I was back in Islington London the weekend and as usual I'd pass my old haunts and shed the odd tear for what has replaced some of them.
The Hope'n'Anchor is now a painful reminder of what happens when a corporate chain decides to go castro with know thought for the old girls history. But back in the day it was the birth place of legends.
It should have remained as it stood then on historic grounds in much the same way the cavern is nowadays. The signatures on the dressing room walls and ceilings was probably the finest most random selection of rock, punk, blues,ska, new wave, reggae memorabilia I've ever seen as everyone who is anyone passed through it enroute to much bigger things. But sadly and like a lot of my old haunts it got trashed, skipped then eventually made way for the nothingness it is now.
Great memories of a great place indeed. Check out some of the names and entry prices on the poster covering a random week. The youtube link at the bottom is the stranglers playing to its 100 max capacity to give you some idea, apologies for the sound quality it's rare footage indeed
https://youtu.be/CBKb0iZSTfo
The Hope'n'Anchor is now a painful reminder of what happens when a corporate chain decides to go castro with know thought for the old girls history. But back in the day it was the birth place of legends.
It should have remained as it stood then on historic grounds in much the same way the cavern is nowadays. The signatures on the dressing room walls and ceilings was probably the finest most random selection of rock, punk, blues,ska, new wave, reggae memorabilia I've ever seen as everyone who is anyone passed through it enroute to much bigger things. But sadly and like a lot of my old haunts it got trashed, skipped then eventually made way for the nothingness it is now.
Great memories of a great place indeed. Check out some of the names and entry prices on the poster covering a random week. The youtube link at the bottom is the stranglers playing to its 100 max capacity to give you some idea, apologies for the sound quality it's rare footage indeed
https://youtu.be/CBKb0iZSTfo