One of London’s most storied venues is set to stage a serious comeback – Barfly in Camden played host to the most intimate early gigs of many of the biggest names in music, and it’s returning to do it again. The new owners have announced plans to return the 200-capacity Camden Assembly to its former moniker, with Frank Turner to play the debut show this June.
CREDIT – Barfly
Initially a Camden pub named The Monarch which hosted live gigs, the site became the flagship venue of the Barfly club chain in 1997, and gained a reputation for hosting rock, alternative and independent shows. Through the next two decades, it became one of the most important destinations in the capital, a small grassroots venue which became a jumping-off point for any British band looking to move onto bigger things. In 2016, it closed and re-opened as the Camden Assembly, which it has operated as until now.
In its 20 years, the Camden Barfly gave a platform to many of the biggest artists in rock and pop today – the venue boasts early shows by the likes of Coldplay, The Killers, Muse, The 1975 and Ed Sheeran. In today’s update, new owners Propaganda Independent Venues (PIV) want to do it all again, by restoring the Assembly to the Barfly.
Their announcement says “Camden was once home to the most influential grassroots venue the world has ever seen. From 1996-2006 the Barfly was an institution: a 200-cap venue that opened the door to arena tours and hit records. If you were an act tipped for big things you played the Barfly.” PIV’s founders Dan Ickowitz-Seidler and Richard Buck plus their Barfly co-owner Chris McCormack are looking to take on the challenges of running an independent live music venue in the current climate, where it’s reported on average five venues have closed per day since 2019. McCormack played the Barfly with his band 3 Colours Red in 1997, while Ickowitz-Seidler, who had also played on stage there, promoted their Saturday clubnights and DJ’d on the final night before it closed.
The new Camden Barfly is set to open on the 22nd of June with its first gig booking being grassroots venue-champion Frank Turner. Turner’s former band Million Dead played their first ever show there in 2001, and since playing a record-breaking six shows there he’s gone on to use his platform as one of the nation’s top live acts to support the Music Venue Trust, playing benefit shows and actively keeping venues alive.
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In the announcement on their website, a statement from Ickowitz-Seidler reads “Barfly means so much to us all, and we’re honoured to be starting a new chapter in its story. We’ll be announcing more very special shows shortly, but Frank Turner is the perfect artist to relaunch the Barfly stage. He embodies everything Barfly stands for. I hope live music fans will come out and support not just Barfly, but grassroots venues across the country. Before so many of today’s biggest artists were filling arenas and headlining festivals, they played at Barfly. You could be watching the next festival headliner on our stage on any night. Before the arenas, they were here!”
The new and improved Barfly opens on the 22nd of June, promising a vinyl listening bar inspired by Tokyo music refuges, a new PA and speaker system, and a Wall of Fame documenting the venue’s deep history. For ticket access, sign up here for a chance to buy one on the morning of the 22nd.
