Introduction

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Little Barrie and his band in action at The Glimmer of Hope-Denmark Street Festival on the 26th October 2014 Barrie is a member of Primal Scream

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Spizz in action at The Glimmer of Hope-Denmark Street Festival on the 26th October 2014

THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF THE SAVE TIN PAN ALLEY CAMPAIGN  

Calling All Musicians & Celebrities
We Need Your Support

Contact us here at the underlined link above 

 WE’D LIKE TO THANK

Pete Townshend of The Who, Dave Davies of The Kinks, Glen Matlock of The Sex Pistols/Rich Kids, Captain Sensible of The Damned, Michael Monroe and his band, Cherie Currie of The Runaways,
Ray Dorset aka Mungo Jerry, Little Barrie of Primal Scream, Engelbert Humperdinck,  Spizz Energi and
The Bermondsey Joyriders

Thanks also to numerous bands who played at The Glimmer Of Hope Festival on  26.10.2014 

We’d also like to thank the following who have written songs for the campaign

Band Of Holy Joy
Bart Van Der Post
The Bermondsey Joyriders
The Blow Monkeys
Cats In Space
Cleaners From Venus
The Cradles 

Glamweazel
Pete Korving
Texas Terri
The Vampire Junkies

CLICK HERE > SONGS FOR DENMARK ST 

BRING BACK THE MUSIC TO LONDON’S TIN PAN ALLEY! PRESERVE THE LONG TERM VIABILITY OF A 105 YEAR OLD ‘MUSIC HERITAGE ZONE’ 

 

CALLING ALL MUSICIANS

TPA’s guitar shops are open for business. We’d like you to show your collective support by buying something. Your actions will mean a lot 

Spread the word
‘Keep The Guitar Shops

 

MAKE IT ‘THE MUSIC HERITAGE ZONE’ 

We are calling upon the Music Industry and Musicians to invest in this famous street by leasing property here. This unique street can be saved with your support here. Otherwise Tin Pan Alley will be converted into luxury apartments or hotels above the music shops. This is the truth. No matter what you might have heard. It is time to act and show your faith in this historic street. Let’s make Tin Pan Alley a magnificent music mecca once again. We have the support of MU, PPL, PRS, Councillor Sue Vincent and The Right Honourable Keir Starmer MP

THE HISTORY

Tin Pan Alley is Britain’s only ‘Street Of The Music’. It saw the birth of sheet music publishing in 1911 at Wrights, which led to the first the music charts, the birth of The Melody Maker at number 19, The (New) Musical Express at number 5, before the advent of British Rock ‘n’ Roll, which also began in the street with music manager Larry Parnes.

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A recent publication about Elton John’s days in Tin Pan Alley when he was still known as Reginald Dwight, singer in Bluesology.

The Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath and David Bowie all recorded their earliest work in Regent Sounds and Central Sounds, respectively. Elton John started  his career at Mills Music publishers and then signed up with Beatles’ music publisher Dick James Music in the street, too. Coca Cola had it’s most famous theme written here by Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway, while a few doors along Lionel Bart wrote the Oscar winning musical Oliver.

Jimi Hendrix, Phil Lynott, Rory Gallagher, bought their prized guitars in the street. British Punk Rock began at the rear of number 6 with The Sex Pistol’s rehearsal space. Acid Jazz began over the road with Eddie Piller and crew in the 1990’s where Jamiroquoi were signed at number 20. A decade later, at the beginning of new millennium, both Keane and Adele played to a handful of people at number 26 before international stardom beckoned.

This is the very living, breathing, street of music. It still features guitar maker workshops, rehearsal rooms, studio spaces, music publishers, venues, and guitar shops. Lets keep it that way. This is Britain’s resounding street of popular music. There is no equivalent anywhere in the world! Lets celebrate this wonderful place and bring even more music back to Denmark Street  in all of its vibrant diversity.

