Did the Meltdown meltdown?

September 14, 2006 1:41 PM

London MeFis: Whatever happened to the Meltdown Festival?

Meltdown seems to have been the most amazing music/arts festival ever. It appears the last one was in 2005, curated by Patti Smith and immortalized by the live 30th anniversary reissue of her amazing album Horses.

What happened to Meltdown? I can't find a trace of it on the web.

posted by jasper411 to Media & Arts (5 answers total)

The Royal Festival Hall is closed for a complete refit (from the outside it looks like they're gutting it and starting again) and won't reopen until mid-2007.
posted by Hogshead at 1:48 PM on September 14, 2006

from the outside it looks like they're gutting it and starting again

There was a thing about this in last week's Time Out ("Blagger's guide to culture" on the cover, if you have it) written by Bob St Etienne, and yes, that's pretty much what they're doing.
posted by cillit bang at 1:57 PM on September 14, 2006

Response by poster: Thanks Hogshead and cillit - I'll look for that issue of Time Out. I wonder if they're going to have one in summer 2007? I sure would love to make plans and come to see it, if it's happening!
posted by jasper411 at 2:28 PM on September 14, 2006

When Robert Wyatt did it I went to most of them - amazing stuff: free jazz, stand-up comedy (or at least Mark Thomas), Elvis Costello supported by Ivor Cutler and rounded off by David Gilmour.

Also: indoors with proper toilets and fifteen minutes walk from my house. That's what I call a festival.
posted by Grangousier at 3:36 PM on September 14, 2006

And as regards the redevelopment, check out the webcams.
posted by Grangousier at 3:38 PM on September 14, 2006