Marquee Club
Encyclopedia
The Marquee was a music club first located at 165 Oxford Street
, London
, England
when it opened in 1958 with a range of jazz and skiffle
acts.
It was also the location of the first ever live performance by The Rolling Stones
on 12 July 1962.
. Here, almost every major rock band of note played over the next 25 years on the tiny stage. Residencies during the late 1960s alone included Alexis Korner
, Cyril Davies
, Chris Barber
, The Yardbirds
, Divlje Jagode
, Led Zeppelin
, The Who
, King Crimson
, Yes
, Jethro Tull
, The Jimi Hendrix Experience
& Pink Floyd
(who played on Sunday afternoons as part of the Spontaneous Underground club). To find out who was playing on any given night, you could just call in at the 'Ship' pub a few doors away. In 1964 Moody Blues manager/producer Alex Murray
used a homemade studio in the garage at the back of the club to produce the classic 'Go Now
' single which shot to #1 at Christmas 1964 and film the first ever UK pop video promo. The development of Marquee Studios was largely financed by profits from this record.
The Rolling Stones returned to the club 26 March 1971 after an eight year hiatus to film a television special.
Club owner Harold Pendleton launched the National Jazz Festival
in 1961 in Richmond. This was the precursor to the Reading and Leeds Festivals
.
venue, the Marquee nevertheless embraced the burgeoning punk rock movement of the late 1970s and regularly promoted punk and new wave
nights into the 1980s. Bands such as The Boys, Eddie and the Hot Rods, The Stranglers
, Generation X
, London
, The Police
, skrewdriver
, The Sinceros
, Buzzcocks
, The Jam
, Joy Division
and The Cure
all trod the famous Wardour Street stage. Mainstream rock acts like Dire Straits
(in the first tour
, July 5 and 6, 1978), Alexis Korner
, Steve Hillage
, Rory Gallagher
. Racing Cars
, The Enid
, Hanoi Rocks
and The Tyla Gang also appeared regularly at the venue.
(NWOBHM). Def Leppard
played their first show on the Pyromania World Tour here, and included a different setlist from the rest of the shows on that tour. There was a glam revival spearheaded by Hanoi Rocks
,The Babysitters and the Quireboys etc. NWOBHM bands such as Angel Witch
, Diamond Head, Witchfynde and Praying Mantis were regulars and Iron Maiden
were filmed playing there for LWT documentary 20th Century Box (introduced by a very young Danny Baker
).
The Marquee was also the central venue of the progressive rock revival of the early 1980s. It was here that the then unsigned Marillion
began to gain a wider fan base and press interest playing frequent two night residencies to a sold out crowd. Other neo-progressive rock
acts of the time regularly headlining at the club included Twelfth Night
, Solstice, and Pallas
, often supported by acts such as Pendragon
or IQ
who would in later years become leading lights of the "neo-prog" scene. Other progressive bands regularly playing the Marquee at this time included Quasar
, Haze, Cardiacs
and Liaison (who were not strictly prog but seemed to become linked to the movement).
New wave and indie bands also appeared including "Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps Please" one-hit wonders Splodgenessabounds
, and the almost-cult band The Hummers.
During this period The Club held heats and the final of Melody Makers 'band contests'.
(under the name John's Boys), Marillion
(under such names as Skyline Drifters and Lufthanser Air Terminal), Prince, Genesis
, Iron Maiden
(appearing as guests on a bill headed "A Fun Night With The Entire Population of Hackney
"), Squeeze & Mötley Crüe
(in the Charing Cross Road venue as The Four Skins - seen in the video of their cover version of "Anarchy in the UK", and to the derision of those who arrived at the venue expecting the skinhead band of the same name). The less-famous Glasgow indie guitar band Del Amitri
poked fun at this tradition in 1985 by playing a gig at the Marquee with "Special Guests" 'Bob Dylan and the Libyans', who were Del Amitri in costume. The venue also prominently featured in the 1985 video for the Wham!
single "I'm Your Man". Metallica
played a secret gig 1990 supporting Metal Church on their Blessing in Disguise Tour. They performed as Vertigo, and Mike Howe (Metal Church vocalist) introduced them as a new band that had only played a couple of shows.
