One of central London's most legendary rock venues the Astoria will be pulled down to make way for a bigger tube station.
It is not yet known when the venue will close, but the area is being redeveloped to make way for an extended Tottenham Court Road tube station.
Originally, building owners Festival Republic (then called Mean Fiddler) denied that the venue would disappear, but recently said they were "reasonably certain" the venue could continue to operate until 2010 or 2011.
The office of London mayor 'Red' Ken Livingstone has formally confirmed the Astoria will have to go but said the new complex built on the site will include a live music venue.
The report also set out plans for a review of live music provision in the capital following the closure of the Hammersmith Palais and the Spitz last year.
Commenting on that commitment, Feargal Sharkey, former chair of the Live Music Forum, of course, said that while the closure of the Astoria was "a blow" that he found the mayor's comments on live music in the capital "heartening". He concluded: "We await with interest his proposals for a live music strategy".
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