LEADING Midsomer Norton artist, Gardna, has expressed his gratitude to a local music venue which will close its doors at the end of the year.

Frome’s 23 Bath Street will close at the end of 2024, marking the end of a decade of supporting local music producers.

Gardna, whose real name is Luke Gardner, has become a well-known name in the UK dance and electronic scene and says the venue was important to him in his early days.

“23 Bath Street remains one of my favourite venues in the South West,” said Gardna, who has since performed at established events including Glastonbury and Boomtown.

He added: “I've played some amazing gigs there and made lifelong friends there. Massive respect goes out to my good friends Toby and Lark, who ran a tight ship for such a long time, even hosting shows throughout the pandemic.”

“I want to give a shoutout to Ramona, Brin, Elfin, and all the amazing staff and local faces who came together to create such an incredible vibe and put Frome on the map for decent club nights and live music. See you for one last send-off on Boxing Day."

Over the years, the venue has been a hub for live performances, offering a stage for both new and established artists. 

The venue announced on its Facebook page: “It is with great sadness that we announce 23 Bath Street is closing. We have handed our notice in and our last ever event will be New Year’s Eve.

“We intend to go out on a high, and look to support as many events and parties as we can, as well as going back through our huge archive of previous acts and selecting some of the finest for one last performance under our 23 Bath Street banner.

“We have worked hard for 10 years providing a professional, safe, fun, creative and supportive events venue but due to the combination of high costs, increased costs of living, change of audience behaviour, building issues and being 100 per cent independent, the venue is unfortunately untenable for us.”

While those who currently run the venue will be stepping away, its supporters locally hope new management may step in to keep it open. People who use the venue want to see it continue to support talent by hosting events in the community, which have become important to many people in the area.