Historic Yes/prog sites in London

[malgeo]

I’m going to London for a few days next month, tagging along with my wife, who is attending a conference there. I’ll have plenty of time to kill during the day, and I thought it would be cool to visit some historic prog sites (even if they no longer exist). Suggestions would be most appreciated! Here’s what I’ve come up with so far:

Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street. Many early prog bands played here.

La Chasse Club, 100 Wardour Street. This is where Jon Anderson met Chris Squire!

Blaises, 121 Queen’s Gate. This is where Yes famously subbed for Sly and the Family Stone at the last minute.

Advision Studios, 23 Gosfield Street. Many great prog bands recorded here, of course.

50A Munster Road. This is the flat where Yes (excepting Tony Kaye) lived communally in 1969.

[Deano]

You could try some of these:-

http://pinkfloydtouroflondon.com/lastgo.htm

[malgeo]

Fantastic! Thanks, Deano.

[Svetonio]

I’m going to London for a few days next month, tagging along with my wife, who is attending a conference there. I’ll have plenty of time to kill during the day, and I thought it would be cool to visit some historic prog sites (even if they no longer exist). Suggestions would be most appreciated! Here’s what I’ve come up with so far:

Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street. Many early prog bands played here.

La Chasse Club, 100 Wardour Street. This is where Jon Anderson met Chris Squire!

Blaises, 121 Queen’s Gate. This is where Yes famously subbed for Sly and the Family Stone at the last minute.

Advision Studios, 23 Gosfield Street. Many great prog bands recorded here, of course.

50A Munster Road. This is the flat where Yes (excepting Tony Kaye) lived communally in 1969.

As a tourist to another tourist, I'd like to suggest you this pub which is a legendary place mostly due to all those rock stars who were drinking there in the golden era:

http://smokealondonpeculiar.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/soho-pubs/ship.jpg

http://pubwalks-uk.com/ship-soho.htm

[Trane]

You could try some of these:-

http://pinkfloydtouroflondon.com/lastgo.htm




http://pubwalks-uk.com/ship-soho.htm

Two good sites I will certainly examine closer for my future trip to London and the Floyd exihibition coming up.

thanks to both of you

[Cyberian Cat]

The Fulham Palace Café where King Crimson was born!

[bondegezou]

I’m going to London for a few days next month, tagging along with my wife, who is attending a conference there. I’ll have plenty of time to kill during the day, and I thought it would be cool to visit some historic prog sites (even if they no longer exist). Suggestions would be most appreciated! Here’s what I’ve come up with so far:

Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street. Many early prog bands played here.

La Chasse Club, 100 Wardour Street. This is where Jon Anderson met Chris Squire!

Blaises, 121 Queen’s Gate. This is where Yes famously subbed for Sly and the Family Stone at the last minute.

Advision Studios, 23 Gosfield Street. Many great prog bands recorded here, of course.

50A Munster Road. This is the flat where Yes (excepting Tony Kaye) lived communally in 1969.

Steven Sullivan and I did our own Yes tour a few years back. I think the relevant photos and description are somewhere on the ForgottenYesterdays site or the FY Facebook site.

Wardour Street's been re-developed, so I don't think the relevant buildings are there any more. 50A Munster Road is and looks just the same. There's a pub near me in Kentish Town where Mabel Greer's Toyshop used to rehearse.

Henry

[Sunlight Caller]

Some of the historic concert venues could be worth a visit, notably:

The Royal Albert Hall - Where Yes supported Cream on their farewell show, and of course where they and many others have played subsequently. I believe there are guided tours, and it would be very interesting to see back stage etc, in such an historic venue.

Hammersmith Odeon - Now called The Apollo, it's been the site of many a wonderful prog gig / rock gig. I've seen Yes here many times too.

Royal Festival Hall - On the South Bank of the Thames, and is an arts complex very worth visiting. There are some prog connections, VDGG played here on their reunion tour. I've seen Kraftwerk, Steven Wilson, Steve Howe (in the smaller Queen Elizabeth Hall), amongst many others, though it is more renowned as a classical venue.

The Barbican - Another arts complex, that has held the occasional gig, including Camel's hugely emotional and wonderful return after Andy's recovery.

There's so much to see in London, but they will give you a start.

[Matt Stevens]

The Peel - Kingston.

Most important prog venues of the last 10 years everyone inc Fish,Oceansize, Amplifier, Tinyfish, Pallas, Pendragon, Knifeworld, Haken, Frost, IQ etc etc . Sadly it's been knocked down.

Not very useful, apologies.

[Yellow Jester]

I’m going to London for a few days next month, tagging along with my wife, who is attending a conference there. I’ll have plenty of time to kill during the day, and I thought it would be cool to visit some historic prog sites (even if they no longer exist). Suggestions would be most appreciated! Here’s what I’ve come up with so far:

Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street. Many early prog bands played here.

La Chasse Club, 100 Wardour Street. This is where Jon Anderson met Chris Squire!

Blaises, 121 Queen’s Gate. This is where Yes famously subbed for Sly and the Family Stone at the last minute.

Advision Studios, 23 Gosfield Street. Many great prog bands recorded here, of course.

50A Munster Road. This is the flat where Yes (excepting Tony Kaye) lived communally in 1969.

How about Advision Sound Studios? This is where Yes recorded their seminal albums; The Yes Album, Fragile & Close To The Edge.

[Rufus]

The Electric Ballroom in Camden Town has a great musical history and still is a live venue and holds Records Fairs. Google it. Camden is a great Town too, vibrant and lively. Well worth a visit,

[Sunlight Caller]

^ definitely, it is more of a punk / Brit pop type of scene / history, but a cool alternative to mainstream London.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[GuitarGeek]

Marquee Club, 90 Wardour Street. Many early prog bands played here.
.

