# Brixton Mass and Babalou venues up for sale



## editor (Jan 22, 2012)

I get the impression both venues have underperformed a bit of late, so I'm not surprised to see them going up for sale.


> Two late-night venues at St Matthew's Church in London's Brixton have been put up for sale by their owner, Chicks Ltd.
> 
> Davis Coffer Lyons is dealing with the sale of Babalou bar, restaurant and club, as well as Mass nightclub, both of which are housed in the 1820s building, while part of the building continues to be run as a place of worship. Both venues have 6am licences across the basement, ground, fourth, fifth and sixth floors.
> 
> ...


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## Rushy (Jan 23, 2012)

Babalou is currently under investigation by planning enforcement - the old restaurant part (Bah Humbug) never received permission to be changed into a club and also has a restriction not allowing it to open past midnight.


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## ska invita (Jan 26, 2012)

It looks like Mass is closing - there's a farewell party I just saw a flyer for here:






Going to go to that.

Babalou I couldn't get into, but have had good nights at Mass in the past...distant past though. Haven't been in in ages. Remember the Dillinja Valve Soundsytem Launch - good god - was deaf for a week after that - a ring of speakers around the venue - way too much for the size! Nuts, I was a bit angry about it in fact... really thought Id done permenant damage


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## stethoscope (Jan 27, 2012)

Shame about Mass if it goes for good. Only got there a couple of times admittedly for DMZ nights but the vibe, size and sound was spot-on.

I can imagine Valve being absolutely heavyweight in there


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## editor (Jan 27, 2012)

I've had an interesting email about the building, and the fact that it's also still being used as a church and houses 12 small offices occupied by charities and small businesses, with a meeting room for hire by the day and a community hall. There's a bit of story here but I'll wait for permission to post up more details.


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## Brixton Hatter (Jan 29, 2012)

i met the owner/manager of babalou last summer when i was thinking of doing a party there. It seemed like he'd been having a bit of trouble trying to get decent promoters to do good nights. The venue was definitely a bit underused and we discussed the problem of lack of passing trade and encouraging people to walk down there from the tube - maybe that will change now the fridge has been reopened? The place itself is very nice and they were doing decent thai food...but basically the reason we didn't do the party there was because there's no beer on tap and £4 for a bottle is extortionate. Shame really, the place has potential...

is it the two venues up for sale, rather than the whole building?


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## editor (Jan 29, 2012)

No. it's not the entire building. I hope to be publishing an article soon with the full story.


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## Laughing Toad (Jan 29, 2012)

The building is still owned by the Church of England. The building is leased to The Brix, a charity, which lets out space to other organizations, including Chicks Ltd, which run the Mass and Babalou venues.

Editor's showing restraint, but the Brix Trustees' annual report is more forthcoming about a possible explanation for their departure.



> In the 2009 annual report, it was recorded that Fleurets had been engaged to undertake a rent review for the space occupied by Mass Nightclub. Negotiations with the tenant of the space, Chicks Ltd, did not lead to agreement on what the new rent should be. The next step will be the appointment of a neutral third party arbitrator to determine the new rent: any increase determined can be back-dated to the review date, so time is not of the essence here. In the context of the rent review, an application by the tenant to assign the lease was refused. An application by the tenant of the crypt space, again Chicks Ltd, to convert half of the restaurant / bar space into a swimming pool was also rejected.
> 
> The legal action we had been obliged to take out against this tenant in 2009 for the non-payment of rent, utility bills and service charges came to a successful conclusion in early 2010, with the recovery of virtually all that was owed to us, and The Brix was also eventually able to recover three quarters of the associated legal costs later in the year. Unfortunately a further legal action has had to be instituted against this tenant in 2010 for the non-payment of service charges relating to the premises in the crypt. Formal mediation failed to settle the matter in July 2010, and a court hearing is now being scheduled for the autumn of 2011.



It looks like they just didn't want to pay their rent.


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## ddraig (Jan 29, 2012)

love that venue and hope it goes to good hands
used to go to the bug bar quite a bit and mass a fair few times too, could never afford the restaurant tho


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## Brixton Hatter (Jan 29, 2012)

Yeah the Bug Bar was a great, I had some great nights out in there. The new Babalou incarnation, though smart, is a bit posh for me and doesnt use the space as well as the Bug Bar did.

Used to go to Mass a lot for techno nights, but prob havent been in there since about 2001. It's a really big space and you need the right number of people (at least 500) otherwise it looks really empty...


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## Brixton Hatter (Jan 29, 2012)

editor said:


> No. it's not the entire building. I hope to be publishing an article soon with the full story.


The entire building? Or just the lease?


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## Laughing Toad (Jan 31, 2012)

And from the Soth London Press:



> By Dan Frost
> TWO of Brixton’s iconic nightclubs are being sold and their owner is retiring because he has “run out of steam” and wants to play more golf.
> 
> The leasehold on sister venues Mass and Babalou, both inside St Matthew’s Church, Brixton Hill, has been put up for sale by Stanley Chicksand, who has run them for the past eight years.
> ...


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## Crispy (Jan 31, 2012)

Gwan then ed - your time to shine


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## DJWrongspeed (Jan 31, 2012)

3rd Base was the home of Dubstep really.  Things change I guess and what was great at the time doesn't need re-enacting.  Hard venues to run really, Mass is particularly big, hard to club to fill in these recession days.


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## editor (Jan 31, 2012)

Crispy said:


> Gwan then ed - your time to shine


I'm just getting permission from a source.


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## Crispy (Jan 31, 2012)

Nah, I meant to run the club


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## editor (Jan 31, 2012)

Crispy said:


> Nah, I meant to run the club


Oh, no thanks! I was invited to take over some of the promotion there a while back but I have a golden rule about where I put on my nights: do I normally go there already or would I want to go there regularly.


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## fortyplus (Jan 31, 2012)

The smoking ban has changed the dynamics of entertainment spaces in unexpected ways, and I think it's probably affected these two. One of the reasons the Hoot works so well is that the outside smoking area is on the same level as the dancefloor. Once they've gone downstairs for a fag, smokers tend to stay there.  So it's hard to keep the place full enough to feel fun. The few times I've been to Babalou it's always seemed empty, you spend your time wandering round the arches looking for the party. Oh yes, it's upstairs outside in the cold.


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## DJWrongspeed (Jan 31, 2012)

Which would explain Mass' problem, it's a 'journey' to the outside for a fag. Think the new Electric have got a smokers terrace or something.


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## ska invita (Feb 3, 2012)

Brixton Hatter said:


> The new Babalou incarnation, though smart, is a bit posh for me and doesnt use the space as well as the Bug Bar did.


Thats the problem with it for me - the layout is awkward, the sound isn't up to it (it's in a crypt so you can easily go louder), and it's too bright. I'm sure it could be made good. Last time I was there I went to what was a great line up and left after 30mins.


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## ska invita (Feb 3, 2012)

Laughing Toad said:


> > An application by the tenant of the crypt space, again Chicks Ltd, to convert half of the restaurant / bar space into a swimming pool was also rejected.


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## Laughing Toad (Feb 3, 2012)

ska invita said:


>


A massive lobster tank, perhaps.


