Une mauvaise nouvelle envoyée ce matin par John Russell : la fermeture du Red Rose aux concerts et spectacles.
Nous venions de décider, lors de notre dernier concert au Mopomoso "Galaxy of stars" le 16 décembre 2007d'associer nos deux clubs le Mopomoso avec R-de-Choc. Ce n'est que partie remise.
Souhaitons à John et aux musiciens improvisateurs de retrouver rapidement un nouveau lieu dans North London
PRESS RELEASE
20 Years of Music and Comedy History Wiped Out
It was with great sadness that the promoters of shows at the Red Rose Club, Finsbury Park learnt this week that the venue is to be turned into a snooker club in the immediate future.
Since long-time owner and landlord Joe McNamara retired to Spain in September 2007, new manager Ali Guvercin, a well-known local Turkish businessman and lawyer, has overseen the swift decline of the Red Rose Club from a ‘rough-but-charming’ pub, with a rich and varied programme of live events and a strong local fanbase, into a ‘so-rough-that-nobody-wants-to-go-there’ pub.
The promoters of the Red Rose’s longest-standing events, Jon Briley of the Red Rose Comedy Club and John Russell of Mopomoso, have been quick to voice their disappointment.
Jon Briley – “after 20 years of live stand-up comedy at the Red Rose, it’s such a shame that the room that has hosted names like Eddie Izzard, Jimmy Carr, Russell Brand and more in recent years will no longer be there. Unfortunately, the new management at the venue demonstrated consistently, from the moment that they took over, that they had little or no idea how to run a pub, so while it is a huge disappointment for myself and the other promoters who use the venue, it’s not much of a surprise. I will be looking for a new venue in North London, with a view to moving there ASAP and causing as little disruption to the forthcoming programme as possible.”
John Russell – 'Twenty years is a long time and between us we have hosted events featuring many great musicians from all around the world. The Red Rose has been home not only for Mopomoso but 'Back in Your Town', 'Free Radicals',The London Improvisors Orchestra as well as festivals like Fete Quaqua and Freedom of the City.
The unbeatable acoustics has also meant that many fine CDs of improvised music were made there. Given the general state of things towards genuine creative endeavour this is such a waste. We have already begun looking for alternative venues and I hope there will be no break in the
continuity of our programming and I hope everyone will turn up on the 20th for the last ever event at The Red Rose as the decorators move in on the 21st.”
Other regular events at the Red Rose have included, variously, an industrial music night; salsa nights; cabaret evenings; fetish events and, of course, the annual New Year’s Eve Big Bash co-promoted by Jon Briley and local comic and musician, Ronnie Golden.
Venue owners or managers who can offer a new home to either promoter are invited to contact them directly via www.redrosecomedy.co.uk or www.mopomoso.com. In the meantime, the final shows at the Red Rose will be as follows:
5th Jan – Red Rose Comedy Club
12th Jan – Red Rose Comedy Club
17th Jan - Back in Your Town Improvised music
19th Jan – Red Rose Comedy Club
20th Jan – Mopomoso Improvised music
