Every year, neighborhoods across the globe disappear under the weight of gentrification, urban renewal, and economic displacement. Blocks that held generations of families, corner stores that knew your name, and murals painted by local artists vanish almost overnight. Once the demolition crews leave and the luxury condos rise, those communities exist only in memory unless … Read more
Before stadiums, before arena tours, and before streaming platforms decided what we heard, the entire trajectory of popular music was being shaped in rooms barely larger than a decent-sized kitchen. I am talking about coffee bars. The forgotten coffee bars that started a music revolution were small, dimly lit, espresso-scented rooms tucked into London backstreets, … Read more
On November 26, 2016, Joe Corre loaded a barge with an estimated £5 million ($6 million) worth of rare punk memorabilia, floated it onto the River Thames near Chelsea, and set the entire collection on fire. The son of Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren and fashion legend Vivienne Westwood staged the burning as a direct … Read more
If you stood on the corner of Wardour Street on any given Tuesday night in the mid-1960s, you could feel the bass through the pavement before you even reached the door. The Marquee Club was not just another London music venue. It was the single most important small venue in the history of British music, … Read more
Joseph Corre is a British businessman and activist, born 30 November 1967, best known as the son of punk pioneers Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood. He co-founded the luxury lingerie brand Agent Provocateur in 1994 and, on 26 November 2016, burned his personal collection of punk memorabilia — valued at an estimated £5 million — … Read more
Walk down Wardour Street today and you will find coffee chains, boutique offices, and tourists photographing the architecture. But underneath that polite surface lies a different history entirely. This was the patch of London where British punk rock detonated, where new wave found its first audiences, and where a handful of small rooms changed popular … Read more
Walk through Soho on any given evening and you might catch a glimpse of something impossible: a seven-foot-tall blonde figure in a latex mask, gliding past the pubs and galleries like a cartoon that escaped its frame. That figure is Pandemonia, and she is one of the most fascinating conceptual art projects to ever emerge … Read more
Soho became the cradle of British music because its centuries-long tradition of welcoming immigrants, outsiders, and nonconformists created a uniquely tolerant environment where jazz, skiffle, and rock musicians could experiment, perform, and be discovered. Starting with the 2I’s Coffee Bar in the 1950s and continuing through legendary venues like the Marquee Club, Trident Studios, and … Read more
In the spring of 1983, a striking figure appeared on Top of the Pops with cascading blonde hair, bold makeup, and a voice that dripped with synth-pop longing. The song was “Calling Your Name,” and the singer went simply by the name Marilyn. For a brief, brilliant moment, this androgynous performer was everywhere in British … Read more
Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club is a legendary jazz venue in Soho, London, founded in 1959 by tenor saxophonists Ronnie Scott and Pete King. Starting in a basement on Gerrard Street with a £1,000 loan, it became the first UK club to regularly host American jazz musicians and has hosted icons including Ella Fitzgerald, Jimi Hendrix, … Read more