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## jakejb79 (Feb 4, 2012)

Is Mass really going?, I asked yesterday downstairs at Babalou and they said they was still taking bookings and that Mass was not closing down.


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## Laughing Toad (Feb 4, 2012)

From www.dubwisefetival.com



> So we bid farewell to an iconic venue that has not just played host to to DUBWISE events but many reggae events in Brixton’s history.
> Many venues are seeing closure in the UK for some reason or another which is slowly leaving us with less reggae/dub welcoming arenas; We just hope maybe a few will spring up in the near future with the rise of new promoters and funds into the industry.
> Where do we have now you may ask? That is a very valid question with an even more worrying answer…
> Friday 10th sees the last DUBWISE event at the Brixton Mass and we promise to give it a big farewell! Hopefully the future will hold many positive things for it and we can return


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## jakejb79 (Feb 4, 2012)

Oh i see, so its the last dub event but not the closure of the club, that is good news.


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## ska invita (Feb 8, 2012)

Probably a bit of a sales pitch for the gig, but its worked on me!


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## Laughing Toad (Feb 19, 2012)

Bump, to remind editor he was going to get permission to post up details of the story here.


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## editor (Feb 19, 2012)

Laughing Toad said:


> Bump, to remind editor he was going to get permission to post up details of the story here.


I've written to the person asking them to send me their words, but they haven't responded yet.


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## Laughing Toad (Feb 19, 2012)

editor said:


> I've written to the person asking them to send me their words, but they haven't responded yet.


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## Rushy (Feb 19, 2012)

Go on. Give us a clue!


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## editor (Feb 19, 2012)

I've emailed my source again with a draft of what I'd like to publish. If it's OK'd I'll post it up ASAP.


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## Laughing Toad (Feb 19, 2012)

editor said:


> I've emailed my source again with a draft of what I'd like to publish. If it's OK'd I'll post it up ASAP.


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## editor (Feb 20, 2012)

Article is now live!
Brixton St Matthews church and the future of Babalou and Mass nightclubs
http://www.urban75.org/blog/brixton...uture-of-mass-babalou-and-st-matthews-church/


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## quimcunx (Feb 20, 2012)

hmm.


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## editor (Feb 20, 2012)

I like the idea of a restaurant that's open all day and reopening a theatre.


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## twistedAM (Feb 20, 2012)

editor said:


> Article is now live!
> Brixton St Matthews church and the future of Babalou and Mass nightclubs
> http://www.urban75.org/blog/brixton...uture-of-mass-babalou-and-st-matthews-church/


 

Mmmmm. Babalou was successful because at that time it was about the only place to go out and eat in the evening in Brixton. They did have outdoor seating for a while; maybe that was outside of planning regs, but I guess the new owners could talk to the Ritzy people to see how to take over public space.


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## quimcunx (Feb 20, 2012)

I'm not sure how much this person is representative of people in the area's taste in music and leisure facilities.  He seems quite confident that locals would prefer a jazz venue, when I think what he means is he would like a jazz venue. 

How much is the anti-social bit an issue, and how much of that is a change from 10 or 20 years ago?  Are complaints so high?  And are complaints because of an increase in activity or a change of demographic? 

It doesn't really feel like that's insider info, just one person waxing lyrical about what they would like for the space.


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## editor (Feb 20, 2012)

quimcunx said:


> It doesn't really feel like that's insider info....


It most definitely is. 


quimcunx said:


> How much is the anti-social bit an issue, and how much of that is a change from 10 or 20 years ago? Are complaints so high? And are complaints because of an increase in activity or a change of demographic?


Brixton's now got more late night nightclubs and bars than at any other point I can remember.


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## Rushy (Feb 20, 2012)

quimcunx said:


> I'm not sure how much this person is representative of people in the area's taste in music and leisure facilities. He seems quite confident that locals would prefer a jazz venue, when I think what he means is he would like a jazz venue.
> 
> How much is the anti-social bit an issue, and how much of that is a change from 10 or 20 years ago? Are complaints so high? And are complaints because of an increase in activity or a change of demographic?


I think it is wrong to assume that the complaints are due to a change in demographic. I know a few people who get pissed off with the club's noise and many of them predate the opening of Mass in the late 90s. I wasn't aware of it causing much of a problem in the early days but there was a massive refurb and sound upgrade when the owners of Mass took over the crypt in the mid noughties. Since then there have been on and off problems with bass and all night outdoor events which the owners have been reluctant to deal with.

It is also worth bearing in mind that the owner is not particularly representative of or participatory in the local community. He is a soon to retire Putney based chartered accountant specialising in auditing, book keeping and taxation advice who spends much of his spare time playing golf. His only reason for owning the club is to squeeze as much cash out of it as he can.


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## quimcunx (Feb 20, 2012)

Rushy said:


> I think it is wrong to assume that the complaints are due to a change in demographic. I know a few people who get pissed off with the club's noise and many of them predate the opening of Mass in the late 90s. I wasn't aware of it causing much of a problem in the early days but there was a massive refurb and sound upgrade when the owners of Mass took over the crypt in the mid noughties. Since then there have been on and off problems with bass and all night outdoor events which the owners have been reluctant to deal with.


 
Who assumed that?


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## ska invita (Feb 20, 2012)

> But what about the nuisance value to the neighbours from these users? Is a nightclub the best use of a Listed building? Is it a cultural asset for Brixton, or is it of questionable value to the neighbourhood?


Its a cultural asset for Brixton



> What about a restaurant or bar? Do they make a positive contribution to the leisure and recreational facilities in the local community?


But the author still wants there to be a restaurant in the space  Agree that Bah Humbug worked well. It was veggie wasn't it? I forget now. Quite pricey IIRC though.


> You could say that Mass and Babalou have been ‘too tough’ on the fabric of building; given its Listed status, should it be pounded in this way by noise and vibration?
> 
> And despite the fact that the building is detached and many metres from the nearest residential dwelling, many neighbours have been complaining about the noise pollution from the nightclub.


Its a perfect location in that respect - as self contained a club venue as you could hope for, with no noise pollution.

As to a jazz club, the Ronnie Scotts documentary on tv the other day tells you everything you need to know about that - its a financial nightmare, and without passing trade a jazz club is best to be tiny and cheap. The Crypt could be used for jazz gigs (ive seen an acoustic thing in there in the past, and it worked well), but not Mass - it's too big. Or at least not without lots of art funding.

There's no reason why Mass couldn't be an all purpose arts/music space, still capable of putting on club nights, as well putting seats out when needed. It is a shame about the way it was renovated - that central stair case is pretty shit.

I'd love to be able to get my head around how the whole building is laid out...are there any plans online?


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## Crispy (Feb 20, 2012)

ska invita said:


> I'd love to be able to get my head around how the whole building is laid out...are there any plans online?


Searching now...


