Double Blow for Live Music in Hastings

The live music scene in Hastings suffered two setbacks last week, with the temporary closure of The Tubman, and the news that Smugglers is losing its landlord.

Signs in the window of The Tubman this weekend, ahead of a scheduled gig by Bloodloss and Ashes Remain, announced it was 'Closed Until Further Notice'. Almost every young rock band in the East region has played the Cambridge Road pub in recent years, with an impressive roll-call of the scene, including Noisepilots, Soul Sanctuary, Maid Of Ace, Genovese and Los Salvadores, lined-up for the pub's Tubstock 2 event next weekend - now relocated to take place at The Crypt and Brass Monkey on June 27-28. For further information, visit the Tubman's former promoters on their MySpace.

Meanwhile, Ewen Smith, landlord of Smugglers, has announced he is leaving the pub, at an unspecified date in the next few weeks. The White Rock venue has become a second home for several generations of the region's musicians under Ewen's stewardship, mixing up & coming young acts with veterans of Hastings' folk, blues, psych, punk and rock scenes.

Rumiko Jr, whose association with the neighbouring Musical Xchange shop saw them become effectively Smugglers' house band, paid tribute to Ewen in their mail-out this week, saying, 'Ewan has been an immense influence and support to so many musicians, not just those from Hastings but from all over the world. A friend of ours once described him as histories eternal landlord fitting right in in Tombstone 1881, 1930's Chicago, 50's Soho etc: one man in control of the neighbourhood's drinking patterns, however rowdy they might be. We will certainly miss him.'

With the future of live music at both The Tubman and Smugglers currently uncertain, East will be following events at both venues closely. In the meantime, we wish the landlords of both pubs, past and present, every success in the future.

The final night of Rumiko Jr's long-running residency at Smugglers takes place this Friday, June 26, with special guests Regular John.

The Tubman, last weekend.

Smugglers at it's finest.