British rock legends The Rolling Stones are aiming to help save a historic cinema in London.
The Rolling Stones began life as a rough and ready R&B group, in thrall to the dirty sounds emanating from Chicago. The band’s love of the blues took them to Chess Records, where they recorded a celebrated EP.
That journey was recently dramatised in a memorable scene in recent Chess biopic ‘Cadillac Records’, but it seems that the band’s past is still fresh with Mick Jagger aiming to save one of the group’s old stomping grounds.
The Rolling Stones played a number of shows in the Wlathamstow EMD cinema in London, which has now fallen into a state of dis-repair. The building was bought by the Universal Church Of The Kingdom Of God, but according to BBC News planning permission to develop the historic cinema has been refused.
Mick Jagger played at the venue numerous times in the 60s, when the building was known as the Granada. An important stepping stone for groups, it helped launch numerous bands to success in a period when the streets of London were seemingly lined with gold discs.
In a statement the Rolling Stones singer said:
“Cinemas and live venues like the Granada where the Stones played in the early days, learning our craft on the way, are the lifeblood of our cultural history,” he said.
He added: “They helped launched British popular music on to a world stage and should continue to function as places of entertainment and enjoyment.”
“It’s heartbreaking to hear about such a beautiful, important historical building and centre of entertainment being lost to the local community. I fully support the campaign to keep it open and provide film, music and the arts for generations to come.”
The Rolling Stones, of course, are no strangers to the world of cinema. The band teamed up with Jean-Luc Godard for the famously impenetrable studio film ‘One By One’ while most recently the group recorded the celebrated tour documentary ‘Shine A Light’.
Shot in glorious style by long term fan Martin Scorcese, the film went on to become a sizeable box office success in 2007. Scorcese, of course, previously worked on The Band’s finale ‘The Last Waltz’.
The fight to save the Granada is ongoing.
