A south London bar and live music venue has quietly closed after administrators were brought in over the summer. Brixton’s Dogstar and the Tooting Tram and Social closed their doors this week.
The news was confirmed by an Instagram post shared by Tram and Social yesterday (Thursday, October 31). Both venues were owned by Antic London, a hospitality group which went bankrupt in July this year.
At the time, they said they were struggling with the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic and “legacy debt.” Eleven premises were saved in September after being bought by Urban Pubs & Bars but Dogstar and Tram and Social were not included in the deal.
South London will particularly feel the loss of Dogstar as it has been a staple of Brixton’s nightlife for decades. It was targeted during the 1995 Brixton riots but bounced back and later hosted Jerry Dammers of The Specials.
Using social media, residents expressed sadness at the loss of such an iconic site. One person said: “My dad used to own this pub in the 80s (then called The Atlantic). It was crazy but we had great jazz there. So many memories, so many great stories, so many great characters.”
Another wrote: “So much for the gentrification of Brixton being hailed as the best ever. So many places closing, the market has now been sold. Gentrification = death knell.”
A third wrote: “Just thinking about Dogstar the other day. Amazing it made it this far. Nothing lasts forever. But sad to see how things have changed.”
Interpath Advisory has been contacted for more information.
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