. During this period, American
progressive metal
band Dream Theater
recorded their first live album
, Live at the Marquee, at the venue. This site was also subsequently bought for redevelopment and the club closed in 1996. A pub now occupies the building.
In 2001, the Marquee name was bought by entrepreneurs (including Dave Stewart
of the Eurythmics
who owned the brand rights) and affixed to a brand new club, located in a purpose-built space in Islington
, now the Islington Academy. However, this hit financial difficulties and closed in 2003, less than a year after it had opened.
The "Marquee" name was then used for another new venue at 1 Leicester Square
in the heart of London's tourist district, opening in 2004, again under different owners. The opening night was called the Breakthrough Weekender and featured visual effects by Mark Hatchard
of Hotbox Studios and Hotbox Events
. But that venture also folded after less than 18 months.
In August 2007, a club using the name Marquee re-opened once again, this time on Upper Saint Martins Lane in Covent Garden
. However, it too closed its doors for the last time on 10 February 2008, with Colchester based rock act Torn Asunder being the last ever band to headline at The Marquee.
There are currently no further plans to resurrect the name yet again.
Oxford Street
Oxford Street is a major thoroughfare in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, United Kingdom. It is Europe's busiest shopping street, as well as its most dense, and currently has approximately 300 shops. The street was formerly part of the London-Oxford road which began at Newgate,...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
when it opened in 1958 with a range of jazz and skiffle
Skiffle
Skiffle is a type of popular music with jazz, blues, folk, roots and country influences, usually using homemade or improvised instruments. Originating as a term in the United States in the first half of the twentieth century, it became popular again in the UK in the 1950s, where it was mainly...
acts.
It was also the location of the first ever live performance by The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
on 12 July 1962.
The 1960s: Rock Roots
In 1964 the club moved a short distance to what became its most famous venue at 90 Wardour StreetWardour Street
Wardour Street is a street in Soho, London. It is a one-way street south to north from Leicester Square, up through Chinatown, across Shaftesbury Avenue to Oxford Street.-History:...
. Here, almost every major rock band of note played over the next 25 years on the tiny stage. Residencies during the late 1960s alone included Alexis Korner
Alexis Korner
Alexis Korner was a blues musician and radio broadcaster, who has sometimes been referred to as "a Founding Father of British Blues"...
, Cyril Davies
Cyril Davies
Cyril Davies was one of the first British blues harmonica players and blues musician.-Biography:Born at St Mildred's, 15 Hawthorn Drive, Willowbank, Denham, Buckinghamshire, near London, he was the son of William Albert Davies, a labourer, and his wife Margaret Mary...
, Chris Barber
Chris Barber
Donald Christopher 'Chris' Barber is best known as a jazz trombonist. As well as scoring a UK top twenty trad jazz hit he helped the careers of many musicians, notably the blues singer Ottilie Patterson, who was at one time his wife, and vocalist/banjoist Lonnie Donegan, whose appearances with...
, The Yardbirds
The Yardbirds
- Current :* Chris Dreja - rhythm guitar, backing vocals * Jim McCarty - drums, backing vocals * Ben King - lead guitar * David Smale - bass, backing vocals...
, Divlje Jagode
Divlje jagode
Divlje Jagode is a Yugoslav and Bosnian hard rock and heavy metal band.-1970s:Divlje Jagode were formed in 1977 in Bihać by guitarist Zele Lipovača...
, Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
, The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
, King Crimson
King Crimson
King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...
, Yes
Yes (band)
Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...
, Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull (band)
Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969.Initially playing blues rock with...
, The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The Jimi Hendrix Experience were an English-American psychedelic rock band that formed in London in October 1966. Comprising eponymous singer-songwriter and guitarist Jimi Hendrix, bassist and backing vocalist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell, the band was active until June 1969, in which...
& Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
(who played on Sunday afternoons as part of the Spontaneous Underground club). To find out who was playing on any given night, you could just call in at the 'Ship' pub a few doors away. In 1964 Moody Blues manager/producer Alex Murray
Alex Murray
Alex Murray was the Scottish Secretary of the Communist Party of Great Britain between 1970 and 1975....
used a homemade studio in the garage at the back of the club to produce the classic 'Go Now
Go Now (song)
"Go Now" is a 1964 song composed by Larry Banks and Milton Bennett. It was first recorded by Bessie Banks, and most successfully by The Moody Blues.-Bessie Banks:The song was first recorded by Larry Banks' former wife, Bessie Banks...
' single which shot to #1 at Christmas 1964 and film the first ever UK pop video promo. The development of Marquee Studios was largely financed by profits from this record.
The Rolling Stones returned to the club 26 March 1971 after an eight year hiatus to film a television special.
Club owner Harold Pendleton launched the National Jazz Festival
National Jazz and Blues Festival
The National Jazz and Blues Festival was the precursor to the Reading Rock Festival and was the brainchild of Harold Pendleton, the manager of the prestigious Marquee Club in Soho....
in 1961 in Richmond. This was the precursor to the Reading and Leeds Festivals
Reading and Leeds Festivals
The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend, sharing the same bill. The Reading Festival is held at Little John's Farm...
.
The 1970s: The New Punk Order
Although never a seminal punkPunk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
venue, the Marquee nevertheless embraced the burgeoning punk rock movement of the late 1970s and regularly promoted punk and new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
nights into the 1980s. Bands such as The Boys, Eddie and the Hot Rods, The Stranglers
The Stranglers
The Stranglers are an English punk/rock music group.Scoring some 23 UK top 40 singles and 17 UK top 40 albums to date in a career spanning five decades, the Stranglers are the longest-surviving and most "continuously successful" band to have originated in the UK punk scene of the mid to late 1970s...
, Generation X
Generation X (band)
Generation X was a British punk rock band, formed on 21 November 1976 by Billy Idol, Tony James and John Towe.-History:...
, London
London (band)
London were a four piece punk band formed in London in 1976 and were best known for their wild stage act. The original line-up was Riff Regan , Steve Voice , Jon Moss and Dave Wight . They were managed by Simon Napier-Bell and recorded two singles, a 4 track EP and an album for MCA Records in 1977...
, The Police
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
, skrewdriver
Skrewdriver
Skrewdriver was an English punk rock band formed by Ian Stuart Donaldson in Poulton-le-Fylde in 1976. They later evolved into one of the first neo-Nazi rock bands, playing a leading role in the Rock Against Communism movement and becoming known as the most prominent white power skinhead...
, The Sinceros
The Sinceros
The Sinceros were a new wave, power pop band from London, England, who recorded two albums for Epic Records, The Sound of Sunbathing and Pet Rock . Both albums were released worldwide and achieved moderate commercial success...
, Buzzcocks
Buzzcocks
Buzzcocks are an English punk rock band formed in Bolton in 1976, led by singer–songwriter–guitarist Pete Shelley.They are regarded as an important influence on the Manchester music scene, the independent record label movement, punk rock, power pop, pop punk and indie rock. They achieved commercial...
, The Jam
The Jam
The Jam were an English punk rock/New Wave/mod revival band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. They were formed in Woking, Surrey. While they shared the "angry young men" outlook and fast tempos of their punk rock contemporaries, The Jam wore smartly tailored suits rather than ripped...
, Joy Division
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences...
and The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
all trod the famous Wardour Street stage. Mainstream rock acts like Dire Straits
Dire Straits
Dire Straits were a British rock band active from 1977 to 1995, composed of Mark Knopfler , his younger brother David Knopfler , John Illsley , and Pick Withers .Dire Straits' sound drew from a variety of musical influences, including jazz, folk, blues, and came closest...
