The previous night may have been the closing party for the main venue upstairs (and the focal point for the world’s media), but Thursday 15th January 2009 marked the final night of music to be held within the iconic Central London Astoria Complex.

Fitting for a space which has been home over the years to a host of indie/rock orientated live/club nights including the likes of Frog and Club X, indie-electro regulars Push were given the honour of hosting the Astoria 2’s last hurrah.
Full to the brim with a largely – but by no means exclusively - student crowd, Push succeeded in putting on a fitting final night of top class live music, DJs and most importantly… £2 whiskey and coke.

Cajun Dance Party performed a storming, if short, live set in the main room, whilst it seemed like almost everyone in the 1000-capacity venue squashed their way into the uber-sweaty upstairs bar to see Good Shoes play the last live set of the night, thereby also marking their little notch on the historical bedpost.

Special mentions must also go to Fred from Ox.Eagle.Lion.Man and Lightspeed Champion who rocked Room 2 for over an hour and a half with a superb mix of non- stop jump-about-like-a-loon choons; from old Nirvana classics to Beyonce via Old school Prodigy. I lasted approximately 30 seconds as an impartial observer before jumping into what could almost be described as a ‘most pit’ and having the time of my life.

Sadly the thread-bare nature of the venue mean there were no physical mementoes to emancipate on my way out…But at least I’ve got the memories of this, and a hundred other great nights out at this fantastic little venue. Here’s to ya Astoria…we’ll miss you.

Mike Eccleshall