RIP Crobar

[salem]

Legendary London rock bar The Crobar is closing its doors

Legendary London rock bar The Crobar is closing its doors due to issues caused by the coronavirus pandemic, it has been announced.

www.nme.com

Cracking venue, spent many nights there. Gutted to see it's inevitable demise. About the right size for a Starbucks or some other such shite.

On a personal note it's probably the last of the places I used to go out to around there when I was coming of age (off the top of my head Metro, Astoria, 12 Bar, LA2/Meanfiddler, Intrepid Fox, Borderline all gone).

It's good that music evolves and places come and go giving generations a chance to find their own feet and metal does sometime seem a bit too conservative and backward looking but it really does feel like these places aren't being replaced with anything.

It's just culture being replaced with corporate.

 

[AverageJoe]

The message I saw online said that the owner is going to try and open a new Crobar, which is great.

I hope he puts in a wider front door though. That last one was ridiculous!

 

[skyscraper101]

How sad. I wasn't a frequent visitor but I always liked that it was there and it managed to survived the demise of the Astoria and all the metal gigs there.

Hopefully it will return elsewhere, but for now it's sadly just another nail in the coffin for alternative West End venues.

 

[wiskey]

Aww we used to have some good LAS nights out in the place next door and end up in the crobar

 

[Plumdaff]

When I first met my now other half we had quite a few well refreshed evenings that ended up in there. Hope it manages to find another venue. That part of the city has been completely decimated hasn't it?

 

[skyscraper101]

When I first met my now other half we had quite a few well refreshed evenings that ended up in there. Hope it manages to find another venue. That part of the city has been completely decimated hasn't it?

I think they were hanging on for a court ruling about insurance which went against them but clearly also the landlords not playing ball was the end.

 

[ska invita]

When I first met my now other half we had quite a few well refreshed evenings that ended up in there. Hope it manages to find another venue. That part of the city has been completely decimated hasn't it?

aye...ive never hread of this place or even seen it...googled and heres the current view

 

[editor]

Legendary London rock bar The Crobar is closing its doors

Legendary London rock bar The Crobar is closing its doors due to issues caused by the coronavirus pandemic, it has been announced.

www.nme.com

Cracking venue, spent many nights there. Gutted to see it's inevitable demise. About the right size for a Starbucks or some other such shite.

On a personal note it's probably the last of the places I used to go out to around there when I was coming of age (off the top of my head Metro, Astoria, 12 Bar, LA2/Meanfiddler, Intrepid Fox, Borderline all gone).

Central London has been wiped clean of any rock and roll culture. The Astoria was a big loss, but the 12 Bar was one that hurt the most for me. Not as influential, but in its own way, as important as CBGBs in NY to the local scene.

Some memories

Intrepid Fox pub, 97-99 Wardour Street, Soho, London, W1F 0UD

Fat White Family headline the Antifolk Festival at Soho’s fabulous 12 Bar venue -

Located by Tottenham Court Road tube station, the 12 Bar in Denmark Street is one of the very last rock'n'roll venues left anywhere near Soho, and it's one that's well worth supporting. On Saturday night, I popped in to check out the biannual Anti Folk festival, and had a great time...

www.urban75.org

Ten Years Ago: London’s Astoria Theatre closes for good, Jan 2009 – in photos -

Here's the sad sight of the Astoria Theatre in central London after it had closed its doors for good in January 2009. Opening at a cinema in 1927, the 2,000 capacity venue was converted for use as a theatre in 1976, and from 1985 until the 14th Jan, 2009 it was exclusively used as a

www.urban75.org

 

[AverageJoe]

Some of the guys from Intrepid Fox are still working hard to keep the scene alive but have had to decamp to Camden.

They're having a massively hard time at the moment with Covid restrictions but with any alternative scene it's a passion and not a businnes project.

I hope they all get through this. Life without scuzzy metal bars isn't a life I want to be in. I've met some of my best friends in places like this.

 

[salem]

ska invita It's just like 2 doors down from where the Borderline/Orange Yard which I recall you posting about so you'd likely have passed it.

AverageJoe where is that? I know they took over the Archway Tavern for a bit but I didn't think that worked out.

 

[AverageJoe]

Yeah the Archway didn't work out so they moved opposite the Devonshire Arms in Camden. That lease ran out so they're back above the Archway Tavern.

Heres their latest event.

Tickets for VOODOO LONDON - LOUNGE 666

Find tickets for VOODOO ROCK LONDON showing at the Kolis (The Lounge) - London , GB Friday Sep 25, 8:00PM

www.ticketweb.uk

 

[editor]

It may return!

Heavy metal is law. There’s no point fighting it. There’s no point debating the fact. London is a town full of leather rebels, full-time thrashers and blast beat fanatics. Case-in-point: Crobar, the storied Soho heavy metal bar that was forced to close last year, has managed to raise a stonking £40,000 on Crowdfunder. The intent? To re-open the legendary, whisky-soaked venue in a different location.

This particular funding effort was managed after an earlier drive that drummed up £20k for paying the bar's furloughed or unemployed staff. Benevolent rock royal Dave Grohl even donated one of his drum cymbals to the cause. Yes, Dave! The new crowdfunder has a target of £95k, at which point Crobar owner Richard Crobar (not his real name) can go to the bank and ask for a business loan (the most metal form of loan).

Crobar wants to reopen because heavy metal is immortal

A big crowdfunder and documentary will help them do it

www.timeout.com

 

[ska invita]