Family tree charts town's rock heritage

By Chris Moss

THE Square, Harlow's favourite live music venue, celebrated its rich musical heritage on Saturday with the long-awaited unveiling of the town's Rock Family Tree.

The enormous piece of artwork - a four-month labour of love for Deviant Amps frontman Paul Woodwright, The Museum Of Harlow officer David Devine and Square staff Richard Holgarth, Adam Smith and Steve Harcourt - now dominates the venue's Galaxy Bar.

Featuring information on every band to have emerged from Harlow since 1961 and scores of photographs recalling the halcyon days of Town Ppark concerts and care-free summers of love, its proud creators claim it could well be the most detailed project of its kind in the entire country.

The comprehensive archive will soon be available on the venue's revamped website, allowing visitors to browse photo galleries and listen to songs recorded by some of the bands featured.

"We are all immensely proud of the finished project," said Mr Devine. "It's been hard work but also great fun to put together and I hope it will prove to be as fascinating for gig-goers to look at as it was for us to make."

Square promotions manager Adam Smith added: "The unveiling of the family tree was a great success.

We had live sets from some of the best-loved bands in Harlow's history and were close to full capacity.

"It's incredible to see the sheer amount of talent that has come out of the town's music scene over the years. Hopefully, someone will see fit to update the tree in 15 years time."

Yep - it dawned on me yesterday that 4 whole months have passed since we reopened the doors of The Square. They say times flies when you're having fun!

Just looking back at the past 4 months its amazing to see what we've achieved - some of the shows we've hosted, including sell out shows by local bands The Worldonfire, The Seminals and The Morning Parade, Legends like Chas N Dave, Wilko Johnson, Newtown Neurotics, Ediie & The Hot Rods, Steve White (with Trio Valore), new Indie stars like Yeti, Little Man Tate, Iglu & Hartly. Thats without mentioning the great tribute acts we've had, regular features on the touring circuit like The Small Fakers, Whos Who, Rebel Truce. And the comedy - it's been great having that back in The Square, especially with last nights slot from Omid Djalili (we've already been told of some other top comedy stars soon to be playing, but I cant say too much yet!)

The bars been open during the day every weekend, and has established The Square as a great place to be during this time - with all sorts of people passing through for a drink, conversation, game of pool.

We've still got loads to look forward to, and lots of hard work to put in - so I'd like to make this clear - we're not doing this for our own glorification (can everyone name all who's involved in running the venue anyhow? is anyone really that bothered as long as its open?) we're doing it so Harlow can continue to have the best venue in Essex.

It's important you let us know what you want, and we'll do our best to make it work. People wanted the bars back (as did we!), so we sorted that out, and have dropped the prices a few times since opening too! Others were happy we were staying open til 1, but some wanted to party longer, so now we're open til 3! Anything you want to see, just let us knwo and we'll see what we can do.

Personal highlights I'm looking forward to this month are The King Blues, The Rollin' Clones, The Soul Fingers (mainly as I'll be enjoying myself on stage!), Steve Diggle (because he is great, and again I'll be performing!) What shows will you be coming to?

Keep in touch and we can all enjoy what we've been doing here!

Cheers.
Adam

Venue Squaring up to continue legacy

By Chris Moss

FROM this year forward, July 4 should be remembered by music fans as the day The Square finally broke free from the farcical red-tape handcuffs imposed by County Hall bureaucrats.

It will be the day when the thriving local music community reclaims a missing part of its collective soul, scores a priceless victory over The Man and gives a two-fingered salute to the authorities who would have seen it marginalised for good.

Ever since Essex County Council bigwigs arbitrarily decided to slap a prohibitive age limit on entry to The Square, enforce a blanket alcohol ban and by so doing all but destroy 30 glorious years of musical heritage in a single stroke, the future of Harlow's beloved music venue had been clouded by doubt.

But thanks to the passion, dedication and sheer hard graft of an unassuming bunch of musicians, technicians and promoters, the venue is now stirring from its induced coma.

It won't be long before you can dust off your leathers, squeeze into your drainpipes and head down to Fourth Avenue for a tearful reunion with your first love - and (the horror, the horror!) even enjoy a pint or two while you're there.

"It's been a long time coming, but we're almost there, thank God," says a relieved Richard Holgarth, guitarist with legendary pub rockers Eddie & The Hot Rods and self-proclaimed spokesman for The SquareOne Partnership.

Nursing a pint in a Harlow pub following a public meeting on the progress of the takeover, he speaks candidly about the months of unnecessarily protracted negotiations with a bizarrely defiant county council.

"There was a point when we really thought this would never happen," he admitted. "But we all knew that we couldn't just sit back and watch The Square go under without putting up a fight.

"There's always going to be problems when the people making the decisions on the venue's future have never even seen the place, let alone been to a gig. With them, its all about bureaucracy and hitting targets - there's little understanding of the real importance of somewhere like The Square to the local community."

He's undoubtedly angry about the way County Hall has handled the takeover, and there's even more resentment over the fact the authority is now refusing to allow the county-funded Rock School to stay on at the venue on the grounds that alcohol will be available on the premises ("We've bent over backwards to accommodate them, but they're adamant that as long as alcohol is even on site they won't consider it"), but he is understandably more eager to talk about the future.

