So the Spitz is closing down. At least for now, in its current location in , it is.
This is a bad thing. The Spitz has a history of putting on an eclectic mix of music from the fringes, specializing in folk, blues, country, avant garde and electronica. It’s a smart, intimate venue with a great feel and a friendly crowd. It’s location wasn’t always that convenient for me, but on arriving I always felt more at home than at any other venue of similar size.
I went last night to watch the penultimate gig in its current incarnation – Mr David viner supporting Paris Motel. Both bands were a revelation. Viner, cutting an early Phil Spector-meets-hillbilly figure stormed through some deafening blues and theatrical pop. And Paris Motel, described as “Brian Wilson was writing songs for the Weimar Cabaret”, were, perhaps in honour of their influences, gloriously ramshackle, an extraordinary mix of orchestral pop and spectral vocals.
Tonight they’re putting on one last hurrah – a gathering ofthe great and good who have played there over the years. Inspired by Art Kane’s famous “A Great Day In Harlem” photo from 1958, which captures New York’s jazz greats together, the Spitz’s swansong promises to be an extravaganza.
Great live music, plus a cafe, a bistro, a well-stocked bar and and art gallery. The Spitz is dead! Long live the Spitz!