Following the news surrounding the closure of Elephant & Castle's flagship venue, The Coronet, The Maccabees have spoken about the venue's significance.
The Coronet has been decommissioned after an unsuccessful campaign to keep the South London venue open after 138 years. The venue unfortunately couldn't keep up with the rapidly changing landscape of the urban area and had to go the way of a lot of fantastic venues, down the drain.
Speaking to NME, Felix White and Orlando weeks spoke about what this particular venue meant to them: "The time that we played there, almost six months ago now, is my favourite gig we've ever done".
"So I would be very sad if it wasn't there anymore. I imagine that there will be a fight back. People will miss it - because then there'll be no venues between central London and Brixton".
"Everything felt relevant. First and foremost the gig was good - we played well - everyone seemed to have a nice time. And it was in Elephant and Castle, a venue just next to our studio that we'd never played before. It was walking distance."
"Everyone was queuing around the block and underneath the subway path and underneath the album cover - and it was the first time we put up our backdrop, which was the album cover of the Faraday Memorial. Everything about it felt relevant. It was just neat. An OCD occasion where everything just fitted! I was thrilled with that."
Watch our interview with The Maccabees below
Weeks concluded: "A city chews up and spits out, that's how it survives. But at the same time, you need places that have an unspoken heritage. If it's somewhere new it can't help but feel synthesised or themed, and that's a very different experience".
"So when places like the Astoria go, you can't manufacture that atmosphere - because it's not just about soundsystems and stage height. That is a shame and that is something that will be missed."
We recently sat down with Orlando from the Maccabees to discuss Elephant Days, a film that documents the community and understated vibrancy of Elephant and Castle as well as the recording of the band's fourth studio album, Marks To Prove It.
Tickets for The Maccabees' UK tour are on sale at 9am on Friday, 4 September. Check out all of their tour dates below and click here for tickets and more information.
Fri 20 November 2015 - NORWICH UEA
Sun 22 November 2015 - CAMBRIDGE Corn Exchange
Mon 23 November 2015 - BRIGHTON Dome
Tue 24 November 2015 - SOUTHAMPTON O2 Guildhall
Wed 25 November 2015 - LEEDS O2 Academy Leeds
Fri 27 November 2015 - READING Hexagon
Sat 28 November 2015 - BRISTOL Colston Hall
Fri 15 January 2016 - GLASGOW Barrowland
Mon 18 January 2016 - MANCHESTER Albert Hall
Thu 21 January 2016 - LONDON O2 Academy Brixton
Fri 22 January 2016 - LONDON O2 Academy Brixton
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