POLITICAL SUPPORT & CONCERNS

THE CAMPAIGN’S PRESS ARCHIVES

March 5th feature in this week's The London Weekly News, Westminster & Pimlico News, Kensington & Chelsea News, and Fulham Newspapers, regarding our new Chairman, the Right Hon Frank Dobson MP for Holborn & St Pancras

March 5th feature in this week’s The London Weekly News, Westminster & Pimlico News, Kensington & Chelsea News, and Fulham Newspapers, regarding our new Chairman, the Right Hon Frank Dobson MP for Holborn & St Pancras

With local MP and former Labour Party ‘Health Minister’ Frank Dobson very much on side, and a list of 28,000 who have signed the Change.org petition, only time will tell what will happen next regarding further ‘Planning Amendment Applications’ heading towards Camden Council from Consolidated developments. These will be known as ‘Stage 2’ and ‘Stage 3’ of this overwhelming construction process taking place throughout 2015, 2016, and 2017, when ‘Crossrail 1’ finally opens for business during that summer. One thing is for sure, the campaign is going to ‘Carry On Regardless’. Please sign the petition here at Change.org – ‘Don’t Bin Tin Pan Alley’ SIGN THE PETITION HERE

SUPPORT FROM SINGERS & MUSICIANS PLUS PRESS & TV COVERAGE 

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Engelbert Humperdinck flew in from Los Angeles to appear in Tin Pan Alley, London, for BBC TV’s The One Show on November 12th 2014. Photo by Jerry Tremaine

The Save Denmark St Campaign has had tremendous support from high profile musicians as diverse as Pete Townshend, Engelbert Humperdinck, Dr Robert of The Blow Monkeys, Captain Sensible of The Damned, Steve Diggle of The Buzzcocks, former Sex Pistol Glen Matlock, singer David Essex, Marc Almond and Dave Ball of Soft Cell, Jake Burns of Stiff Little Fingers, Boz Boorer of The Smiths, soul singer Linda Lewis, and The Jim Jones Review; to name but 13. Every musician in the land is aware of this scenario, but many Londoners appear to know nothing about this – even at this eleventh hour – and despite recent articles in the Guardian on the 2oth of January issue and further TV coverage

CAMPAIGN TV ARCHIVES HERE

THE TIMES – Feature by The Who’s Pete Townshend 

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Pete Townshend of The Who offers his support in the Times Newspaper of December 15th 2014 and roars “Who’s With Me?” CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO READ IT

MEDIA PENETRATION 

Save Denmark St features have appeared in The Sunday Telegraph, The Guardian, The Independent, The Times, The London Evening Standard, The Morning Star, Jocks & Nerds, The London Weekly News, The West End Extra, The Islington Tribune, Time Out, NME, Mojo, Uncut, Classic Rock, and The Economist as well as in Music Instrument Professional magazine and Louder Than War online, among many others. The news has stretched as far afield as Italy, Spain, Japan and Hollywood.

We have been on the ITV’s 6 o’clock News, BBC’s 6 o’clock News, The One Show on BBC 1, The Sunday Politics on BBC1, London Live, Channel 4 News, PM At 5pm on BBC Radio 4 and Resonance 104.4 fm – London’s Arts Radio Station 

DEMOLITION

Denmark Street is scheduled for redevelopment on the north side from January 16th 2015. This will mean the imminent demolition of Denmark Place in late 2015, the demolition of the rear of the north side of Denmark St in late 2015, the demolition St Giles Circus [aka St Giles High St] in 2016  leaving only its façade – as well as demolition of the first two floors of the former Saxophone Shop at number 21 Denmark Street, anytime.

POLITICAL CHANGE IS CALLED FOR VIA  ‘EXCLUSIVE’ SUGGESTIONS FROM
SAVE DENMARK ST CAMPAIGNERS

Since May 2014 we have been suggesting that the street becomes known as a ‘Heritage Zone’. Denmark St is already designated as an area of ‘special interest’ by Camden Council’s 2010 stipulation. This ensures that the developers – Consolidated – have to adhere to music related retail outlets ‘exclusively’. In other words the shops must be leased to music related retail, only. This was Camden Council’s stipulation and this was not developer suggested nor led. It was wholly the OTHER way around. But with reduced shop space due to the demolition of 50% of the rear of each guitar shop now rapidly under way, and with rising rents looking likely, the future looks uncertain.

We are calling for ‘rate exemption’ in designated areas of ‘special interest’ and ‘heritage zones’. The idea being to free up money to increase profits and thereby enabling retailer growth in theses very special areas. A proposed ‘one tax’ would remove tax on square footage and make the traders ‘stakeholders’ in the wider economy. Their profitable taxes would be split with HMRC and the local Boroughs. This is not meddlesome fantasy nor naivety. This happens in Paris (with Bookshops), Amsterdam (with small retailers), and in Berlin, and Dublin, too. So why not in London? This method might actually see more revenue coming in to local authorities, and the long tail theory of money would be spread around locally. But central government, local government and the London Authority (and Boris Johnson) need to show willing here rather than just advocating the further selling off of land, and much loved property, to faceless international corporations who will simply syphon the money out of London amid elitist metropolitan decimation.

