Help Save Voodoo Lounge - My Venue

**CraftyToePoke** · 29/04/2010, 1:40 AM

Hello

A couple of years back, I started a venue in England, its going well, ive had Miles Hunt (Wonderstuff) Mark Morriss (Bluetones) DJ First Rate (Scratch Perverts/Morcheeba) and Andrew Ranken (The Pogues) come and play there so far and we have been on the money with a few emerging bands as well, Animal Kingdom, Violet Violet, Mable Bee and a few more.

Its a good laugh, good times, untill the local council took a bit of an interest in the place and are being t~ssers about minor details and putting it under threat.

there is a petition here http://www.mamaliz.co.uk/index.php?o...tpage&Itemid=1 and if anyone has the time, please sign it and maybe even forward it to any music fans who may sign it also.

thanks to all

CTP

**joeSoap** · 29/04/2010, 7:51 AM

I'll sign it, but before I do can you just clarify what the 'minor issues' the council are concerned about are. Also where is the venue?

**CraftyToePoke** · 29/04/2010, 8:54 AM

Originally Posted by joeSoap

I'll sign it, but before I do can you just clarify what the 'minor issues' the council are concerned about are. Also where is the venue?

Yeah, no problem.

Our neighbour, the parish priest complained incessantly against the venue, not just on noise grounds, but against everything including the people who ran the place as a restraunt only, prior to our taking over. It caused us terrible trouble and we threw almost £30k of soundproofing at the problen in our first year of business almost totally eliminating the problem and nearly sending us to the wall in the process. We enjoy huge community support, not just from individuals but also numerous community bodies here.

It became a very divisive and controversial issue in the community, as I have held all profit fundraisers for, Kidney Research, Thorpe Hall (local hospice) Spina Bifida and Parkinsons and many more fundraisers for communnity bodies in the town, but he just wouldnt stop and was recently moved on to another parish. I dont honestly know if this was connected or not, but I wasnt crying after him.

Amazingly, his replacement doesnt see an issue here, we are good neighbours and meet weekly, he says there is no grounds to complain about us and has no desire or plans to do so.

Now, you would think this would have been an end to it, however the Council had had their cage well and truly rattled and are continuing the pursuit, against all community wishes and all common sense.
We employ 30 people all told at this stage, however they just dont seem to be listening and are now questioning the validity of the licience and the suitablilty of the premises for the puropses we use it for, despite issuing the licience themselves and being involved with us every step of the way (fire regs/health and safety etc) during our setting up prior to opening.

We have had no choice but to involve the public, the petition has gathered nearly 800 names in 3 days and all local newspapers here will run a story in our favour this week in an attempt to see common sense and decency prevail,at least 3 regional BBC radio stations are also covering it.

The venue is in Stamford, Lincolnshire, East Midlands.