How can London's grassroots gig scene be saved?

Almost a quarter of the capital’s small music venues say they’re at risk of closure. It is crucial we protect them, industry experts tell Robert Dex

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STICKY floors, plastic pint glasses and DIY stage sets; London's smallest venues have a unique, loveable charm. Though they're a world away from the capital's flashiest stadium shows, appearances can be deceiving London's independent venues form a vital part of the UK music scene, transforming once-neglected pubs and basements into incubators for the next wave of music talent.

From Brixton's cult spot The Windmill - birthplace of The Last Dinner Party, The Big Moon, Black Country, New Road, Goat Girl, Squid and Black Midi - to the glimmering gold ceilings of Hackney's Moth Club, these small stages are where punters can catch a first glimpse of tomorrow's festival headliners.

It's where almost everybody starts out - from a baby-faced Ed Sheeran playing at Nunhead's The Ivy House to Lorde performing at the now-closed Madame Jojo's when on the brink of global fame.

The UK music industry pumped £6.7 billion into the economy last year, but London's grassroots gig venues are in crisis. Almost a quarter say they are at risk of closing. The city that produced acts from Stormzy and Adele to David Bowie and the Rolling Stones is now struggling to support the places that nurture the next generation of stars. But what can be done about it? Sir Elton John ended his final tour with a landmark show at Glastonbury.

Between the Pyramid crowds and those watching on TV, he reached an audience of seven million. It was a long way from his first gig in a run-down London pub - but the star has never forgotten it.

Writing in his memoir Me, he described how dodging the flying fists and pint glasses when fights broke out in the Northwood Hills Hotel made him a "fearless" performer.