The Sir George Robey
- The Powerhaus
- Robey
The Sir George Robey was a mid-19th century public house and later a music venue on Seven Sisters Road, Finsbury Park, North London, England.[1][2] It was named in honour of the music hall performer Sir George Robey (1869–1954) in 1968.[1][3][4]
The pub was a Meux's house, and was noted for a plaque advertising their Original London Stout, which remained on the building until its demise,[1] long after the brewery's closure in 1921.[5]
During its time as a music venue, artists who performed at the Sir George Robey include Bad Manners, Billy Bragg, Carter USM, Desmond Dekker, Fairport Convention, Gong, Hawkwind, Bert Jansch, Roy Harper, Ralph McTell, They Might Be Giants, Squarepusher, Fugazi and Tunnelmen.[1][2][4][6] Blur's Damon Albarn recalled:[7]
That was right at the start of Blur. Graham [Coxon] and Alex [James] were still at Goldsmiths so we were just doing our first gigs. First on the bill at an indie all-dayer at the George Robey pub in Finsbury Park which meant we were on at eleven in the morning and just got pissed for the rest of the day, taking advantage of the beer coupons.
Live albums recorded at the venue include Steve Marriott's Packet of Three's Live at the Sir George Robey 23-10-85.[8] The pub also hosted punk and ska all-nighters, and 'Club Dog' acid-house nights.[9]
After being renamed The Powerhaus in March 1996, when it was taken over by the Mean Fiddler Music Group,[1][2] and later named Robey,[10] it closed in 2004.[1][8][11]
Despite being locally listed,[12] the building was demolished in 2015,[13] after a period standing derelict, during which it was occupied by squatters[6] and had its interior fittings and floors removed.[8][10] A Premier Inn hotel now occupies the site.
The pub was directly opposite another, larger, music venue, the Rainbow Theatre.[8]
The fictitious venue The Harry Lauder in Nick Hornby's book High Fidelity was based on The Sir George Robey.[4] Near the end of Irvine Welsh's novel Trainspotting the characters Sick Boy and Begbie visit The Sir George Robey.[14]
References
- ^ a b c d e f "The history of London's 10 greatest live music venues". History Extra. BBC History Magazine. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ a b c O'Connor, Joe (3 July 1999). "Jigging in the park". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ Dictionary of Pub Names. Wordsworth Editions. 2006. ISBN 978-1-84022-266-1.
- ^ a b c Talling, Paul (2008). Derelict London. Random House. p. 88. ISBN 978-1-905211-43-2.
- ^ Lesley Richmond; Alison Turton (1990). The Brewing Industry: A Guide to Historical Records. Manchester University Press. p. 233. ISBN 978-0-7190-3032-1.
- ^ a b Dean, Jon (20 April 2015). "Squatters evicted from famous Finsbury Park pub". Islington Gazette. Archived from the original on 4 May 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ Mash, Julian. "Book Extract – Under The Westway with Damon Albarn". Q Magazine. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ a b c d Allen, Carl (15 April 2016). London Gig Venues. Amberley Publishing Limited. ISBN 978-1-4456-5820-9.
- ^ "A Cosmic Dog". Record Collector. No. 448. Christmas 2015. pp. 54–60.
- ^ a b "Robey, Finsbury Park". What Pub?. CAMRA. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ Other sources give dates from 1996-2002
- ^ "Finsbury Park Town Centre Supplementary Planning Document Draft for consultation" (PDF). Haringey Council. April 2013. 3.5.14. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ "Derelict London - London's Lost Music Venues". Derelict London - Photography, Social History and Guided Walking Tours. Archived from the original on 1 May 2018. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
- ^ Steven, William (28 October 2017). Scottish Storytrails: A Literary Landscape. Neil Wilson Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-1-906000-85-1.
