rock history

To millions of casual visitors, Camden Town is nowadays famous for its markets and the diversity of its shops and stalls - here it is possible to find just about anything from any country and culture on the planet! But its also worth remembering that Camden Town has played an important part in the recent history of British popular music. From the 1930's, and probably earlier, music has been a vital part of Camden life. It was around this time that many Irish immigrants began to settle in Camden and with them they brought their traditional music. Irish flute and fiddle musicians played in pubs and dance halls to an enthusiastic local audience. In the 1960's the broader appeal of Rock and Roll began to attract to Camden the attention of a wider musical public leading to its current position at the centre of London's music scene. The first major Rock and Roll event in Camden took place on October 15th 1966 at the Roundhouse, a converted former railway engine shed at the top of Chalk Farm Road. Pink Floyd and the Soft Machine performed that evening in an unconventional show, (which somehow involved jelly and a motor bike!) in front of a star-studded audience of 2000. This set the pattern for subsequent events at the Roundhouse - musical and theatrical they were never ordinary. Artists such as Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Marc Bolan, The Move, Cream, Hawkwind and many other top bands performed there over the next few years. In the 70's other important music venues opened in Camden including Dingwalls (1973), the Music Machine (1977), (which became the Camden Palace in 1982), and the Electric Ballroom (1978). At the same time several local pubs introduced live music including the Carnarvon (now Fusilier and Firkin), the Royal Exchange, the Monarch, the Devonshire Arms, the Falcon, Underworld, the Dublin Castle, and the Good Mixer. More recently (1990) the arrival on the scene of the Jazz Cafe introduced a different colour to this Camden musical tapestry. Over the years, an incredible number of bands have recorded, performed, or just hung out at these pubs and clubs. Camden Town was the birthplace of Britpop, even before someone coined the term. Blur, Pulp, and Oasis all have roots in Camden, several band members having lived here at the beginning of their musical careers. It was in the summer of 1995 that Britpop really arrived. Teenagers flocked to Camden to see the likes of Blur, Pulp, Oasis, The Stone Roses, Suede, Elastica, The Boo Radleys, Radiohead, Supergrass, Black Grape, Sleeper, Echobelly, and The Bluetones. Things really came to a head when Blur's 'Country House' and Oasis' 'Roll With It' were released on the same day - August 14th - and their battle to the top of the charts was billed in the media as the "The Battle Of Britpop". Blur won that singles race, but Oasis soon outsold them and their album '(What's The Story) Morning Glory?' became one of the biggest selling British albums in recent years. Later on in the year Suggs released his first solo album, which featured a song called Camden Town, which further increased public interest in the locality. Camden Town's musical reputation has attracted more than its share of media companies from record labels, like Creation, to the television giant MTV (Europe) which has its studios here right on the canal at Camden Lock. It is no surprise that well-known musicians are often seen in Camden's bars and shops. One, Prince = the Artist, even opened his own purple-painted store in Chalk Farm Road in the early 90's. A few of the many artists with a significant Camden connection :- Elvis Costello, Van Morrison, The Ramones, Madness, Blondie, U2, REM, The Clash, The Sex Pistols, Motorhead, Dire Straits, Bob Dylan, Smashing Pumpkins, Hole with Courtney Love etc. etc. Thanks to Ann Scanlon for permission to include much of the above text from her book: THOSE TOURISTS ARE MONEY: THE ROCK'N'ROLL GUIDE TO CAMDEN 1997. If you are interested in this corner of Rock and Roll history then these 234 pages, full of musical anecdotes and information about Camden Town make a fascinating read.