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**PRESS RELEASE**
28th November 2008

METRO CLUB CLOSURE - January 2009

On Tues 20th Jan 2009 The Metro Club, 19-23 Oxford Street, London will close.

This is due to the proposed Tottenham Court Road Station extension. We have been notified by Transport For London that the venue is to be acquired by a compulsory purchase order, under the Crossrail Act.

Although the rumblings of Crossrail have been going on for many years it has come up far quicker than any of us could have expected. At present we are looking for new premises to relocate the venue to but have yet to find one suitable. Ultimately it is another nail in the coffin for Central London's live music and club scene. And when you are about to be served 28 days notice just before Christmas you have to ask why not give people more time to relocate? Why destroy successful businesses when in a recession? Why the hurry? Where is the Westend heading?

The final club night of The Metro Club will be Sat 17th January 2009, which will be the Blow Up Club night, currently in it's 15th year.

Blow Up took over the running of The Metro Club as a separate venture to our club night and record label on November 5th 2001, just as the new new wave of bands were about to really start making their moves, many of them at the venue. From debut UK appearances from The Killers, Kings of Leon, to early shows from Bloc Party, Yeah Yeah Yeah's, Kaiser Chiefs, to hundreds of other new and breaking acts as well as a few legendary characters making an appearances such as Dion's first and only UK show in 18 years in 2007 and madcap krautrockers Faust. And to name a few from the pop world: Mika (first ever show), Scissor Sisters and Robyn.

A totally independent venue - not corporate - which is rare, and soon to be even more so in central London.

Today we have launched a photo gallery on blowupmetro.com , featuring just some of the photos from our archives taken at the club over the last 7 years, with more to be added soon.

If you would like to leave any comments on our closure, you can visit the venue's official FaceBook page here.

Thank you to everyone who has supported the club. Please stay tuned and lets go out with a bang!

Paul Tunkin
Blow Up Metro

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