The Moon latest of Cardiff music scene venues to close

The closure of The Moon is the latest in a long list of venues that have been lost in the city in recent times – including Gwdihŵ, Buffalo and 10 Feet Tall.

Former promoter and technical manager at the venue Ed Townend is quite pessimistic, and said: “The future’s pretty bleak.”

He described how staff didn’t find out about the closure until the day.

“A music venue like The Moon was everyone’s first step,” Ed added.

“A lot of people’s first gigs were here, or their first gigs that they put on themselves were here.”

Ed says the closure means fewer opportunities for emerging artists in the city, who rely on venues such as The Moon for their early gigs.

He said: “To have a venue like The Moon that was so in touch with the community, that first step is now gone.

“You have to make a bit of a giant leap to get to where you need to go, which isn’t really possible now in Cardiff.

“With music venues, the profit margins are so slim that one bad week, one bad month, can tip you over the edge.”