The boss of an iconic jazz bar says he’s been left “surprised” and “confused” after his late licence application for a London site was turned down, making him question support for live music in the capital.
Steven Bensusan – president of Blue Note Entertainment Group and son of the original Blue Note Cafe founder Danny Bensusan – told Sky News: “If they’re not giving us a late licence, I can’t imagine how they would be supportive of other smaller venues, which are important for the ecosystem in general.
“For music to survive and continue to thrive and grow, you need the feeder venues. They need the smaller venues, and you need the venues like the Blue Note. It’s important for the music.”
The planned venue at a former gym on St Martin’s Lane, Covent Garden, had been set to become the bar’s flagship European site.
The club had applied to Westminster City Council to remain open until 1am serving alcohol.
However, in February, the Met Police objected to the jazz club’s application over fears it could cause an “uptick in crime”.
Responding to the refusal, Mr Bensusan said: “In every city that we’ve ever opened the club they’ve rolled out the red carpet and really tried to go above and beyond and want us there because they realise that we’re good for the economy.
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“We generate a lot of jobs and we bring not just nightlife but a cultural moment to the city. I’ve never experienced this before.”
‘There seems to be a bigger problem’
Many of the capital’s nightlife venues have been struggling since the pandemic and Brexit, amid the cost of living crisis, rising rents and decreasing footfall.
Mr Bensusan says the rejection of his late licence highlights a bigger issue: “There seems to be a problem in general. A lot of music venues have closed over the years since COVID and they’re not coming back. Many people believe it has to do with a lot of restrictive policies like this.”
While Mr Bensusan has flagged the “more mature and respectful” nature of the jazz audience, police concerns seem to be around guests falling prey to crime rather than perpetrating it.
In their objection, the Met said jazz fans “leaving the venue late at night” could become a target for phone snatchers as well as illegal taxis who “prey on vulnerable, intoxicated lone females”.
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At least one UK grassroots music venue closing per week
Local residents also urged councillors to limit the venue’s closing time to 11pm, with one saying they feared “inebriated” club visitors, “disorientated by their emergence into the cool night air” would be “immediately vulnerable to the gangs of criminals who already prey on similar groups of people in the Soho area”.
Mr Bensusan says a proposed closing time of 11.30pm would be “impossible”, and would not allow for musicians to play two sets per night.
He said he was also “a little confused” as to why the Blue Note was denied a 1am licence while others in the area had a later licence.
For comparison, Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club just down the road in Soho has a licence up to 3am.
Mr Bensusan has now filed an appeal.
A change.org petition set up by a jazz fan in support of the club has so far attracted over 2,500 signatures.
Plans to nurture emerging talent
The Blue Note site in London had proposed a 250-capacity main showroom “featuring legendary artists”, plus a smaller 100-capacity room to showcase emerging artists.
Mr Bensusan told Sky News: “There are so many great UK artists that we want to help build. I think we can do that given the platform that we have, and our ability to tour some of the artists to markets where we are around the world.”
Many UK artists who have played in the Blue Note clubs over the years, including Ezra Collective, Jamie Cullum and Nubya Garcia, have since found international success. Mr Bensusan says he wants “to help that continue to grow”.
He goes on: “Our goal is to focus on the best artists from around the world and give them the platform to play long runs. They’re not just coming to the city for a concert and then leaving. Typically, our runs go between four and six nights a week, for two shows per night.”
The original Blue Note Jazz Cafe opened in 1981 in New York City, and now has nine sister venues around the world including in Tokyo, Shanghai and Milan. A new venue in LA will open this summer.
The bigger nightlife picture
A 2024 report from the Night Time Industries Association showed the UK night-time cultural economy was worth £33.3bn, down from £37.2bn in 2019.
The association says that over the past four years, the UK has lost 37% of its clubs, which works out at a rate of around 10 clubs per month.
And last year, City Hall was told by industry representatives that night venues were being pushed to the brink of closure due to issues including strict licensing laws.
In response, London mayor Sadiq Khan has set up a dedicated “nightlife taskforce”, made up of 11 independent industry professionals, to address issues facing the industry.
They will be advised by bodies including the Met Police and Transport For London.
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In support of Blue Note’s renewed application, the Music Venue Trust said: “Having a new grassroots music venue in Westminster is extremely important both for a sense of community the venue brings to its local community and also the mental health benefits of being able to attend and enjoy grassroots music and arts.
“Through our engagement with West End Jazz Limited (Blue Note Jazz Club) we have viewed the proposals for the space which contain absolute commitments to grassroots live music programming.”
The next steps as to the future of the club should be known over the coming months.
