If MOTH Club wanted to define its place at the heart of Hackney's cultural scene, there was hardly a better gig than this.
Shoreditch-raised rapper Kojey Radical gave a pulsating performance on Thursday (18 December), leaving revellers unable to stand still. Marauding across the stage, he demanded protection of London's small-scale venues in a concert to ‘save’ the iconic space from the threat of nearby housing developments.
The intimate 300-capacity venue was the perfect setting as the Mercury Award-nominated artist debuted his new album, Don't Look Down. The audience demanded more noise, more movement, as he flowed seamlessly between hip-hop, soul and jazz.
After a roof-raising rendition of Payback, which had limbs, belongings and other miscellaneous items flying through the air, Radical said: "I did that to prove a point. That's why we need to save our spaces. That's why we need the MOTH Club.
"This energy from all of you is made and cultivated in rooms like this, grassroots spaces like this."
The concert was part of a wider ‘Save MOTH Club’ campaign opposing planning applications for two blocks of flats beside the Valette Street venue. More than 55,000 emails have now been sent to Hackney Council opposing the plans, while a petition to save the venue has surpassed 30,000 signatures.
While the plans don’t directly threaten the premises, one of the blocks would have balconies directly overlooking MOTH’s smoking area and will back onto the stage wall, which club operators say will lead to inevitable noise complaints and limit the venue’s ability to run as normal.
Throughout the night, Radical highlighted how important venues like MOTH Club had been for his own career. He said: “We need to save these small spaces. This is how I got my start.”
The 32-year-old, set to headline the Royal Albert Hall in the spring, referenced performing at a litany of now defunct Dalston venues, from Birthdays, to Alibi, to Visions Video Bar.
“I remember putting on a show thinking nobody was going to turn up,” he recalled. “And then there was a queue around the block and it really helped kickstart my career performing in spaces like this.”
The gig was part of the Stomping Grounds series, sponsored by footwear brand Kickers in partnership with Save Our Scene. The campaign supports the Music Venue Trust (MVT) in safeguarding the future of UK grassroots music venues.
Tickets quickly sold out after they were given out for free to supporters who sent an email to the council urging them to protect the independent venue from potential closure. Radical was supported by local hip-hop, jazz and soul collective, The Silhouettes Project.
Leading member of The Silhouettes Project Eerf Evil told East End Review: “[Tonight’s] energy was so beautiful, you could feel the community. You could feel the community coming together and you don’t often get that in a crowd.
“I think grassroots spaces, from community spaces to youth clubs to venues, are so important to our culture and we’re seeing so many of them get shut down because of funding.”
The threat of closure is being felt throughout London’s nightlife industry. Earlier this year, research from the Night Times Industries Association found the capital had lost a fifth of its late-night venues since 2020. There are now just 343 London venues that keep their doors open into the early hours, compared with 433 in March 2020.
Evil added: “Whatever artists can do, whatever communities can do, they should get involved - go to local gigs, support local artists, because that’s how we see our whole ecosystem thrive.”
MOTH Club first opened in 1972 as a servicemen’s club and has gone on to achieve international recognition as a venue. However, it still honours its roots, with new members still coming through its doors.
In 2015, it was taken over by local events agency LNZRT and revamped into a music and comedy space, now known for its stage’s distinctive gold ribbon curtains and shimmering ceiling. Its trades hall furnishings are mostly intact.
The venue has played host to household names including Lady Gaga, Dave Grohl and Christine & The Queens, while also providing a vital space for local artists to make their break.
MOTH have received support from across the music and nightlife scene with the likes of Lewis Capaldi, Tame Impala and Green Day all backing a Change.org petition opposing the proposed developments that now has over 30,000 signatures.
Mayor of Hackney Caroline Woodley said in a statement: “In Hackney we’re proud of our nightlife and live music and performance scene, and we know just how vital spaces like MOTH Club are for the communities in our borough.
“I have not seen any planning proposals that suggest the closure of MOTH Club. As far as I’m concerned MOTH Club will remain a treasured space for the Hackney community to gather.
“The proposals for new development close to MOTH Club have been put forward by private developers on land that they own. Like every council, Hackney’s planning authority has a duty to consider planning applications against planning policies, and unfortunately the Council cannot comment on proposals whilst this process is occurring.
“However, Hackney’s planning policies include an ‘agent of change’ principle, which places responsibility on a new development to mitigate for noise, rather than existing venues to change how they operate.”
But supporters of the venue have said the mayor’s assurances are not enough. Green Party councillor Zoë Garbett said: “It has been frustratingly difficult for residents, campaigners, and the venue itself to understand where the application sits, what engagement has taken place, or how potential impacts of construction are being addressed.
“To reference the mayor's recent statement saying there is no proposal to formally 'close' Moth Club misses the point. Cultural venues are rarely lost overnight - they are more often squeezed over time through noise complaints, licensing pressure, and weak or poorly enforced planning conditions."
The Music Venue Trust said in response to the mayor’s statement: “Hackney’s statement sends a welcome signal but the planning process is ongoing and no application has yet been tested at committee stage.
“Until we see demonstrably robust protections built into any proposal and enforced through construction, the future of MOTH Club cannot be considered secure.”
The planning applications were submitted by Stephen Davy Peter Smith Architects on behalf of the applicants. They include five flats and ground floor commercial unit at 2 Morning Lane, and a six-storey building with seven flats and ground floor commercial unit at 6 Morning Lane.
Stephen Davy Peter Smith Architects has been contacted for comment.
Kojey Radical plays the Royal Albert Hall on 20 May, 2026. Tickets can be found here.
