Legendary music venue Moles in Bath closes after 45 years: “Today is a very sad day”

nme.com:

Ed Sheeran, Blur, Fatboy Slim, The Killers, Radiohead, The Smiths and IDLES since it opened in 1978 and was one of the last surviving venues from Oasis‘ first tour.Moles announced it would be shutting with immediate effect in a statement on Facebook, in which it cited the cost of living crisis and “huge rent rates, along with massively increased costs on everything from utilities to stock” as reasons for its closure.

All future events at the venue have been cancelled.“We’ve weathered many things over the years, including a fire and a pandemic in the last 10 years alone, but this cost of living crisis has crippled the grassroots music sector.

Although that is not the only problem, it has accentuated it,” the statement began. “Huge rent rates, along with massively increased costs on everything from utilities to stock, are all factors.

This has been compounded by our customers also feeling the impact of the crisis.“We are not the only grassroots music venue to close in the past year.