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## Crispy (Feb 20, 2012)

This planning app has ground, 4th and 5th floor plans: http://planning.lambeth.gov.uk/onli...iveTab=externalDocuments&keyVal=J437LBBO81000

Not much else available, but here's all the planning apps for the property if you want to have a rummage: http://planning.lambeth.gov.uk/onli...o?activeTab=relatedCases&keyVal=003UX0BOLI000


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## smiler747 (Feb 20, 2012)

It's a bit of a nonsense that article. Any restaurant would have to compete with the many fine establishments in The Village; there is already a Theatre group using the main space, I saw something about Malcolm X there recently; as one of the places that midwifed dubstep there can be no argument about it's cultural value; there used to be regular jazz events in the basement which obviously didn't work well enough for whatever reason, and if you don't like noise, don't live in Brixton.


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## editor (Feb 20, 2012)

smiler747 said:


> ... and if you don't like noise, don't live in Brixton.


I'd agree with that, but it is a working church as well though.


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## ska invita (Feb 20, 2012)

smiler747 said:


> . Any restaurant would have to compete with the many fine establishments in The Village; there is already a Theatre group using the main space, I saw something about Malcolm X there recently; as one of the places that midwifed dubstep there can be no argument about it's cultural value; there used to be regular jazz events in the basement which obviously didn't work well enough for whatever reason, and if you don't like noise, don't live in Brixton.


Re restaurants - a good restaurant always does well it seems, no matter what the competition. 
No reason why you cant have food and  music (accoustic/jazz) in the same venue (thinking of the crypt here). Works elsewhere.
Where did you see the play? In Mass?


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## discplayer (Feb 20, 2012)

ska invita said:


> It was veggie wasn't it? I forget now. Quite pricey IIRC though.


 
And fish. No other meat. Was good.


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## paolo (Feb 20, 2012)

discplayer said:


> And fish. No other meat. Was good.



I ate there once ages ago, was very impressed - I normally struggle with a lot of vegetarian dishes.


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## Rushy (Feb 20, 2012)

paolo999 said:


> I ate there once ages ago, was very impressed - I normally struggle with a lot of vegetarian dishes.


 
Mock duck was their classic.

But I often ate lamb tagine there - which isn't very veggie.


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## ska invita (Feb 20, 2012)

Its coming back to me now... it was good. Not a single veggie resteraunt in south london (thats open nights) that I can think of... would fill a gap


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## Rushy (Feb 20, 2012)

smiler747 said:


> and if you don't like noise, don't live in Brixton.


 
I wonder whether people who spout this uncompromising crap have any real handle on how a complex urban community works and whether they have any empathy for anyone else whose needs are different to their own at that particular moment in time.

Are you even aware that the closest residence to Mass is the Vida Walsh / Brixton Sheltered Housing scheme for the elderly on the corner of Saltoun Road? Or that it was there 20 years before there was ever even a club in the church building? Just because people were originally relaxed about a club starting up there, are you really saying that the club's desire to become louder and louder and operate however it wants outweighs their needs?

Or might it possibly be that the two can coexist? Like ska invita said - noisewise, the site is perfect for a club and, if managed professionally, they can get away with seriously loud music without bothering anyone else. The farewell dub night on the 10th is a perfect example - it was barely audible in the street. But many nights are just a shit load louder and badly managed.

The black and white "fuck you" approach the club owners took when dealing with complaints from neighbours probably has a lot to do with why they are now moving on themselves.


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## paolo (Feb 20, 2012)

Rushy said:


> Mock duck was their classic.


 
Heh heh - that's what I had. It was superb.


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## editor (Feb 20, 2012)

paolo999 said:


> Heh heh - that's what I had. It was superb.


I got invited their for a free meal to review the restaurant and the mock duck was indeed absolutely delicious.


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## Laughing Toad (Feb 21, 2012)

editor said:


> Article is now live!
> Brixton St Matthews church and the future of Babalou and Mass nightclubs
> http://www.urban75.org/blog/brixton...uture-of-mass-babalou-and-st-matthews-church/


 
This is a thoughtful, well written article, editor.

I agree that a jazz club and an all day restaurant would serve the community much better than a night club, but with the estate agent asking for a combined rent of over £100k it's most likely appeal is to gangsters and accountants.


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## lefteri (Feb 21, 2012)

I find it odd that the article doesn't mention the Empire theatre, has that been shelved or something?  http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/newsstory.php/33601/theatre-returns-to-brixton


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## twistedAM (Feb 21, 2012)

There's a jazz club in Streatham. Give that some support if you're into that kind of thing.


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## ska invita (Feb 21, 2012)

twistedAM said:


> There's a jazz club in Streatham. Give that some support if you're into that kind of thing.


Which is that twisted?


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## twistedAM (Feb 21, 2012)

ska invita said:


> Which is that twisted?


 
http://www.hideawaylive.co.uk/

It's at the south end on the left fork after the church.


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## colacubes (Feb 21, 2012)

ska invita said:


> Which is that twisted?


 
http://www.hideawaylive.co.uk/

Not cheap, but quite good


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## editor (Feb 21, 2012)

twistedAM said:


> http://www.hideawaylive.co.uk/


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## twistedAM (Feb 21, 2012)

editor said:


>




I am not condoning jazz, just letting people know there's already a club that tries hard to attract named acts to a suburb of Brixton.


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## Crispy (Feb 21, 2012)

I condone, even like jazz.


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## Dan U (Feb 21, 2012)

Hideaway has some good acts and decent food when i went, but yeah it wasn't cheap.

it would be better if it was a smoky den of jazz though.


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## editor (Feb 21, 2012)

twistedAM said:


> I am not condoning jazz, just letting people know there's already a club that tries hard to attract named acts to a suburb of Brixton.


I'm all for supporting live music venues - even those proclaiming themselves to be "OFFICIALLY THE NATION's PREMIER JAZZ CLUB!" - and I'm mulling if the sweep of BrixtonBuzz could extend as far south as the remote hinterlands of SW16.


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## ska invita (Feb 21, 2012)

twistedAM said:


> http://www.hideawaylive.co.uk/
> 
> It's at the south end on the left fork after the church.


Thanks a lot ... a couple of appealing this coming up there... not least this:




> Saturday 3rd March, Tickets £8, Doors 7pm, Show 8pm – 2am
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
and this loks good too  http://www.hideawaylive.co.uk/speakeasy-errol-linton-040312
£8 is pretty reasonable i think.



editor said:


>



it is funny, but supposedly the era when fast show was on saw jazz audiences hit their lowest - some people blamed this sketch!  (according to something i saw on tv once)


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## Rushy (Feb 21, 2012)

I was massively put off The Hideaway some time ago by some dreadfully gushing self proclamatory advertising masquarading as a review article (with "advertisement" written above it). Looks like it could be worth a try though.

Let's not forget The Effra. Reliable, local and free.


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## editor (Feb 21, 2012)

I like The Effra, but do have trouble joining in with the enthusiastic clapping after each fresh piece of jazz odyssey noodling.


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## paolo (Feb 21, 2012)

Crispy said:


> I condone, even like jazz.



I don't condone jazz, but I think we must accept that the war on jazz has failed.


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## ska invita (Feb 21, 2012)

editor said:


> I like The Effra, but do have trouble joining in with the enthusiastic clapping after each fresh piece of jazz odyssey noodling.