(in the first tour
Dire Straits tour
Dire Straits tour was the first concert tour of Dire Straits held in 1978.On it, songs from the debut album of the group Dire Straits were played.- Overview :...
, July 5 and 6, 1978), Alexis Korner
Alexis Korner
Alexis Korner was a blues musician and radio broadcaster, who has sometimes been referred to as "a Founding Father of British Blues"...
, Steve Hillage
Steve Hillage
Steve Hillage is an English musician, best known as a guitarist. He is associated with the Canterbury scene and has worked in experimental domains since the late 1960s...
, Rory Gallagher
Rory Gallagher
William Rory Gallagher, ; 2 March 1948 – 14 June 1995, was an Irish blues-rock multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and bandleader. Born in Ballyshannon, County Donegal, Ireland, and raised in Cork, Gallagher recorded solo albums throughout the 1970s and 1980s, after forming the band Taste...
. Racing Cars
Racing Cars
Racing Cars are a Welsh pop band, formed in the Rhondda Valley, Wales in 1973.-Career:They were signed to one of the biggest British record labels of the time, Chrysalis Records. Racing Cars's debut album yielded their only hit single with "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?"...
, The Enid
The Enid
The Enid is a British rock band founded in 1975 by Robert John Godfrey, Stephen Stewart and Francis Lickerish. Another early member was William Gilmour, who subsequently founded his own band Craft and now plays keyboards in Lickerish's band Secret Green....
, Hanoi Rocks
Hanoi Rocks
Hanoi Rocks was a Finnish rock band formed in 1979, whose most successful period came in the early 1980s. The band broke up in 1985 after the death of their drummer, Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley...
and The Tyla Gang also appeared regularly at the venue.
The 1980s: New wave of British heavy metal and prog revival
During the early to mid 1980s the Marquee became an important venue to the New Wave of British Heavy MetalNew Wave of British Heavy Metal
The New Wave of British Heavy Metal was a heavy metal movement that started in the late 1970s, in Britain, and achieved international attention by the early 1980s. The movement developed as a reaction in part to the decline of early heavy metal bands such as Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Black...
(NWOBHM). Def Leppard
Def Leppard
Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Since 1992, the band have consisted of Joe Elliott , Rick Savage , Rick Allen , Phil Collen , and Vivian Campbell...
played their first show on the Pyromania World Tour here, and included a different setlist from the rest of the shows on that tour. There was a glam revival spearheaded by Hanoi Rocks
Hanoi Rocks
Hanoi Rocks was a Finnish rock band formed in 1979, whose most successful period came in the early 1980s. The band broke up in 1985 after the death of their drummer, Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley...
,The Babysitters and the Quireboys etc. NWOBHM bands such as Angel Witch
Angel Witch
Angel Witch is a British heavy metal band which formed in London, England in 1977 as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement.-Biography:...
, Diamond Head, Witchfynde and Praying Mantis were regulars and Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
were filmed playing there for LWT documentary 20th Century Box (introduced by a very young Danny Baker
Danny Baker
Danny Baker is an English comedy writer, journalist, radio DJ and screenwriter. Since the late 1970s, he has worked for a wide range of publications and broadcasters including NME, LWT, the BBC, and Talk Radio....
).
The Marquee was also the central venue of the progressive rock revival of the early 1980s. It was here that the then unsigned Marillion
Marillion
Marillion are a British rock band, formed in Aylesbury, England in 1979. Their recorded studio output comprises sixteen albums generally regarded in two distinct eras, delineated by the departure of original vocalist & frontman Fish in late 1988, and the subsequent arrival of replacement Steve...
began to gain a wider fan base and press interest playing frequent two night residencies to a sold out crowd. Other neo-progressive rock
Neo-progressive rock
Neo-progressive rock is a sub-genre of progressive rock, developed in the UK and popular in the 1980s, although it lives on today....
acts of the time regularly headlining at the club included Twelfth Night
Twelfth Night (band)
Twelfth Night are an English neo-progressive rock band of the 1980s, reformed in 2007.-Formation:The seeds of Twelfth Night were sown when guitarist Andy Revell and drummer Brian Devoil joined forces on 23 February 1978 to win a talent competition at Reading University. The road crew included Geoff...
