Crowdfunder launched for new book celebrating London's independent music venues

A crowdfunder has been launched to fund Sweaty Ceilings, a new book documenting the cultural importance of London's independent music venues.

Created by interdisciplinary artist Sophie Mo and artist manager Tash Cutts, the book will spotlight 30 venues – delving into the "history and untold stories behind each one," according to an Instagram post.

Some of these venues include the Roundhouse, Moth Club, Koko, Cafe OTO, Corsica Studios,Venue MOT, The Jazz Cafe, Village Underground, fabric and many more.

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The following closed venues will also be honoured: Power Lunches, The Coronet and The Astoria.

With contributions from various music journalists, each dedicated chapter will contain in-depth interviews with key figures, booking agents and musicians associated with the venue, as well as archive photography, gig posters and other memorabilia.

The book intends to “raise awareness of why grassroots venues are so crucial to the career of musicians and to the culture of London as a whole.”

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Launched on October 1, the Indiegogo fundraiser will help raise money to pay the writers, designers, and illustrators, as well as printing and distribution costs.

Fans are also invited to send their favourite stories, photographs or memorabilia from a particular venue to contribute to the book by emailing [email protected].

Once the book is finished, £5 of each sale will be donated to the Music Venue Trust (MVT), a charity which acts to protect, support and improve grassroots music venues.

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The book comes amid what has been dubbed a nightlife “crisis” by the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) CEO Michael Kill.

MVT recorded 125 grassroots venue closures in 2023, making it the “worst year for venue closures” in a decade.

And just last week (September 25), Mixmag reported on a new report from CGA Neilson that revealed the UK has lost 65 nightclubs in 2024 alone – a higher rate of club closures than seen in previous years.

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In response to this, MVT advocates for schemes such as a £1 ticket levy for music events at arenas and stadiums to generate a fund to support grassroots music, as well as a VAT cut for cultural ticketing.

Speaking on ‘Sweaty Ceilings’, MVT has said: “A book that helps amplify the voices of grassroots venues is a powerful way of demonstrating their value”.

Published by David Dunn of D&B Books, 'Sweaty Ceilings' will be available to pre-order here

Meena Sears is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow her on Instagram