Really hate that too - I wont clap unless I cant stop myself from doing it. It reinforces the idea that the music is just a series of solos that need to be applauded on their own merits. Good jazz is a whole piece of music, not just a round of solos. With some lesser line-ups that is all it is though.

ETA: went to Ronnie Scotts last year having not been in over a decade and it is an incredible venue - immaculate sound (the best ive ever heard), good atmosphere (though pricey bar), but see something good and its enough to win over any jazz sceptic. Nice.


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## Rushy (Feb 21, 2012)

editor said:


> jazz odyssey noodling.


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## Onket (Feb 21, 2012)

Never been inside the building. Not least because I've never seen anything advertised there with a realistic entry price.


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## Monkeygrinder's Organ (Feb 21, 2012)

Laughing Toad said:


> I agree that a jazz club and an all day restaurant would serve the community much better than a night club


 
I don't see why. A restaurant is a commercial venture of a sort Brixton already has plenty of and I don't think a jazz club that very few people go to is any more of a community service than a nightclub is.


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## Rushy (Feb 21, 2012)

Monkeygrinder's Organ said:


> I don't see why. A restaurant is a commercial venture of a sort Brixton already has plenty of and I don't think a jazz club that very few people go to is any more of a community service than a nightclub is.


Whatever goes in there will have to be a commercial venture - the combined rent of the two venues is £140K p.a. plus whatever premium the vendor charges - probably about £250k each.


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## minnie minor (Feb 23, 2012)

Rushy said:


>


 OK, people don't really like the jazz idea! So what else could happen in the building? It is an enormous physical presence in the middle of Brixton and it contains several really large spaces inside. What could happen there which WOULD appeal to local people? It is a shame if it sits there not being used, apart from on Sunday mornings....


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## Rushy (Feb 23, 2012)

Don't read my big grin icon as anti jazz - just amusement at Ed's description of it! I'd happily see a 606 club down there any day.


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## Laughing Toad (Feb 24, 2012)

minnie minor said:


> OK, people don't really like the jazz idea! So what else could happen in the building? It is an enormous physical presence in the middle of Brixton and it contains several really large spaces inside. What could happen there which WOULD appeal to local people? It is a shame if it sits there not being used, apart from on Sunday mornings....


 
A shelter for the homeless. What better use for a church.

Babalou could become a soup kitchen, upstairs could be dorms, offices, and rooms for education. There must be grants available from somewhere to make it all balance financially.


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## editor (Feb 24, 2012)

Laughing Toad said:


> A shelter for the homeless. What better use for a church.


Sure but who's going to fund that? AFAIK, several charities already use the space, but they've needed the clubs to pay for the bills.


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## minnie minor (Mar 9, 2012)

Laughing Toad said:


> A shelter for the homeless. What better use for a church.
> 
> Babalou could become a soup kitchen, upstairs could be dorms, offices, and rooms for education. There must be grants available from somewhere to make it all balance financially.


 Laughing Toad managed to kill off all discussion with this flip response about the future of the building. "There must be grants available from somewhere..." Yeah, right. Hasn't Laughing Toad noticed that we have a new Government and charities are having their funding slashed to a disproportionate extent? And anyway, there are already huge numbers of homeless charities who know what they are doing, without having well-meaning amateurs strolling in, thinking they can just provide a few camp-beds and some second hand sandwiches to whoever rocks up saying they haven't anywhere to sleep. I wanted to have a serious discussion about arts, culture and the night-time economy in Brixton, and what this huge white elephant of a building could be for local people! Instead, silence! Anyway, the latest news is that there is a big court case about to happen to try to reclaim the six figure sums that the nightclub owes to the owners of the church, so there will be changes soon.


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Mar 9, 2012)

Hello Minnie


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## Laughing Toad (Mar 9, 2012)

I didn't know that I had the power to silence a thread.


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## quimcunx (Mar 9, 2012)

too many minnies round these parts. I suggest one in one out.

MtM - of you go.

Take laughing toad with you.


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Mar 9, 2012)

quimcunx said:


> too many minnies round these parts. I suggest one in one out.
> 
> MtM - of you go.
> 
> Take laughing toad with you.


 
There's only Minnie_the_Minx and Miss Minnie, and Miss Minnie's so well respected, she gets to have a Miss in front of her name.

Maybe this new Minnie is even shorter than you and I can send her round to snap at your ankles


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## Laughing Toad (Mar 9, 2012)

quimcunx said:


> too many minnies round these parts. I suggest one in one out.
> 
> MtM - of you go.
> 
> Take laughing toad with you.


 
<wiggles eyebrows seductively at MtM.>


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## editor (Mar 9, 2012)

Laughing Toad said:


> <wiggles eyebrows seductively at MtM.>


So you have no answer to minnie minor's points?


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## Laughing Toad (Mar 9, 2012)

minnie minor said:


> Laughing Toad managed to kill off all discussion with this flip response about the future of the building. "There must be grants available from somewhere..." Yeah, right. Hasn't Laughing Toad noticed that we have a new Government and charities are having their funding slashed to a disproportionate extent? And anyway, there are already huge numbers of homeless charities who know what they are doing, without having well-meaning amateurs strolling in, thinking they can just provide a few camp-beds and some second hand sandwiches to whoever rocks up saying they haven't anywhere to sleep. I wanted to have a serious discussion about arts, culture and the night-time economy in Brixton, and what this huge white elephant of a building could be for local people! Instead, silence! Anyway, the latest news is that there is a big court case about to happen to try to reclaim the six figure sums that the nightclub owes to the owners of the church, so there will be changes soon.


http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/moderngov/documents/s40559/Thames Reach 3.doc.pdfLambeth give over £300k a year to a rough sleeper charity. I think there's room in the Borough's long term stategic view to use a former church as a homeless shelter.

I didn't mention _well meaning amateurs_ or _second hand sandwiches_. You just imagined that bit.


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Mar 9, 2012)

Anyway, I'll stop derailing

I was thinking about this (not the church, but why kids feel they have nowhere to go/nothing to do).  Are there no projects like free photography classes etc.

There's enough rich people who like all the newest/latest gadgets.  Couldn't some of them donate old digital cameras and someone could set up a photography classes for kids?

Probably a stupid idea, but I was just thinking something along those lines, that hopefully wouldn't cost too much in equipment and.... ignore me, I'm rambling


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## Laughing Toad (Mar 9, 2012)

Minnie_the_Minx said:


> Anyway, I'll stop derailing
> 
> I was thinking about this (not the church, but why kids feel they have nowhere to go/nothing to do). Are there no projects like free photography classes etc.
> 
> ...


 
Not a stupid idea Minne. These people are already doing photography classes in Oval. They started in Clapham. They're looking for volunteers.

Getting enough cameras should be easy, as they are now so cheap. Even _I _have one.


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Mar 9, 2012)

Laughing Toad said:


> Not a stupid idea Minne. These people are already doing photography classes in Oval. They started in Clapham. They're looking for volunteers.
> 
> Getting enough cameras should be easy, as they are now so cheap. Even _I _have one.