, Solstice, and Pallas
Pallas (band)
Pallas are a progressive rock band based in the UK. They were one of the bands at the vanguard of what was termed neo-progressive during progressive rock's second-wave revival in the early 1980s...
, often supported by acts such as Pendragon
Pendragon (band)
Pendragon are an English neo-progressive rock band established in 1978 in Stroud, Gloucestershire as Zeus Pendragon by guitarist and vocalist Nick Barrett. The Zeus was dropped before the band started recording as the members decided it was too long to look good on a t-shirt...
or IQ
IQ (band)
IQ are a British neo-progressive rock band founded by Mike Holmes and Martin Orford in 1981 following the dissolution of their original band The Lens...
who would in later years become leading lights of the "neo-prog" scene. Other progressive bands regularly playing the Marquee at this time included Quasar
Quasar (band)
Quasar was formed in 1979 by founder Keith Turner. They found themselves to be amongst a movement of British bands during the early 1980s, including Marillion, Pendragon, IQ, Twelfth Night, Solstice and Pallas, that continued in the progressive rock style created by 1970s bands such as Genesis and...
, Haze, Cardiacs
Cardiacs
Cardiacs are an English alternative rock/psychedelic pop band formed in 1977 and led by Tim Smith. Noted for their complex, varied and intense compositional style and for their eccentric, theatrical stage shows, they have been hailed as an influence by bands as diverse as Blur, Faith No More and...
and Liaison (who were not strictly prog but seemed to become linked to the movement).
New wave and indie bands also appeared including "Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps Please" one-hit wonders Splodgenessabounds
Splodgenessabounds
Splodgenessabounds are an English punk rock band formed in Keston, Bromley, South London. The band is associated with the Oi! and Punk Pathetique genres. Their frontman is Max Splodge.-Career:...
, and the almost-cult band The Hummers.
During this period The Club held heats and the final of Melody Makers 'band contests'.
'Secret' Gigs
The historical importance of the club led to a number of bigger, established artists playing 'secret' gigs at the venue often as one-off 'fan thank yous', warm up shows or just because they liked the intimate atmosphere. These 'secret' shows were often promoted under an assumed name designed to be recognised only by hardcore fans. These included appearances by The JamThe Jam
The Jam were an English punk rock/New Wave/mod revival band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. They were formed in Woking, Surrey. While they shared the "angry young men" outlook and fast tempos of their punk rock contemporaries, The Jam wore smartly tailored suits rather than ripped...
(under the name John's Boys), Marillion
Marillion
Marillion are a British rock band, formed in Aylesbury, England in 1979. Their recorded studio output comprises sixteen albums generally regarded in two distinct eras, delineated by the departure of original vocalist & frontman Fish in late 1988, and the subsequent arrival of replacement Steve...
(under such names as Skyline Drifters and Lufthanser Air Terminal), Prince, Genesis
Genesis (band)
Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
, Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
(appearing as guests on a bill headed "A Fun Night With The Entire Population of Hackney
The Entire Population of Hackney
The Entire Population of Hackney is the name used for a project featuring members of Iron Maiden, FM and Urchin that played two concerts in 1985. It is also the name used for a bootleg recording of the first show...
"), Squeeze & Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...
(in the Charing Cross Road venue as The Four Skins - seen in the video of their cover version of "Anarchy in the UK", and to the derision of those who arrived at the venue expecting the skinhead band of the same name). The less-famous Glasgow indie guitar band Del Amitri
Del Amitri
Del Amitri were a Scottish pop-rock guitar band, formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 1983. The band grew out of Justin Currie's Jordanhill College School band and came together after teenager Currie placed an advertisement in the window of a music store asking for people who could play to contact him...
poked fun at this tradition in 1985 by playing a gig at the Marquee with "Special Guests" 'Bob Dylan and the Libyans', who were Del Amitri in costume. The venue also prominently featured in the 1985 video for the Wham!
