is struggling and bracing themselves for an extremely difficult year,” said their Facebook page.
“We see it regularly when it comes to venues closing down or being faced with closure — it’s happened on our doorstep and everywhere else. So, though this may be a celebration of us, we’re doing this for you.
“For those kids who may see a band performing on our stage and then pick up a guitar at home, for those who use live music as a form of escapism, for those aspiring musicians who may be the next headliner at Glastonbury, for Luton Town! Whatever your reason may be, we’re doing this for you.
“You can of course play your part in supporting us by continuing to buy tickets in advance on Gigantic — this means our ticketing partner very kindly donates 50 per cent of the booking fees for each show to us, as a way of supporting grassroots venues during the tough times.
“But please, if you can afford to, support the artists stopping off at The Castle. Buy some merch, tag them in videos on your socials, rave about how good they are!! Support local, and independent, food businesses surrounding us before you come to the show. However you can, let’s continue to use this week to build each other up.
“Again, thank you so much for your support in the lead-up to IVW25. This next week is for you, Luton. Let’s have a party.”
Independent Venue Week at The Castle runs until Saturday February 1. Other nights see headliners Dirty Blonde and Lizzie Esau (30), Obeyer (31) and Sunday Club (February 1), play with a host of local and up-and-coming supports across the week from the likes of Dois Padres, Blame Ceasar and Matty Ram.
Tickets for this week’s Independent Venue Week shows, which , as other events at The Castle, can be purchased at Gigantic: https://www.gigantic.com/uk/luton
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