 
It would be nice to see lots of youth walking around with cameras instead of knives


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## editor (Mar 24, 2012)

The venues have been repossessed: http://www.urban75.org/blog/brixton-mass-and-babalou-nightclubs-closed-premises-repossessed/


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## DJWrongspeed (Mar 24, 2012)

Sounds like the Brix have been taken for a ride.


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## Laughing Toad (Mar 24, 2012)

DJWrongspeed said:


> Sounds like the Brix have been taken for a ride.


 
A rare case of the landlords being too generous to their tennants.

It makes it easier to understand how some landlords can become heartless.


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## rastagirl (Mar 26, 2012)

Laughing Toad said:


> The building is still owned by the Church of England. The building is leased to The Brix, a charity, which lets out space to other organizations, including Chicks Ltd, which run the Mass and Babalou venues.
> 
> Editor's showing restraint, but the Brix Trustees' annual report is more forthcoming about a possible explanation for their departure.
> 
> ...


I sincerely hope that the directors of Mass and Babalou put their views on this saga. It is not as clear as some on this forum are suggesting. What is clear is that The Brix now has to pay rates on those venues and has no income at all from those venues. Does that make fiscal sense?

Neither Mass nor Babalou have planning permission as nightclubs and any prospective purchaser of leases for those venues will be seriously concerned. As a Brixton resident I would like to thank those at Chicks ltd for running a business in difficult trading times. Good luck for the future.


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## DJWrongspeed (Mar 26, 2012)

I love this bit in the report



> An application by the tenant of the crypt space, again Chicks Ltd, to convert half of the restaurant / bar
> space into a swimming pool was also rejected.


 
Given they were in debt to the Brix at the time this seems pretty mind blowing.


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## rastagirl (Mar 26, 2012)

editor said:


> Article is now live!
> Brixton St Matthews church and the future of Babalou and Mass nightclubs
> http://www.urban75.org/blog/brixton...uture-of-mass-babalou-and-st-matthews-church/


Interesting article! Including service charges of 23% in addition to the rent the yearly cost of running both Mass and Babalou is £200,000. Add in staff costs, PRS, PPL, council tax, refuse collection, advertising, sound, lighting you then begin to see that it is a massive financial commitment to run a business of this kind. A restaurant cannot generate the cash that the Brix Trustees demands.


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## Rushy (Mar 27, 2012)

rastagirl said:


> I sincerely hope that the directors of Mass and Babalou put their views on this saga. It is not as clear as some on this forum are suggesting. What is clear is that The Brix now has to pay rates on those venues and has no income at all from those venues. Does that make fiscal sense?


 
If the article is correct and Chicks advised The Brix that they were becoming insolvent then repossession before this happened was almost certainly the correct course of action. Otherwise the leases would presumably get caught up for ages in the administration process making it impossible to re-let. A bit of a no win situation really.



> Neither Mass nor Babalou have planning permission as nightclubs and any prospective purchaser of leases for those venues will be seriously concerned. As a Brixton resident I would like to thank those at Chicks ltd for running a business in difficult trading times. Good luck for the future.


 
Mass has been trading as a club for long enough that they almost certainly benefit from 'established use' and planning would not be an issue. Chicks could have legalised/normalised the use very easily before trying to sell if they had wished to. I'm pretty sure that they went as far as submitting an application but never paid the fee so it was not considered.

On the other hand Babalou was still a restaurant with planning restrictions preventing it from staying open past midnight and including noise restrictions when Chicks took it over. The Chicks are obviously a smart pair - they run accountancy and management consultancy services as well as managing their own leisure venues - so if they paid club prices for a venue which didn't have the necessary permissions to be run as a club they must have known there was a serious risk involved.

I don't think they ever really had much of a vision for Babalou and that's probably why it never recovered. Since they relaunched the restaurant part, the couple of times we tried to book tables on a weekend we were told that we'd have to give up the table by 8.30 so that the place could turn into a club - so we didn't book. You just can't run a venue like that. Really it should have been hugely successful - it is such a great/unique space. Hopefully, whoever takes it over will be a little more focussed.

I agree that it would be interesting to hear their side of the story.


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## FrancescaB (Mar 27, 2012)

I agree with Rastagirl. I've been trying to find out what has happened but the blog entry by Editor that drew me to this site seems extraordinarily onesided, but of course he is free to write whatever.
http://www.urban75.org/blog/brixton-mass-and-babalou-nightclubs-closed-premises-repossessed/
It is such a shame that no effort has been made to balance out the story as has been presented with commentary from Mr Chicksand or his representative. Editor must have a close relationship with Brix to produce such an ostensibly well informed article so soon after the event - maybe he did try to get information from Chicksand to balance out the onesidedness of the piece but he sounds like such a charlatan from what has been reported I can imagine he doesn't care!!
Personally I would have welcomed the building of the toddlers swimming pool. It seems such a good idea - family friendly, brings the building into wider community usage, cuts down on noise, etc. I can't understand why the Trustees at Brix didn't consider it more seriously?! Perhaps secretly they preferred the S&M!!
BTW - Rushy, when you refer to Chicks as a smart pair above, who do you mean? I can only see reference to Mr Chicksand?


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## Jon Dee (Mar 28, 2012)

It is important to let everyone have some correct facts about the occupation by Chicks Limited of Mass from 2002 and Babalou (formerly Bug Bar) from 2005. Chicks Limited have made the following payments for rent and services and have also prior to occupation bailed out the Brix for unpaid rent and services due by the previous tenants as follows