Many rock bands period played there. It was the venue in London if you were an up and coming band, that's where you wanted to play, and a lot of established bands and performers still performed there when they wanted to do something "intimate". Gary Moore recorded a live album (released against his wishes, actually) at the Marquee in the early 80's.

[Svetonio]

Oh and I forgot to suggest O'Neill's bar at Soho where the legends like Jimi Hendrix played in the 60s.
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g186338-d1044510-Reviews-O_Neill_s_Wardour_Street-London_England.html

[Sunlight Caller]

^ Next door to O'Nelll's is one of the most famous Chinese restaurants in London, Wong Kei, which is well worth a visit. The only prog connection I can think of is that I took Lino there when he was over earlier this year, we went to O'Neill's too for that matter ;)

[Rufus]

There's also Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club on Oxford Street. It would be easier to list who hasn't rather than who has played at this Iconic club!

[Scott Bails]

I understand that it's not "in London," but would a day trip to "Yes Tor" be worthy?

[malgeo]

Many, many thanks for all the suggestions! Regarding Yes Tor, I just looked it up on Wikipedia: "It lies within a British Army firing range and safe access is only possible on days or nights when firing is not taking place." So I guess I will have to cross that one off the list!

[andypashley]

I understand that it's not "in London," but would a day trip to "Yes Tor" be worthy?

From London? It's a fairly long "day trip", especially with the hike involved getting up there!

[Scott Bails]

Many, many thanks for all the suggestions! Regarding Yes Tor, I just looked it up on Wikipedia: "It lies within a British Army firing range and safe access is only possible on days or nights when firing is not taking place." So I guess I will have to cross that one off the list!


From London? It's a fairly long "day trip", especially with the hike involved getting up there!

Okay, maybe not. :lol

[Steve983]

I understand that it's not "in London," but would a day trip to "Yes Tor" be worthy?

I finally made it there in the summer, spectacular.
http://i754.photobucket.com/albums/xx186/olias1/P1010027.jpg (http://s754.photobucket.com/user/olias1/media/P1010027.jpg.html)

[per anporth]

At this very moment, most of Dartmoor looks more like an ocean than a moor (& I don't mean a topographic ocean). You'd be more likely to see Mr & Mrs Noah than you would be to see Yes Tor.

[Progbear]

Steve, that photo makes me want to make the trip up to Yes Tor. I kind of already did, but seeing that makes me want to do so even more.

[DrGoon]

275 Portobello Road, Notting Hill - for sale, formerly Talkhouse Coffee, formerly The Mountain Grill Restaurant - "and in the grove, by gate and hill, midst merry throng and market clatter - stood the Hall of the Mountain Grill where table strain'd 'neath loaded platter".

Notting Hill and Ladbroke Grove are worth a pilgrimage - the home of Frendz magazine, squats inhabited by Clapton and Hendrix, The Globe pub (next door to a studio that Yes recorded at), The Tabernacle (where Floyd and the Stones rehearsed), SARM studios, the original Virgin Records and Tapes, Samarkand Hotel where Hendrix died...

[Steve983]

Steve, that photo makes me want to make the trip up to Yes Tor. I kind of already did, but seeing that makes me want to do so even more.

I'd been wanting to do it since 1978. Head for Okehampton and follow the signs for the (Army) Camp. Most importantly pick a day with nice weather!
Check below that the army aren't using it for firing practice, and here's a video from Dave Rich on You Tube.

http://www.dartmoorpreservation.com/firing-notices/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYXVxj57J0I&list=PLYZEmHCReG2Y8T1syLY5JPCIx1Lhokw7C&index=10

[kaltfeuer]

Does anyone know where the abandoned cinema is / was which ELP bought and used as rehearsal facility? I seems to have been in Fulham High Street but where exactly?


9566

[Sunlight Caller]

Does anyone know where the abandoned cinema is / was which ELP bought and used as rehearsal facility? I seems to have been in Fulham High Street but where exactly?

9566

Follow this link for more information and location... http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/14898

[JJ88]

Not been myself but there's also Wembley Arena where Yes did multiple nights in 1977 and 1978- witness the famous 28th October 1978 evening show radio broadcast. It was fully refurbished about 10 or so years ago but I think it's in the same place.

[kaltfeuer]

Follow this link for more information and location... http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/14898

Oh thanks a lot for that link. What a pity it has been demolished. No worshipping at Waitrose... ;-)

[Sunlight Caller]

Not been myself but there's also Wembley Arena where Yes did multiple nights in 1977 and 1978- witness the famous 28th October 1978 evening show radio broadcast. It was fully refurbished about 10 or so years ago but I think it's in the same place.

I first saw Yes there in 77 and was also there in 78 for the BBC show, magical nights both... but Wembley Arena (The Empire Pool as it was back then) is a bloody awful venue really, just a concrete cavern with awful sound. I've been to many gigs there, but it has been largely usurped by the O2 now .

The refurb was not much more than a lick of paint and a remodelled entrance. I guess Wembley is a reasonable destination for a tourist visit, as there is also the Stadium too, but don't expect much from the Arena.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bondegezou]

I first saw Yes there in 77 and was also there in 78 for the BBC show, magical nights both... but Wembley Arena (The Empire Pool as it was back then) is a bloody awful venue really, just a concrete cavern with awful sound. I've been to many gigs there, but it has been largely usurped by the O2 now .

Agreed.

Henry