‘THE 12 BAR CLUB’ aka ‘THE FORGE’  26 DENMARK ST – CLOSED ON JANUARY 16th 

A GRAND FAREWELL TO THE 12 BAR CLUB ON DENMARK STREET - musician

Photo by ‎Maciej Wasilewski

The 12 Bar Club at 26 Denmark Street will see the demolition of the Pool Room to the rear of the bar, situated next to the 17th century Forge, which was the venue’s concert room for 23 years and formerly known as ‘The Forge’. This 17th century building is possibly the oldest surviving Forge in London. The 12 Bar Club itself is 21 years old. Much loved for introducing new bands seven nights a week. Jeff Buckley, Katie Melua, KT Tunstall, Seasick Steve, Keane, and Adele all played their first London shows there. The Libertines also made their first live DVD at The 12 Bar.

The refurbishment of this ‘Grade 2 listed building with description’ is being monitored by ‘we’ campaigners, English Heritage, The Museum Of London’s commercial arm, The Georgian Group, Camden Council’s Planning Department, and the Holborn ward of the Labour Party.

Access to 26 Denmark St will be prohibited during the underpinning of the building at 26 Denmark Street when proposed excavations begin to enable the sinking of exit shafts to the newly planned subterranean 800 seater Consolidated devised music venue, which is being built directly beneath the former 12 Bar Club.

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Photo by Jerry Tremaine

With ‘structurally unsound’ statements being peddled to the wider media this week – should the Forge ‘accidentally’ fall down during this period of refurbishment and underpinning – every single musician and journalist in the world will be pointing their collective fingers in one very particular direction. In the light of this we do hope that Consolidated’s architects do adhere to their very sophisticated ‘under building’ plans to protect the Forge, which were shown to the campaigners recently in attempt to reassure all.

‘THE 12 BAR CLUB’ WAS SQUATTED – 19th JANUARY UNTIL 5th FEBRUARY  2015

Whilst we have every sympathy with many of the concerns raised by the 12-Bar Club squatters at number 26 Denmark Street, we have had no personal connection with the occupation and they were not authorised by, or connected to, this campaign. The on-going  reporting on the occupation and any other developments that affect Denmark Street will no doubt continue, but this does not necessarily reflect the views or goals of The Save Denmark Street campaign.

The Save Denmark St Campaign also wished to make it publicly known that we were not connected in any way with the “squatters” or “occupiers” residing in Denmark Street. The fact that they were using hashtags “#Save Denmark St” and “#Save Tin Pan Alley” did not mean that they were in any way affiliated to the campaign known as “Save Denmark Street”. I can sympathise with the fact that the occupiers claimed to be concerned about the future of The Forge in the former 12 Bar Club, as a structure, in the light of the imminent removal of the wall next to it in The Pool Room at 26 Denmark Street. The campaign’s overriding concern was – and always has been – the preservation of the structure known as The Forge. Furthermore, the squatters banners say “Save Soho”. It is crucial to note that Denmark Street is in fact not in Soho, London W1, which has always been in The London Borough of Westminster, not Camden. Soho is under the jurisdiction of different property developers, different legislators, different politicians, and councillors. Soho is of course a much loved neighbour.

At the time of writing this segment  – January 22nd – we had noted that ‘Occupy London’ and ‘Bohemians For London had squatted the venue known as The 12 Bar Club. Having gained access to see exactly who these people were, ‘we’ campaigners saw that Consolidated Developments had already removed the old stage in The Forge room in it’s entirety, prior to the squatters actual arrival. Richard Metcalfe of Consolidated had previously assured the campaign on 17th September 2014 that the stairs to the venue’s balcony area would remain intact, along with the balcony itself, and the Forge’s ancient beams. We are assuming this will continue to be honoured as the stairs to the balcony, and the balcony itself, both remained intact at 21.01.2015.

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Photo by ‎Maciej Wasilewski

The squatters assured us that they would damage nothing. We had to take them at their word here. They appeared to have a legal right of occupancy due to documentation shown to the Metropolitan Police who did not evict them immediately.The squatters or ‘occupiers’ were eventually evicted from the premises at number 26 Denmark Street around noon on February 5th 2015, bringing to an end almost 18 days of occupancy. The building is now continually monitored by an independent security firm 24/7 and remains inaccessible to all.

 THE FUTURE

There is so much more to come regarding the campaign and our efforts to bring music related business into every level of the street, prior to ‘Stage 2’ and ‘Stage 3’ of Planning Amendment Applications ...