2002-250k paid to previous tenant who then repaid most of this to the Brix.
2005-200k paid to previous tenant who then repaid most of this to the Brix.
From 2002 to 2012-paid in rent and services 2 million pounds.
How come that in the case of bullets 1 and 2 despite  the large amounts outstanding, no attempt was made to lock out the previous tenants.
Since the increase in the number of late licensed premises , the no smoking ban and the onset of the recession ,the financial climate has become extremely difficult but Chicks has with the financial assistance of Mr Chicksand always until very recently kept up to date with its financial obligations.
The main problem associated with the deterioration in the relationship between Chicks Limited and the Brix has been the attempt by the Brix to make Chicks Limited pay a substantial additional yearly service charge by Babalou because of the ambiguity of this section of the lease-not picked up by chicks Limited’s lawyer.
 The Brix not content to receive a substantial rent have submitted invoices in excess of 25k plus vat per annum for each of the 3 years from 2008 to 2010. In their calculation they have tried to pass on almost 100% of their entire running costs even though the service charge should only be in relation to the common parts of the building. (The Brix also rents out their community room and serviced offices). This is in spite of the fact that the original reason for having such a service charge was for it to be a small sinking fund to go towards any material improvements by the Church, Mass Night Club is already paying in excess of 5k per annum towards the fund and Babalou does not even use the facilities of the main building and is in effect self contained. This was an attempt by the Brix to financially blackmail Chicks Limited under the guise that they are a charity and need as much money as possible irrespective of the commercial reality or viability this had on Chicks Limited.
Chicks Limited could not persuade the Brix that these demands were excessive and unfortunately had to seek legal advice to try and resolve the matter .In spite of going to arbitration and incurring legal fees in excess of 40k  the Brix would not budge on their demands.
Not only had Chicks Limited to contend with this legal battle ,in September out of the blue, Lambeth council advised them that both Mass Night Club and Babalou did not have planning consent to be night clubs /bars, even though both had late night music and dance licenses and had permitted use in their leases. In addition some local residents were making official complaints of loud noise coming from the venues even though the Mass and Babalou occupy an island surrounded by traffic 24 hours a day.
It became obvious that a conspiracy was taking place to get rid of these venues.
Chicks Limited in order to protect its assets submitted applications for lawful development certificates early in February 2012 and just before  decided to put the business up for sale through one of the biggest agents in the UK DAVIS COFFER.
In an attempt to negotiate with the Brix prior to the trial date of 3rd April an offer of 40k plus legal fees was made to their solicitors and evidence was produced of Chicks ltd accounts to verify the poor financial position .This offer was rejected by the Brix out of hand in spite of their knowing that Chicks Limited could not afford to go to court. Consequently the only course of action was to seek the advice of an insolvency practitioner. He made an appointment to meet the trustees to discuss the only possible ways forward but the next day, a day before the arranged meeting, the Brix repossessed the premises and locked Chicks Ltd. out thereby causing them to immediately lay of their staff and cancel all future promotions causing great stress and financial hardship to all concerned especially Mr Chicksand who has now lost his business.
Chicks Limited has endured over the last 7 years instead of quiet enjoyment of its premises a harassment  no tenant should have had to endure  it would appear the  Brix  wanted to get the maximum financial reward out of Chicks  but at the same time tried to make it  commerciality impossible because of its distaste of having a night club as its main tenant.
The Brix would not allow any signs that Mass Night Club existed from the outside ,could not have seating outside Babalou and could not advertise its venue on the outside hoardings .With the additional service charges and already high rents there is no  wonder Chicks Limited failed as did the previous businesses. It seems clear that these large spaces should only be used for the community and not commercial activities.


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## editor (Mar 28, 2012)

There's been a lengthy response on my blog too:
http://www.urban75.org/blog/brixton...ises-repossessed/comment-page-1/#comment-4409


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## editor (Mar 28, 2012)

FrancescaB said:


> It is such a shame that no effort has been made to balance out the story as has been presented with commentary from Mr Chicksand or his representative. Editor must have a close relationship with Brix to produce such an ostensibly well informed article so soon after the event - maybe he did try to get information from Chicksand to balance out the onesidedness of the piece but he sounds like such a charlatan from what has been reported I can imagine he doesn't care!!?


I'll ignore that defamatory comment for now, but you have every right to reply both via the blog comment form (which you have already used) and this discussion thread here.

Your comments will not be censored or altered in any way, so you are free to correct or challenge the claims made by the original author.

My only interest in this matter is that of a Brixton resident and blogger keen to get to the truth of the matter. I have not taken sides and have no vested interest in this matter (In fact, I've been rather supportive of both Mass and Babalou over the years).

Perhaps you could now state your interest in this matter? Are you personally involved with any of the companies?


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## bluestreak (Mar 28, 2012)

it's funny how people pretending not to be connected suddenly pop up innit


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## FrancescaB (Mar 28, 2012)

Dear Editor, firstly no defamatory comment was directed to you - I was simply expressing my opinion of Mr Chicksand based upon what you had written.  You must agree that he seems to have behaved irresponsibly to leave a charity carrying the can with such neat footwork (as you have described).  I have no personal involvment with Chicks or the venues other than to visit them on occasions when out with friends.  I regularly pass by St Matthews on my way to work so I was interested to find out what had happened last week after notices went up and found this site through a google search - I hope that's OK.  Thank you for taking the time to file an update on this news, have you tried to speak to Mr Chicksand to get his version of the truth of this matter?


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## editor (Mar 28, 2012)

FrancescaB said:


> Dear Editor, firstly no defamatory comment was directed to you - I was simply expressing my opinion of Mr Chicksand based upon what you had written. You must agree that he seems to have behaved irresponsibly to leave a charity carrying the can with such neat footwork (as you have described). I have no personal involvment with Chicksand or the venues other than to visit them on occasions when out with friends. I regularly pass by St Matthews on my way to work so I was interested to find out what had happened last week after notices went up and found this site through a google search - I hope that's OK. Thank you for taking the time to file an update on this news, have you tried to speak to Mr Chicksand to get his version of the truth of this matter?


I have no means of getting in touch with Chicks, but seeing as you seem to have a direct line to them and are happy to publish their opinions, why don't you invite them to:

(a) reply on my blog
(b) post their comments here or
(c) write their own article which I'll be happy to post on my blog

No words will be censored or edited in any way *.

As 'right to reply's go, I think that's about as fair and as comprehensive an offer as you - or they'll - ever get.

(*pending any legal issues that may arise). Typos corrected too


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## Ted Striker (Mar 28, 2012)

Chicksand 

If it isn't made up it should be.


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## twistedAM (Mar 28, 2012)

bluestreak said:


> it's funny how people pretending not to be connected suddenly pop up innit


 
It's fair enough in my eyes.
The original "insider" source with such a massive axe to grind against Chicks was anonymous. Were they representing the landlord or the CofE perchance?


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## colacubes (Mar 28, 2012)

Jon Dee said:


> Not only had Chicks Limited to contend with this legal battle ,in September out of the blue, Lambeth council advised them that both Mass Night Club and Babalou did not have planning consent to be night clubs /bars, even though both had late night music and dance licenses and had permitted use in their leases. *In addition some local residents were making official complaints of loud noise coming from the venues even though the Mass and Babalou occupy an island surrounded by traffic 24 hours a day.*
> *It became obvious that a conspiracy was taking place to get rid of these venues.*
> .


 
Re the bolded bit really?  Traffic noise (which is greatly decreased at night anyway) isn't the same as for example bass from a club.  Did they work with the council to mitigate the noise at all?


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## FrancescaB (Mar 28, 2012)

editor said:


> I have no means of getting in touch with Mr Chicks, but seeing as you seem to have a direct line to him and are happy to publish his opinions, why don't you invite him to:
> 
> (a) reply on my blog
> (b) post his comments here or
> ...


 
Sorry Ed, why do you think I am publishing his opinions? That is slightly offensive and denigrates my point of view on your piece.  To make it clear, I am grateful to you for providing the blog entry but it is so obviously onesided - I was simply suggesting you might want to add some balance to the debate and I know others have commented on your source's grinding axe.  When I visited Babalou I really enjoyed it and had enjoyable times there, shame they're gone.   I really liked the idea of having a pool there, or something for young families.  Perhaps the Trustees will revisit this now?


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## editor (Mar 28, 2012)

FrancescaB said:


> Sorry Ed, why do you think I am publishing his opinions? That is slightly offensive and denigrates my point of view on your piece. To make it clear, I am grateful to you for providing the blog entry but it is so obviously onesided - I was simply suggesting you might want to add some balance to the debate and I know others have commented on your source's grinding axe. When I visited Babalou I really enjoyed it and had enjoyable times there, shame they're gone. I really liked the idea of having a pool there, or something for young families. Perhaps the Trustees will revisit this now?


