‘2,000 emails’ in support of Todmorden music venue over noise row
The Golden Lion at Fielden Square in Todmorden town centre has been open for 10 years - but has recently faced noise complaints
A council received around 2,000 emails in 24 hours in support of a pub, eaterie and music venue about which it had received complaints about noise, claim supporters.
The Golden Lion at Fielden Square in Todmorden town centre has been an established venue for music for ten years now, including regular live music and sets by DJs who have included some famous names guesting.
Don Letts of Big Audio Dynamite, Kevin Rowland of Dexys Midnight Runners, Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker and snooker legend Steve Davis – also a keen fan of soul and progressive rock, have DJ’d there.
And best known for their skills behind the decks, DJs including the late Andrew Weatherall, Andy Votel, David Holmes and, representing northern soul music in his home town and internationally, the late Ginger Taylor, have played sets there.
But complaints about noise saw the venue’s landlady, Matthanee Nilavongse, who runs the Lion with Richard Walker – better known as Gig and Waka – worried issues might mean its future was uncertain.
This saw Save Our Scene UK, which is an events and media organisation, acting as a mouthpiece for the live music sector, urging people to email the council in support of the venue, and shortly after claimed Calderdale Council received around 2,000 emails in 24 hours as a result.
Gig urged people on social media to stop sending the emails once this apparent amount was known.
And the Music Venue Trust, a registered charity founded in 2014 in response to widespread closures of small music venues across the UK, which works with venues and local authorities over issues around noise and its management, also got involved.
The Music Venue Trust posted on social media that: “Following an outpouring of public support towards the venue, Music Venue Trust welcomed the opportunity to sit with the Golden Lion team and representatives from Calderdale Council…
“…With mediation and proportionate response at the forefront of discussions, we were pleased to be able to contribute to actions which both tackle the the current challenges faced by the venue and ensure the continued operation of The Golden Lion as a much-loved grassroots live music venue, and a unique and crucial cultural asset for Todmorden.”
Gig posted on social media thanking people for their support and that she would keep going even though issues had made her feel like throwing in the towel.
A spokesman for Calderdale Council said at this point they were limited in what they could comment on.
“We take all complaints about noise seriously and can confirm that we have received a small number of complaints about the Golden Lion in Todmorden.
“As these are currently being actively investigated, we are unable to comment further at this stage,” they said.