WHAM!
Wham! were a short-lived British musical duo formed by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley in the early 1980s. They were briefly known in the United States as Wham! UK due to a naming conflict with an American band....
single "I'm Your Man". Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
played a secret gig 1990 supporting Metal Church on their Blessing in Disguise Tour. They performed as Vertigo, and Mike Howe (Metal Church vocalist) introduced them as a new band that had only played a couple of shows.
Current Developments
In 1988, the Wardour Street site was sold for redevelopment (it is now Meza and Floridita with a cigar retail shop Spanish restaurant and Cuban restaurant and some flats) and the Marquee Club was forced to move again, this time to a larger venue at 105 Charing Cross RoadCharing Cross Road
Charing Cross Road is a street in central London running immediately north of St Martin-in-the-Fields to St Giles Circus and then becomes Tottenham Court Road...
. During this period, American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
progressive metal
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
band Dream Theater
Dream Theater
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
recorded their first live album
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
, Live at the Marquee, at the venue. This site was also subsequently bought for redevelopment and the club closed in 1996. A pub now occupies the building.
In 2001, the Marquee name was bought by entrepreneurs (including Dave Stewart
David A. Stewart
David Allan Stewart , often known as Dave Stewart, is an English musician, songwriter and record producer, best known for his work with Eurythmics. He is usually credited as David A. Stewart, to avoid confusion with other musicians named "Dave Stewart".-Early life:Stewart was born in Sunderland,...
of the Eurythmics
Eurythmics
Eurythmics were a British pop rock duo, formed in 1980, currently disbanded, but known to reunite from time to time. Consisting of members Annie Lennox and David A...
who owned the brand rights) and affixed to a brand new club, located in a purpose-built space in Islington
Islington
Islington is a neighbourhood in Greater London, England and forms the central district of the London Borough of Islington. It is a district of Inner London, spanning from Islington High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the area around the busy Upper Street...
, now the Islington Academy. However, this hit financial difficulties and closed in 2003, less than a year after it had opened.
The "Marquee" name was then used for another new venue at 1 Leicester Square
Leicester Square
Leicester Square is a pedestrianised square in the West End of London, England. The Square lies within an area bound by Lisle Street, to the north; Charing Cross Road, to the east; Orange Street, to the south; and Whitcomb Street, to the west...
in the heart of London's tourist district, opening in 2004, again under different owners. The opening night was called the Breakthrough Weekender and featured visual effects by Mark Hatchard
Mark Hatchard
Mark Hatchard is a director of the Hotbox Studios animation and design company and is involved with the contemporary arts and music festival group, Festival Republic, through Hotbox Studios' sister company Hotbox Events...
of Hotbox Studios and Hotbox Events
Hotbox Events
Hotbox Events is a company that recruits and manages staff and volunteers for UK festivals such as the Leeds Festival, Reading Festival, Latitude Festival and The Big Chill...
. But that venture also folded after less than 18 months.
In August 2007, a club using the name Marquee re-opened once again, this time on Upper Saint Martins Lane in Covent Garden
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as...
. However, it too closed its doors for the last time on 10 February 2008, with Colchester based rock act Torn Asunder being the last ever band to headline at The Marquee.
There are currently no further plans to resurrect the name yet again.
External links
- TheMarqueeClub.net — Historical Tribute Site of the Old Marquee Club
- http://www.cdshakedown.com/030300.htm "Richard Thompson (musician) [born 1949] recalls the inspiration for "Walking the Long Miles Home": "I used to do that all the time. If you miss the last bus, you're basically screwed if you are a 16-year-old in London in the pre-car era. I did that countless times - walked home to North London from the Marquee Club or Ronnie Scott's. It is kind of an exhilarating thing to do, although it is exhausting.""