External links
- Crowd-sourced concert set-lists at setlist.fm
- v
- t
- e
- Windermere
- former
- Assembly House
- Black Lion
- Bull & Gate
- The Camden Head
- Cittie of Yorke
- The Crown
- Devonshire Arms
- Dublin Castle
- Fitzroy Tavern
- The Flask, Hampstead
- The Flask, Highgate
- George and Dragon
- Greene Man
- The Holly Bush
- Museum Tavern
- The Old Bull and Bush
- Old Red Lion
- Old White Bear
- Ye Olde Mitre
- The Perseverance
- The Pineapple
- Princess Louise
- The Queen's
- Rising Sun, Fitzrovia
- The Rocket
- Ship Tavern
- Sir Richard Steele
- Spread Eagle
- The Washington
- Wells Tavern
- The Wheatsheaf
- The Winchester
- The World's End
- The Yorkshire Grey
- former
- Aragon House
- Black Lion
- Blue Anchor
- The Cock
- The Cross Keys
- The Dove
- Duke of Cumberland
- Eight Bells
- The George
- Golden Lion
- Hampshire Hog
- The Hop Poles
- Hope and Anchor
- The King's Head
- Laurie Arms
- Princess Victoria
- The Queen Adelaide
- Queen's Head
- Rutland Arms
- Salutation
- The Swan
- Temperance Billiard Hall
- The White Horse
- former
- Coachmakers Arms
- The Favourite
- The Old Fire Station
- Seven Stars
- Great Northern Railway Tavern
- The Queens
- The Salisbury
- former
- Fishmongers Arms
- O'Neill's
- The Sir George Robey
- The Castle
- Queen's Head
- Seven Balls
- former
- Anglesea Arms
- Bunch of Grapes
- Chelsea Potter
- The Churchill Arms
- Coleherne
- The Cross Keys
- Drayton Arms
- Elgin
- Fox and Pheasant
- Gloucester Arms
- The Goat
- The Greyhound
- The Hansom Cab
- The Hollywood Arms
- The King's Head and Eight Bells
- The Phene
- Prince of Teck
- Scarsdale Tavern
- The Shuckburgh Arms
- Windsor Castle
- The World's End
- Zetland Arms
- former
- Crooked Billet
- former
- Green Man
- former
- Admiral Duncan
- Admiralty
- The Albert
- Angel and Crown
- Argyll Arms
- The Barley Mow
- The Beehive
- Carlton Tavern, Kilburn
- The Champion
- The Cheshire Cheese
- The Clachan
- Coach and Horses, Hill Street
- Coach and Horses, Soho
- Coal Hole
- Comptons of Soho
- Crocker's Folly
- De Hems
- The Devereux
- Dog and Duck
- Duke of Wellington, Belgravia
- The Duke of Wellington, Marylebone
- The Duke of York, Fitzrovia
- The Edgar Wallace
- The Flying Horse
- The French House
- The George
- The Green Man
- The Grenadier
- The Harp
- John Snow
- Lamb and Flag
- The Marquis of Clanricarde
- The Marquis of Granby
- The Mitre
- Morpeth Arms
- Nag's Head
- Nell Gwynne Tavern
- Newman Arms
- The Old Bank of England
- The Old Bell
- The Old Shades
- The Only Running Footman
- Paxtons Head
- Pillars of Hercules
- Plumbers Arms
- Prince Alfred
- The Punch Bowl
- Red Lion, Duke of York Street
- Red Lion, Westminster
- St Stephen's Tavern
- The Salisbury
- The Sherlock Holmes
- The Ship
- The Ship and Shovell
- Silver Cross Tavern
- The Spice of Life
- Star Tavern
- Sun and 13 Cantons
- Swan Inn
- PS Tattershall Castle
- Two Brewers
- Two Chairmen
- The Victoria
- The Warrington
- Warwick Castle
- Westminster Arms
- White Lion
- The White Swan
- The Wilton Arms
- The Yorkshire Grey
- former
- The Bell
- The Black Friar
- The Centre Page
- The Cockpit
- Dirty Dicks
- East India Arms
- George and Vulture
- The Globe
- Hand and Shears
- The Harrow
- Hoop and Grapes, Aldgate High Street
- Hoop and Grapes, Farringdon Street
- Jamaica Wine House
- The Jugged Hare
- Old Bell
- Old Doctor Butler's Head
- Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese
- Ye Olde Cock Tavern
- The Olde Wine Shades
- The Punch Tavern
- Rising Sun, Carter Lane
- Rising Sun, Cloth Fair
- The Ship, Hart Street
- The Ship, Lime Street
- Simpson's Tavern
- Staple Inn
- The Tipperary
- Viaduct Tavern
- former
- Bell Savage Inn
- Blossom's Inn
- Boar's Head Inn
- Bull and Mouth Inn
- The Fortune of War Public House
- The Intrepid Fox
- London Tavern
- St Paul's Tavern
- Swan with Two Necks
- The Devil Tavern
- White Hart
- Category
- Commons