The  Save Denmark Street Campaign Committee formed in January 2015 

Paul Broadhurst  Music Officer, The Greater London Authority
Frank Dobson retired MP Holborn & St Pancras
Nigel Elderton MD Peer Music Group
Andrew Ellis We Are Like Minds
Stuart Hornall MD Hornall Brothers Publishing
Tom Kiehl UK Music
James Ketchell Music Heritage UK
Daniel Moore BASCA
Jonathan Morrish PPL
Sarah Osborn retired Chief Exec. Music Publishers Assoc
Simon Platz MD Bucks & Onwards Music Publishing
Phil Ryan Co-founder of The 12 Bar and the Big Issue
Henry Scott-Irvine Broadcaster, journalist, producer
David Stark Songlink & PRS Board
Sir Keir Starmer MP QC Holborn & St Pancras
George Turner Reclaim London
Councillor Sue Vincent Camden Council St Giles-Holborn ward
Dave Webster The Musicians Union

SIGN THE PETITION HERE

Henry Scott-Irvine
Campaign Founder & Chairman 
Save Denmark St Campaign – 2015

         

         

14 Comments

Jeremy Hamerton

As I play a bit of guitar a visit to this street is extremely enjoyable and the only place where there are a variety of shops selling musical instruments. It would be terrible if it were knocked down for yet more faceless redevelopment (and I work as an architect!). People power has prevented developers knocking down our heritage before- we can do it if there are enough of us!

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Michael Peacock

This is insane – Did we have any idea that Cross-Rail would be a well planned smoke screen to redevelop what seems to be ALL of ‘Soho’.
As I write this so many ‘social’ venues in this area are under threat – Madam Jo Jos – GONE – Escape Bar – GONE – The Yard Bar – planning application to re-develop, the list goes on:

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Henrietta sophia Wallace Dunlop

Do not erase the history of London ..Soho is a very important monument to the arts in the 20 th century we want it to continue for future generations to know the art and music,history and freedoms we have enjoyed and want to keep in this the 21st century ,if you remove art and music from our world ..we will be lost in a digital world .. Read books ,support the planet ,love your fellow man x

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savetpa

Indeed, but Tin Pan Alley is in St Giles, Holborn in Camden and not in Westminster, which contains Soho exclusively.

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Gill Kivi

We simply cannot lose this incredible site of British culture – so much history, love and creativity – and to the greedy B’s whose only aim in life is to make a quick buck. It actually makes me feel sickened to the heart …..

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Rikky James

I am truly saddened to hear about Tin Pan Alley and the horrific redevelopment plans that are already being put into force there. This disgraceful abomination against our Music history and the many Artists who founded their careers in this street was brought to my attention by BASCA and I have already added my signature to the petition! It is truly the Government, several fat cats and foreign investors and buyers who are making a very quick, but incredibly large, amount of money from this planned redevelopment and it seems totally insane and crazy to me that a thing like this could happen to a place of our English Music History. I would urge everyone to sign the petition and tell as many people as they humanly can of Tin Pan Alley’s horrifying plight!! Let’s make BLOODY HELL for the bureaucrats who are destroying our country!! Tin Pan Alley will for ever live on in my memory and heart. Rikky James.

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Pierre Pensart

Fight , don’t let Denmark street be destroyed.
Every time I come to London I pay a visit to Denmark Street . London wouldn’t be the same without it.

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Opkar

Keep this Alley alive, don’t need another photocopy of a corporate warehouse in its place. Save this yard and the music venues! Cheers, Opkar

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Warren bennett

It’s insane that the history and culture of this Denmark street area and soho are being ruined and destroyed forever by a rail link that will be out of date in ten years time ..this happens all the time beaching what a idiot he was closing all the lines …never thought about consequences ….and never looked to the future…exactly the same here…they never look past 10 years then realize w that it doesn’t work…we’ll keep the culture…and bollocks to the rail link

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Zachary Nathanson

For me, this was the history of where the publishing companies and the bands/artists got their start. Please don’t erase the Music History of Denmark Street. When I was a kid, here in the States, I would listen on the Radio Stations here in the States of David Bowie, The Kinks, Elton John, and Black Sabbath to name a few. Please do not destroy Tin Pan Alley.

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Mick Lynes

I want to see Denmark St. continue to be a place where musicians and music related people can thrive and express themselves. I wish for it to continue being what it is – a place that reflects the enormous impact that popular music offered since the early sixties in terms of cultural excitement, communication, and just plain fun from this country to the rest of the world.

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