Final curtain for live music at Hammersmith Palais

This weekend marks a dark day for London's musical heritage as the legendary Hammersmith Palais prepares to host what could be its final live bands.

The venue's landlords are preparing to demolish the historic old ballroom, made famous by Joe Strummer and the Clash, to make way for yet another west London office block. While the Palais's owner, Barclub Ltd, which also runs the Po Na Na chain, has until November to give up the lease, the venue's promoters believe this weekend could be the final time live musicians grace the stage.

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Fittingly enough, two groups boasting members whose musical heritage stretches back to the 1970's live music heyday will be performing. On Saturday night it is The Good, The Bad and The Queen, featuring the former Clash bassist Paul Simonon and the ex-Blur frontman Damon Albarn. They will be accompanied by the Tony Allen Orchestra.

On Sunday, Mark E Smith's The Fall, who have been playing at the Palais on and off for some 30 years, will provide an appropriately dark finale. Dave Gaydon, the promoter, said club nights would continue throughout the summer, including the popular Old Skool, but it was unlikely any major acts would now be persuaded to play amid all the uncertainty.

Sadly for music fans, the Palais is closing after having successfully re-established itself as one of the capital's premier venues. "There were seven years without a single show and building it up again has taken the best part of two years, but since then it has snowballed," Mr Gaydon said.

Recent acts have included Justin Timberlake, Robert Plant, Duran Duran and Tom Jones. The venue also played host to this year's NME Awards. The renaissance of the Palais has much to do with the fact that it is liked by both fans and acts. "The stage runs the wrong way round, along the long wall rather than at the short end, so no one in the crowd feels a long way away. Bands love it because the stage is really big and they feel they can reach out and touch the audience," Mr Gaydon said.

Elsewhere, The Astoria, in Charing Cross Road, is also facing closure to allow further retail development of the area or to make way for CrossRail.

Built in 1919 every musical fashion has been heard at the Palais. Big bands and orchestras in the 1950s gave way to rock 'n' rollers and bands such as the Rolling Stones in the 1960s. Joe Strummer wrote "White Man in Hammersmith Palais" after a reggae show there in the 1970s.