FROME Jazz Club has cancelled its upcoming appearances at the Cornerhouse, Christchurch Street East, until further notice.
Speaking on behalf of the club, Keith Harrison-Broninski said, “John Law and I are sorry to announce that Frome Jazz Club is having a hiatus while we sort out its financials. Martin Earley of The Cornerhouse Frome has sponsored the club since May 2017, for which we are enormously grateful, but even with Martin’s love of jazz, we all need to recognise that the ongoing losses he incurs are not sustainable.
“The underlying problem is that we expected bar takings to cover most of the event costs, but our audience are not heavy drinkers, and certainly not on a Sunday night. So we are working with Martin on other options, such as moving the club to a different venue where we can cover expenses by selling tickets.
“We may also run a crowdfunding campaign, and seek feedback from past club visitors as to how often they would attend ticketed jazz events in a small country town.
“Our apologies to you all, and I hope to be back in touch as soon as possible with better news. I’d just like to finish by saying again how grateful we are to Martin Earley for his commitment to Frome Jazz Club. The last two years have seen some wonderful gigs, well-attended and with great, sometimes rapturous, audience feedback.
“It has been a pleasure to perform in the intimate, friendly setting of The Cornerhouse Frome and there have been many very special nights that those present will remember for a long time to come. Onwards and upwards!”
