Address: 207 Upper Street, London N1.
Dates: 1973 to date.
Capacity: 80.
This venue is in the cellar of a pub, with space for only a very small audience. From October 1971 the landlord, Fred Grainger, started hosting jazz, blues and folk performers (Phil Seaman had a residency). Then the Hope & Anchor became associated with Pub Rock, following an initial appearance by Brinsley Schwarz in January 1973. All the major Pub Rock acts appeared here, and many of them performed free in 1976 when Grainger had financial problems. Then in 1977 booking were taken over by the Albion Agency (already running the Red Cow and Nashville Room). Grainger was ousted and John Eichler (who had joined Grainger in a partnership) became the new landlord. The Pub Rock boom was over in a few years. Despite various crises (it closed for a while in 1984) the pub continues as a rock venue until this day.
Tags: Music Venue London Current Venue Rock Music Pub Rock Hope & Anchor
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Address: 184 Camden High Street, London NW1.
Dates: 1978 to date.
Capacity: 1,100.
This was an Irish Dance Hall from the mid 1930s. In 1938 it was bought by Bill Fuller. Initially called the Buffalo, in the 1960 it became the Carousel. Then in July 1978 it was relaunched as a rock venue by Fuller and Frank Murray (former manager of Thin Lizzy), now called the Electric Ballroom. One of the first gigs in August 1978 was Sid Vicious. In recent years the music has ranged from indie to metal (though sometimes discos have predominated over live music) with responsibility for management recently passing to Fuller’s daughter Kate. In the early 2000s the Electric Ballroom survived the threat of demolition to make way for a new development around Camden Town tube station. It is large venue with two dance floors and several bars.
Tags: Music Venue London Current Venue Rock Music Electric Ballroom
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Address: 94 Parkway, London NW1.
Dates: late 1970s to date.
Capacity: 250.
In 1970 the pub’s then landlord built a club room at the back, which was used for music events. Since 1974 the landlords have been members of the Conlon family. One of the early forays into Rock music saw Madness play some of their earliest gigs here in 1979. In the 1980s performers represented the mix of American Roots styles (Americana, R and B, rockabilly, etc) featured in many pubs at the immediate post Pub rock period. In more recent years it has been a home for indie Rock.
I haven’t been to this venue since I saw Lightnin' Willie & the Poorboys in 1993.
Tags: Music Venue London Current Venue Rock Music American Roots Music Dublin Castle
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Address: 389 Kentish Town Road, London NW5.
Dates: 1980 to date.
Capacity: 200.
This room at the back of a pub had various uses including a snooker hall and laundrette before becoming a music venue in 1980. The landlords then, and until 2005, were Padraig (Pat) and Margaret Linsky. In the first decade American Roots styles (Americana, R and B, rockabilly, etc) predominated. Since then numerous bookers and styles of Rock have taken their turn at the venue.
I made several visits in the early to mid 1980s when I lived very close to this venue, including gigs with Juice on the Loose, Red Beans & Rice, Hank Wangford and an Australian Folk-Rock band Mara. I came back for the first time in around 25 years to see a Boothill Foot-Tappers reunion in 2011.
Tags: Music Venue London Current Venue Rock Music American Roots Music Bull & Gate
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Address: 174 Camden High Street, London NW1.
Dates: 1990 to date.
Capacity: 500.
From many years this pub was known as the Mother Red Cap. It is now owned by Glendola Leisure who refurbished it and reopened it as the World’s End in 1990 (one of three pubs in London given this name). In the autumn of that year a music venue was launched underneath the pub - the Underworld. It has featured a variety of styles: indie, punk and goth as well as regular disco nights.
I’ve been here for The Men They Couldn’t Hang in 2004 and a Long Notes album launch in 2008.
Tags: Music Venue London Current Venue Rock Music Underworld
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