A thrilling new members' club situated backstage at London's iconic KOKO
With the support of locals like Charles Dickens (a regular at the neighbouring Hope & Anchor), the theatre opened to much fanfare and excitement, with the ribbon cut by fashion icon and actress du jour, Ellen Terry.
The venue quickly becomes a variety theatre, renamed Camden Hippodrome with performances from the likes of Charlie Chaplin.
Coinciding with the moving pictures boom, the venue reinvents as a Gaumont Pathé Cinema, the interiors an art-deco dream.
Lucky to survive bombing raids, as normality resumed after the Second World War the BBC purchased the Victorian theatre, transforming it into a radio broadcast studio and the home of the BBC Theatre Orchestra.
The Rolling Stones cut early sessions at the studios, before performing in the newly christened ‘Camden Theatre’.
The building’s unique structure and history was formally recognised with a Grade II listing saving it from demolition. Many of its original features have been sympathetically maintained and restored in recent years.
After a disco-stint as Nero’s nightclub, the nascent energy of punk and new wave saw the venue renamed The Music Machine, hosting a near-definitive list of underground music over the decade that followed. As part of this, The Clash take up a four-day residency at the venue.
The era of the New Romantics begins, with fans gathering for the likes of Spandau Ballet, Simple Minds, Adam Ant, UltraVox and Culture Club. Christened The Camden palace in 1981. The venue shifts identity throughout the coming years, as music culture rapidly evolves. 1983 sees Madonna perform her first UK show and in 1988, Prince performs gigs and after-shows as part of his Lovesexy tour, falling in love with a venue he'd return to again and again.
The arrival of rave culture brings with it nights like Vital, and early appearances from The Prodigy, Grooverider and Nicky Blackmarket, though headline acts still perform, including Blur.
The Palace era comes to an end, with the venue in a sad state of disuse. It’s purchased by Mint Entertainment CEO, Olly Bengough, who begins a multimillion-pound refurbishment, determined to restore the venue to its former glory. KOKO opens in 2004, continuing an incredible music legacy.
Now equipped with state-of-the-art facilities for live concerts and club nights, NME Club nights begin, with headline acts including Camden residents Amy Winehouse, Pete Doherty and The Libertines. Continuing a reputation for legendary headline performers, KOKO welcomes an array of artists, from Noel Gallagher, Kasabian and Thom Yorke, to Christina Aguilera, Amy Winehouse, Klaxons and Biffy Clyro.
Katy Perry and Lily Allen perform intimate one-off shows, as we’re joined by artists including The Fall, Peaches, The Temper Trap, La Roux, Dinosaur Jr. KOKO launches a new TV production company, KOKO TV to provide a new platform for artists and their content, while in The Theatre, performers include Babyshambles, New York Dolls, Yeasayer, Good Charlotte, Everything Everything ft. The Hurts.
Artist of the moment, Ed Sheeran plays a secret show to launch ‘X’, and Prince returns to KOKO for another secret show. Kanye West plays a surprise show featuring special guests Skepta, Vic Mensa and Wu Tang Clan members and Prince performs his final London show. Ariana Grande, HER, Denzel Curry, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Brockhampton and Not3s are among the last acts to perform, before KOKO closes in May 2019 for a restoration and redevelopment project.
Sixty firefighters and 150,000 litres of water are required to fight a blazing fire, which completely destroys the Theatre’s iconic copper dome. Fortunately, no-one is injured, and work continues to restore the venue – including an incredibly ambitious replica of the dome.
Following an extensive redevelopment that see’s the venue extended to encompass adjoining buildings, KOKO reopens as an incredible new cultural destination. A former piano factory and The Hope & Anchor pub have been transformed into The House of KOKO and Café KOKO. Arcade Fire, Central Cee and Luciano headline the opening weekend, setting the precedent for hundreds of live music and electronic club nights to come.