The Venue (Victoria Street, London)

The Venue was a live music club at 160–162 Victoria Street, London, England, owned by Virgin Records. It opened its doors on 1 November 1978 and operated until 1984.^[1] The first act to play there was Graham Parker and The Rumour, followed by the last live performances by Alex Harvey before his death. Todd Rundgren played some dates there just before Christmas in 1978, as part of the tour to back up the Back to the Bars album; released for the Christmas market, at the time. Two shows were sometimes played per night, and the ambience was akin to a nightclub, where audience members sat at tables and could have drinks and meals while listening to the acts. It was also popular for use by record companies showcasing new signings to the music media.^[2]

Additional info

The sound system was supplied by Eastlake systems, it was their first foray into live sound.

The building first opened as the Metropole cinema on December 27, 1929.^[1][3] After The Venue closed, it was occupied by a Dicky Dirt's discount jeans shop in the mid 1980s and was a branch of the restaurant chain "Ask" prior to its demolition in early 2013 as part of a major redevelopment of the area.

Acts that played at the Venue

(In A-Z order.)

• After the Fire
• Al Green
• Alan Price
• Alan Vega (1 Jun 1982, 23 Oct 1983)^[4]
• Alberto y Lost Trios Paranoias (14 Mar 1981)^[5]
• Alex Harvey
• Altered Images (23 Sept 1981)
• Bert Jansch and Albert Lee
• Bethnal (28 April 1979)
• Bette Bright (4 June 1981)^[6] - alongside Motor Boys Motor
• Bill Haley and the Comets (17-20 November 1979)
• Blancmange
• Blue Öyster Cult (19 Aug 1981)^[7] - playing under the name Soft White Underbelly
• Blue 1979 - with support band Kokomo
• Brand X
• Bruford
• Cabaret Voltaire (band)
• Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band (12 and 14 Nov 1980) ^[2][8]
• Charlie Dore
• Charlie Haden's Liberation Music Orchestra
• Chris Rea
• Clint Eastwood & General Saint
• Cocteau Twins (16 Nov 1982)
• Cold Chisel
• Crosby & Nash (21 Apr 1980)
• Curtis Mayfield
• Dave Edmunds
• Defunkt
• Delta 5
• Depeche Mode (23 July 1981) ^[9]
• Devo (1979)
• Doll by Doll (18 Dec 1979)^[10]
• Fad Gadget (16 Feb 1983)
• Famous Blues Blasters
• Felt (15 Sept 1983) - opening for the Smiths
• The Four Bucketeers (22 Feb 1981) ^[11]
• Freeez
• Gary U.S. Bonds (14 Aug 1981)^[12]
• Gil Scott-Heron
• Ginger Baker's NNG (21 Sept 1979)
• Georgie Fame^[2]
• Graham Parker & the Rumour (1 Nov 1978)^[2]
• Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
• Hall & Oates
• Herbie Hancock
• Hi Tension
• Hugh Masekela
• Icehouse (22 Jul 1981) ^[13]
• Iggy Pop (with Nico)^[2]
• Incredible Kidda Band
• James Blood Ulmer
• James Brown
• Jan Akkerman
• Japan (30 January 1980)
• John Cale
• John Cooper Clarke (10 Dec 1980)
• John Miles (8 June 1979)
• John Stewart
• Johnny Winter
• Junior Walker and the Allstars
• Kajagoogoo (21 Jan 1983) ^[14]
• Kate & Anna McGarrigle (4 Aug 1981) ^[15]
• King Crimson (8 October 1981) ^[16]
• Klaus Schulze (22 Sep 1982)^[17]
• Kokomo (band)
• Legs and Co.
• Level 42 (21 Aug 1981) ^[18]
• Light Of The World
• Lindisfarne
• Machito
• McGuinn, Clark and Hillman
• Men at Work (25 Nov 1982)
• Merger (1981)^[19]
• Motor Boys Motor (4 Jun 1981) ^[6] - alongside Bette Bright
• Naked Lunch,21 September 1981 ^[20]
• Nikki Sudden band
• Nina Hagen
• Nine Below Zero
• Paul Brady (6 May 1981)^[21]
• Peter Green with The Exciters
• Peter Hamill
• Pigbag (9 Dec 1981)^[22]
• Q-Tips (11 Sep 1981 and 27 Mar 1982)
• Queen Ida
• Ramones^[2]
• Richard and Linda Thompson
• Rip Rig + Panic (9 Sept 1982)^[23]
• Rocket 88 (featuring Alexis Korner)
• Rockin' Dopsie
• Roger Chapman and the Shortlist^[24]
• Roman Holliday
• Rory Gallagher (July 1979)
• Roy Harper
• Shakatak
• Shannon
• Shock (troupe)
• Sniff 'n' the Tears (10 Jun 1981)^[25]
• Snips
• Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes
• Steve Hackett
• Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel
• Steve Hillage (10 Apr 1979)
• Stevie Ray Vaughan (8 Sept 1983)
• Sun Ra
• Sylvester and the Two Tons O' Fun (4 July, 1979)
• Taj Mahal
• The Alarm - (07 December 1981) - opening for The Fall
• The Armoury Show^[26]
• The Blow Monkeys (16 Feb 1983) - opening for Fad Gadget
• The Blues Band
• The Cars
• The Cramps
• The Fall (07 December 1981) - supported by The Alarm
• The Go-Betweens (15 Sept 1983) - opening for the Smiths
• The Go-Go's
• The Members (11 Apr 1981)
• The Monochrome Set (5 March 1981, 26 July 1982, 2 November 1982) ^[27]
• The Passions (17 Oct 1981)
• The Polecats (4 Apr 1981)^[28]
• The Pretty Things
• The Rivits (featuring Jess Roden)^[29]
• The Roches
• The Skids
• The Slits
• The Smiths (15 Sept 1983)^[2]
• The Sugarhill Gang (Feb 1980)
• The Yachts
• T34 (three times in 1982) ^[30] (This is not T-34, the rock band featuring Al Murray.)
• Tik and Tok
• Tito Puente
• Todd Rundgren (Dec 1978)
• Tom Verlaine (9 and 10 June 1982)
• UK
• U2 (18 Dec 1979)^[10]
• Virgin Prunes (March 1981)
• Wang Chung (4 Feb 1982)^[31] (as "Huang Chung")
• Wilko Johnson
• XTC (1980)
• Yellow Magic Orchestra (16 & 24 October 1979)
• Zeitgeist

Coordinates: 51°29′53″N 0°08′00″W / 51.4981°N 0.1332°W / 51.4981; -0.1332

References

External links

• Photos of the Venue - Flickr set by dusashenka
• Various Venue posters etc - A lot of bands are listed on posters here, although it is quite hard to see the dates
• More Venue related images