I apologise. I got the impression that you knew them. So you've never met or spoken to anyone from the company?


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## Rushy (Mar 28, 2012)

Jon Dee said:


> It is important to let everyone have some correct facts about the occupation by Chicks Limited of Mass from 2002 and Babalou (formerly Bug Bar) from 2005. Chicks Limited have made the following payments for rent and services and have also prior to occupation bailed out the Brix for unpaid rent and services due by the previous tenants as follows
> 
> 2002-250k paid to previous tenant who then repaid most of this to the Brix.
> 2005-200k paid to previous tenant who then repaid most of this to the Brix.
> ...


 
Doesn't that mean that payments 1 and 2 are the usual premiums paid by the buyer to the outgoing leaseholder for the benefit of buying their leases and business fittings/goodwill? It is a tad misleading to suggest that Chicks somehow acted to bail the landlords out by paying the premiums to the vendor. It's a bit like claiming that I bailed out a bank when I bought my house because the vendor used the sale receipts to pay off their mortgage!

Chicks have been seeking their own premium for the sale of the two leases since they started marketing it in October last year. The difference would seem to be that, for whatever reason, Chicks could not find anyone willing to pay the premium they were asking (which I understand is about the same as what they paid for it).



> Not only had Chicks Limited to contend with this legal battle ,in September out of the blue, Lambeth council advised them that both Mass Night Club and Babalou did not have planning consent to be night clubs /bars, even though both had late night music and dance licenses and had permitted use in their leases. In addition some local residents were making official complaints of loud noise coming from the venues even though the Mass and Babalou occupy an island surrounded by traffic 24 hours a day.
> It became obvious that a conspiracy was taking place to get rid of these venues.


 
The planning issue arose because Mass refused to respond to noise complaints from neighbours going back at least as far as 2005. The old manager, Mick K, used to use phrases like "do you know who the fuck you are dealing with?" and "you're disturbing my game of golf, fuck off" when people called to complain - not exactly conducive to neighbourly relations. An enquiry to Lambeth Planning on behalf of residents found that a condition was attached to the use of the Crypt requiring that no noise be audible outside the venue and residents asked for this to be enforced. When planning investigated they found that the venue was being used in breach of existing planning permission for an A3 restaurant and asked the owners to prove that they had established a right to do so which to my knowledge they did not attempt to do. (No enforcement action was ever started so this did not stop them trading).

Planning and licensing are separate matters. Both venues operated under one licence. The licence issued in 2005 specifically required that all sound amplification equipment be channelled through limiters calibrated so that sound would automatically cut out if it reached levels which would be audible in neighbouring homes. The clubs never complied with this and refused to accept that there was any problem.

They appeared to take a pretty indifferent view towards noise disturbance. For instance, when Bah Humbug was converted from a restaurant to a club in '06 the crypt was remodelled and the ground level ventilation grilles were exposed to the new dance floor- these had previously been in the WC area. Whoever designed the sound system thought it would be a good idea to hang the speakers immediately adjacent to the open vents and place the sub only a few feet away. The speakers are still in exactly the same spot although I noticed that the vents had more recently been blocked up - perhaps in response to a noise control visit last November.



> The Brix would not allow any signs that Mass Night Club existed from the outside ,could not have seating outside Babalou and could not advertise its venue on the outside hoardings .With the additional service charges and already high rents there is no wonder Chicks Limited failed as did the previous businesses. It seems clear that these large spaces should only be used for the community and not commercial activities.


 
I don't know much about this except that Lambeth Parks is responsible for most of the land around the venue and they issued a legal notice on the club requesting them to cease enclosing parts of and erecting marquees on the peace gardens at night after the club repeatedly reneged on a voluntary agreement to stop doing so. The club was entirely reckless towards the disturbance that these outdoor enclosures caused to neighbours until 6am, mostly from doors accessing these areas being left wide open all night and allowing noise to escape, followed by the noise of marquees and enclosures being taken down between 6 and 8am on a Sunday morning.

Controls on the use of the outside spaces weren't new. The pre-2005 licence for the Crypt also contained controls because the owners starting setting up sound systems outside Wed thru' Saturday evenings.


I think it is important to add that I don't know a single resident who wanted to see the clubs gone. They just wanted them to improve their sound proofing, or turn the noise down, stop having outdoor all-nighters and stop hiding behind the excuse that the road can be busy at times so they should be allowed to make as much noise as they like.


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## minnie minor (Mar 29, 2012)

Jon Dee said:


> It is important to let everyone have some correct facts about the occupation by Chicks Limited of Mass from 2002 and Babalou (formerly Bug Bar) from 2005. Chicks Limited have made the following payments for rent and services and have also prior to occupation bailed out the Brix for unpaid rent and services due by the previous tenants as follows
> 
> 2002-250k paid to previous tenant who then repaid most of this to the Brix.
> 2005-200k paid to previous tenant who then repaid most of this to the Brix.
> ...


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## minnie minor (Mar 29, 2012)

In his/her passionate defence of Chicks, "Jon Dee" gave some facts and figures which s/he said were correct, but are in fact wrong and misleading. The people who first designed and created Mass owed The Brix £26,000 in back rent when they sold their business to Chicks in 2002. It was the brewery that instigated the action against them for six figure debts on their contract to supply alcohol. Chicks paid £250,000 to the owners of Mass for the business. Most of this was passed straight on to the brewery, who repaid The Brix the £26,000 that was owed in rent, services and utilities. So the sum was £26,000 not £250,000 and it was not some kind of charitable donation by Chicks.

As regards the transfer of the crypt restaurant to Chicks, this happened three years later. Bah Humbug was very well-regarded and was the creation of two inspired restaurateurs who ran the business successfully from St Matthews for six or seven years before getting into trouble. When the owners sold out to Chicks, they owed The Brix £67,000 in back rent and service charges. Again Chicks bought the business from the previous owners. The £67,000 owed was paid back personally by the previous owner out of his own pocket. The money paid by Chicks to his company was handed over to the administrator for the settlement of the bills of other creditors. Again, not £200,000, and not a bail out by Chicks.

It is important for readers to note that all the revenues brought in by The Brix are ploughed back into the maintenance of the historic fabric of the building and the running costs of keeping it going. Trustees are not paid, and there are the equivalent of only three or four full time members of staff to manage the whole building. Tenants pay the rents laid down in their leases and pay an agreed percentage of electricity, gas, water and insurance costs, also laid down in their leases. The formula for the calculation of service charges is also formally set out in the lease of the Babalou space. This is a document which was voluntarily signed after professional legal advice by Chicks. Sorry! I know all this is boring! However, the main point is that if Chicks have paid £2m over ten years - which I think is also a significant exaggeration - then that is because £2m of resources have been consumed during that time in terms of rent for use of the space, share of utility bills, share of costs of repairing the roof etc. So please don't think that Chicks has been any kind of benefactor in this whole saga, and don't believe it when "Jon Dee" alleges that Chicks has "until very recently kept up with its financial obligations". It has not.


