The owner of Moles has warned that Bath will lose out culturally without the venue and has called for a “grassroots levy” to support similar venues.
Co-owner of Moles Tom Maddicott | Photo © Moles / Republic Media
The iconic music venue on George Street, which hosted early gigs from bands such as Pulp and the Smiths, closed suddenly in December after 45 years due to the cost of living crisis.
The Music Venue Trust announced a six-step plan to save the venue but Bath & North East Somerset Council refused to recognise Moles as an “asset of community value” — stopping the plan at step one.
Tom Maddicott, who first started working at Moles in 1992 and took over as owner in 2012, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the council’s decision was “very very disappointing”.
He added: “Something like this doesn’t guarantee its survival but it gives it some protection.
“Hopefully this is something that can be rectified and common sense can prevail.”
The council – who later added that the application failed on technicalities and could be attempted again – stated in their decision to refuse the application that there was little evidence it would further social wellbeing and that there were other “similar facilities” in the city already, such as The Forum.
Mr Maddicott said: “[I’m] quite saddened that the council couldn’t recognise the cultural value or the value to social wellbeing Moles has brought to the community over the years.”
He said: “We were seen as a safe space by many members of the community. We supported local artists, giving them their first break and somewhere to play.
“We work very closely with our local community. We had local community events in the venue.”
He also disagreed with the claim that there were “similar facilities” in Bath. He said: “It has some great venues but nowhere doing what Moles does. We are an essential part of that ecosystem.”
He warned: “Moles closing effectively takes Bath off that minor touring circuit.
“Those bands won’t come to Bath any more. They will go to Bristol. Bath will have lost out hugely culturally.”
Bath was not alone in losing Moles. Last year, 125 grassroots music venues – which Mr Maddicott described as “the R&D arm of the music industry” – were forced to close across the UK.
He said: “The reason venues are struggling is because they take these risks to put on these new artists.”
He is among the voices calling for a “grassroots levy” to be implemented in the UK — a proposed £1 levy on gig tickets for concert arenas to fund smaller venues.
The idea has recently been raised before the House of Commons’ culture, media and sport committee, which is carrying out an inquiry into grassroots music venues.
Another parliamentary supporter of grassroots music venues is Bath’s own MP, Wera Hobhouse.
In December, she raised the closure of Moles in Parliament and urged more to be done to support grassroots venues. Mr Maddicott said she had been “very very supportive” of the campaign to save Moles.
He added: “It does seem slightly weird we have got a Liberal Democrat MP who is massively supportive and a Liberal Democrat council who turned it down.”
Over the years, Moles has hosted early gigs from bands who have gone on to achieve mainstream success.
Mr Maddicott said Wolf Alice performed at Moles to just 60-70 people and that Supergrass only had an audience of 30 for their first gig at the venue. They later returned to sell-out shows.
It’s the kind of venue artists want to come back to. Mr Maddicott said: “Fatboy Slim played at our anniversary party. He often plays arenas; he was playing to 200 people.”
Over 4,200 people signed a petition to save Moles after it closed. The council have indicated that Music Venue Trust could attempt to apply again to get it recognised as an asset of community value.
John Wimperis, Local Democracy Reporter