"We want The Square to become again what it once was. It's much more than just a music venue, it's a piece of musical history and it belongs to the town. It's always tried to cater for everyone and that's the way it will continue to be under our ownership.

"We'll be operating an open-door policy, catering for all ages and with no dress code. We believe no more in uniform dress than we do in uniform thinking and this is what has always made The Square a vibrant melting pot of cultures, fashions and social groups."

With some big names already in the pipeline, the new management is hoping The Square's reputation will help attract the top touring bands back to the venue whose stage has been graced by the likes of a little-known bunch called Oasis through to garrulous gutter punks The Libertines.

Sunday nights will be held over for the oldies and will feature some of the best tribute acts on the circuit, as well as reliable favourites such as Chas 'n' Dave and Richard's very own Eddie & The Hot Rods, while the bar will now open between noon-6pm on weekends, giving customers plenty of time to catch up on the drinking they've missed out on over the past year.

"We want to make it the hub of the community again," reasoned Richard. "The number of people who've started bands after meeting up in The Square is incredible; it's like this organic being that keeps feeding itself.

"You used to get people dropping in not so much because there was a band on they wanted to see but just because it was The Square and it was a great, relaxed place to have a drink and a game of pool - if you ended up enjoying the music, it was a bonus. We want to bring all that back, but make it bigger and better."

And as current Square employee and SquareOne partner Steve Harcourt points out, no-one in the new management set-up will be drawing a wage - all profits will be ploughed straight back into the venue.

"We won't be giving up our day jobs, that's for sure!" he said. "This is about our passion to keep the venue alive for the benefit of everyone in the town who appreciates live music.

"Ultimately, the future of The Square will be up to the people of Harlow themselves - without their continued support, we won't survive."

Reported in The Star 03/04/08

Independence Day opening for Square
  - by Chris Moss

The Square, the home of live music in Harlow, will soon be granted its second coming when it opens for business under new management on July 4 - Independence Day.

Following months of protracted negotiations with Essex County Council, the SquareOne Partnership has announced it will move in as new tenants on June 31, with a grand opening night fittingly planned for the July date.

The blanket alcohol ban enforced on the venue by county hall will be lifted, as will the prohibitive door policy introduced to restrict the numbers of over-19s attending gigs. Further plans for the historic venue’s immediate future were outlined by the new leaseholders at a public meeting hosted by Harlow MP Bill Rammell at the Civic Centre on Friday, but the Star was banned from attending due to a bizarre decision by Harlow Council to refuse members of the press entry.
However, the Star understands the feedback from a packed audience was very positive, although many expressed their concerns over the future of the Rock School. The county council has threatened to pull its funding of the youth initiative should it continue to run at the Fourth Avenue venue - on the grounds that alcohol would be on the premises.

Mr Rammell, who has been heavily involved with the campaign to save The Square, said negotiations to keep the popular service on-site
had "hit a brick wall". "[ECC’s] dogmatic and unreasonable approach to a music venue having alcohol on its premises is depriving Harlow of somewhere for young people to go - something that they claim is their priority," he said.

County councillor Simon Walsh, cabinet member for schools, children and families, said: "The council intends to maintain the services currently provided at The Square, including Rock School, at an alternative location in Harlow. We are currently looking for appropriate venues."

At the time of posting, there has been NO announcement from ECC regarding this re-location, which leaves the future of the Rock School seriously in doubt.

Unless ECC enter into a meaningful dialogue with those that actually run the project, it is impossible to imagine that the Rock School and Rock Club could be successfui away from The Square

So far, there has been no consultation whatsoever.

Contact Simon Walsh at Essex County Council directly (phone or write) to ask about the future of the Rock School.

 Essex County Council
County Hall
Market Road
Chelmsford
CM1 1LX

Tel: 0845 743 0430

 

cscomments@essexcc.gov.uk

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For the attention of The Square One Partnership

Dear All

I am delighted to inform you that the Friends of Rock School Committee have decided to support the proposal brought forward by Square One to take over running the Square as a gig venue. As you know the committee feel that for the continued success of the Rock School it is vital to have a thriving and successful music venue and we are left in no doubt that your proposal would achieve this objective. The Friends of Rock School Committee were impressed by the experience and the expertise of the Square One team and your commitment to making the Square into a creative community asset for Harlow.

We are aware that the lease for the Square will expire in August 2008 but even in this short space of time we feel much can be achieved.

Please keep us informed of any development and/or ways in which we can support you.

Harlow Civic Society

Harlow Civic Society's committee, having heard the history of the current situation regarding the Square in Harlow, and having had a chance to read the outline plan from Square One Partnership for rescuing the building and its amenities, has unanimously agreed to back the plan, and to condemn the proposed closure and demolition of the building.

 It is the view of the Civic Society that the building and its programme of activities has been cynically allowed to decay so as to facilitate demolition when the land is cleared for housing development, thus allowing ECC to claim that it serves no useful purpose. The County Council will then be able to say that there is no need for such a facility, and will be under no obligation to rebuild.

Square One Partnership has presented a very professional business plan which will restore the Square to its glory days, when it was voted the top small live music venue in the country. Its programme of education and development has been a great success in providing a service that the young people in Harlow see as their own, not something foisted on them by Youth services. Its plan envisages a mixed programme, catering to all musical tastes, and a training programme in technical skills. For Square One Partnership to continue it will need the use of equipment and resources already existing, and we urge that these be handed over to them.