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## Jon Dee (Mar 30, 2012)

minnie minor said:


> I





minnie minor said:


> It is important for readers to note that all the revenues brought in by The Brix are ploughed back into the maintenance of the historic fabric of the building and the running costs of keeping it going. T



Indeed and the running costs meant that the Brix acting as a charity, in order to drive away a homeless person from their door at night installed a sprinkler system which comes on every hour of the night the prevent the homeless sleeping on the premises.
Now that is really charitable, about time the present trustees especially the chairman retired


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## editor (Mar 30, 2012)

Jon Dee said:


> Indeed and the running costs meant that the Brix acting as a charity, in order to drive away a homeless person from their door at night installed a sprinkler system which comes on every hour of the night the prevent the homeless sleeping on the premises.
> Now that is really charitable, about time the present trustees especially the chairman retired


It only seems fair and reasonable to ask if you have any involvement with any of the parties here?


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## twistedAM (Mar 30, 2012)

editor said:


> It only seems fair and reasonable to ask if you have any involvement with any of the parties here?


 
Why are you asking Jon Dee that and not Minnie Minor who seems to have inside info from the other perspective?

Can't really blame anyone for hiding behind masks on here when the original blog piece was written by someone anonymously.


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## editor (Mar 30, 2012)

twistedAM said:


> Why are you asking Jon Dee that and not Minnie Minor who seems to have inside info from the other perspective?


I'll be sure to ask Minnie Minor when she posts next, but the rather petty bit about sprinklers suggested some insider knowledge.


twistedAM said:


> Can't really blame anyone for hiding behind masks on here when the original blog piece was written by someone anonymously.


And you can't blame someone who's interested in getting to the truth of the matter asking such questions either.


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## FrancescaB (Mar 31, 2012)

Rushy said:


> The planning issue arose because Mass refused to respond to noise complaints from neighbours going back at least as far as 2005. The old manager, Mick K, used to use phrases like "do you know who the fuck you are dealing with?" and "you're disturbing my game of golf, fuck off" when people called to complain - not exactly conducive to neighbourly relations. An enquiry to Lambeth Planning on behalf of residents found that a condition was attached to the use of the Crypt requiring that no noise be audible outside the venue and residents asked for this to be enforced. When planning investigated they found that the venue was being used in breach of existing planning permission for an A3 restaurant and asked the owners to prove that they had established a right to do so which to my knowledge they did not attempt to do. (No enforcement action was ever started so this did not stop them trading).
> 
> I think it is important to add that I don't know a single resident who wanted to see the clubs gone. They just wanted them to improve their sound proofing, or turn the noise down, stop having outdoor all-nighters and stop hiding behind the excuse that the road can be busy at times so they should be allowed to make as much noise as they like.


 
I don't live close close enough to have been affected by the noise, but it is awful to have to put up with that (particualrly if you have young children) and it sounds like the manager and owner are as bad as each other - good riddance to them! What is also clear is that there is a lot of affection for the bars and clubs and it is sad that they are gone, particularly as issues with the local authority suggest that it will be very difficult to get something similar now. Presumeably the 'existing use' legislation could only have been pursued by the existing tenant and their eviction has now closed that avenue?

Jon Dee and Minnie Minor clearly have insider knowledge (perhaps Minnie is the infamous source!) and can raise issues with the whys and wherefores that have created this situation, but moaning about the past is not going to solve the ongoing problems that Brix now faces. The Trustees have a serious problem and some of the replies to Editor's blog are quite illuminating. What is clear is that by foreclosing on the lease without a payment plan in place and virtually on the eve of winning a crucial court case, Brix and its Trustees are unlikely to get much/any of the six-figure sums that are owed - is Mr Chicksand paying anything from his own pocket towards the debt as the previous insolvent tenants did, perhaps Minne/Jon Dee can clarify?!

As a side issue there must be thousands worth of kit & stock left inside the venues that the Trustees surely can recover in part payment of the debt and sell off? Or maybe Brix can reopen the venues themselves using this kit and honour the nights and events that were organised in the coming months. Afterall there is an existing business and with more community minded proprietors such as the Trustees it has to be for the benefit of the area.

If Brix now has to be wound up as a result of the actions by the tenant and Trustees what then happens to the lease? Does it go back to the church and everything starts all over again?

BTW - your apology is accepted Editor, thanks once again for gleaning this information and apologies to you if my initial comments concerning the one-sidedness riled you a little. It appears we are now finally getting both sides of the story!


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## Alo Licentia! (Apr 20, 2012)

The venue is now available for long or short term lease.


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## cyd (Apr 25, 2012)

Rushy said:


> Mock duck was their classic.
> 
> But I often ate lamb tagine there - which isn't very veggie.


 
Rushy, Bah Humbug NEVER sold Lamb. We only sold fish because the board of Directors that gave us the lease stated that we must have at least one non veg, item on our menu  as a term in the agreement( or else the 'local community' would not use the venue! (??) ). We slipped around this by putting on Ackee and saltfish. Later the fish part of the menu expanded. Having the fish on the menu meant that ardent vegetarians could bring carniverous friends and  family and  'get away' with them not noticing that there was no meat.

Mock duck was indeed our number one seller. We sold 300 portions a week. My recipe.


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## Rushy (Apr 25, 2012)

cyd said:


> Rushy, Bah Humbug NEVER sold Lamb. We only sold fish because the board of Directors that gave us the lease stated that we must have at least one non veg, item on our menu as a term in the agreement( or else the 'local community' would not use the venue! (??) ). We slipped around this by putting on Ackee and saltfish. Later the fish part of the menu expanded. Having the fish on the menu meant that ardent vegetarians could bring carniverous friends and family and 'get away' with them not noticing that there was no meat.
> 
> Mock duck was indeed our number one seller. We sold 300 portions a week. My recipe.


Hey Cyd. As the esteemed inventor of Mock Duck I'm definitely not going to argue with you as I'm sure you know better. I have always had it in my mind that it was a weird anomaly - was there a veggie tagine? Were you business partners with Rod?

ETA my gf who was veggie at the time and who was responsible for a significant proportion of your Mock Duck consumption also remembers a lamb tagine .


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## editor (Apr 25, 2012)

cyd said:


> Mock duck was indeed our number one seller. We sold 300 portions a week. My recipe.


I had that mock duck. it was delicious.


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## Alo Licentia! (Apr 27, 2012)

Someone calling themselves Bah Humbug has posted on the blog that there are dead bodies in the crypt.



> Is it here that I mention that all the bodies that were ‘exhumed’ and reburied in the 70′s are all still there, in the crypt. I found them. Stacked up studded leather coffins and swathes of loose bones. Never told anyone though as they probably would have closed my kitchen.


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## editor (Apr 27, 2012)

I saw that. Sounds like a fun twist!


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## Rushy (Apr 27, 2012)

That might explain why the church wasn't too keen on the crypt swimming pool idea!

I came across quite a few of the memorial stones which were removed during the original crypt refurb. Not sure what the original owners would have made of the development of their resting place.


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## Brixton Hatter (Apr 27, 2012)

Imagine! A crypt full of bodies!


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## Alo Licentia! (May 2, 2012)




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## Mrs Magpie (May 2, 2012)

Thanks for alerting me. It's gone


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