Clubs and Pubs
Anyone been here before? Is it better than the Hammersmith Odeon? Yeah you even get a film here. You don't get a film at the Hammersmith Odeon. You don't get a rainbow at the Rainbow either. Hugh Cornwell - X Certs 1978
It's a tale of two years for Punk in the late seventies. While 1976 established Punk in the tabloid's and the public's minds as a violent destructive force on a par with Genghis Khan, so many venues banned Punk rock leaving just the Roxy Club the sole operator in effect.
Come 1977, and the realisation that Punk wasn't just a fad, had commercial value and was re-injecting life into both records and gigs then the floodgates opened. In this section we look at some of the key venues that bands played from the small to the large as they ascended the gig circuit of success! Some are clubs and some are venues.
Turn to any of the Live pages in the Music weeklies such as Sounds, NME or Melody Maker and you'd find at least a page crammed with music venues advertising their wares.
100 Club – London
The 100 Club is the famous London venue that held the 1976 Punk Rock Festival with the Sex Pistols, Clash and others. Still putting on gigs.
CBGB – New York
CBGB was Hilly Kristal’s legendary New York music venue that helped the emerging punk and art scenes in the Bowery in the seventies.
Dingwalls – London
Dingwalls Dance Hall, now the Powerhaus, at Camden Lock is one of those forgotten legendary music venues on the London Circuit.
Hammersmith Odeon – London
The Hammersmith Odeon was a larger gig venue that initially bands like Patti Smith, Ramones & Television played.
Man In The Moon
The Man In The Moon was a pub on the KIng’s Road. London and popular with punks in early 1977 due to gigs featuring X Ray Spex and The Ants.
Max’s Kansas City – New York
Max’s Kansas City was a legendary New York venue from the sixties with an alternative crowd and later gave a home to emerging US punk bands.
The Hope & Anchor – London
The Hope & Anchor in Islington London was a key venue for both emerging punk and pub bands in 1977.
The Marquee – London
The Marquee was arguably the most famous and iconic music club in the world located in Wardour Street London that put on punk gigs.
The Music Machine – London
The Music Machine is a concert venue and former theatre in Camden Town, London, that put on regular punk gigs like The Clash.
The Nashville – London
The Nashville Room was a music venue in Kensington London which saw Pub Rock, souped up R&B and then Punk.
The Rainbow – London
The Rainbow was a music venue in Finsbury Park that featured the legendary Clash gig where the seats were ripped out and thrown onstage.
The Red Cow – London
The Red Cow was at 157 Hammersmith Road, London W6. Bands who played included The Stranglers, 999, The Damned, the Police & The Jam.
The Roebuck
The Roebuck was a pub n the corner of the King’s Road & Beaufort Street London that was frequented by punks for a short period of time.
The Roundhouse – London
The Roundhouse was a legendary music venue in Camden that held gigs featuring everyone from the Doors to the Stranglers.
The Roxy Club
The Roxy was located at 41–43 Neal Street in London’s Covent Garden and was key to the rise and continue spread of Punk from 1976-1978 under Andrew Czezowski & Kevin St John.
The Vortex – London
The Vortex was after The Roxy Club the second legendary London Punk club and which also released a live album from the club.
