Dublin Castle, Camden
| Dublin Castle | |
|---|---|
.jpg) View of the pub from Parkway | |
  Location within London | |
| General information | |
| Type | Public house |
| Location | Camden Town, London, England |
| Coordinates | 51°32′14″N 0°8′44″W / 51.53722°N 0.14556°WCoordinates: 51°32′14″N 0°8′44″W / 51.53722°N 0.14556°W |
| Opening | c. 1856[1] |
| Website | |
|
www | |
The Dublin Castle is a pub and live music venue in Camden Town, London. It was built for Irish navvies working on railways in London, but gained prominence as a venue in the late 1970s after the band Madness established a live reputation there. Subsequently, it was an important venue in the early stages of several bands' careers and contributed to the Britpop musical genre. Amy Winehouse was a regular visitor to the pub.
History
The pub was built to serve workmen on the nearby railway, as part of a newly constructed group of buildings. It catered for Irish immigrants to London, in order to segregate them away from other nationalities and avoid racial-related assaults.[2] Music was originally restricted to occasional traditional Irish sessions.[3] The emergence of other venues around Camden Town, including the Roundhouse, Dingwalls and the Electric Ballroom brought an increase interest in live music to the area, including the Dublin Castle.[4] The pub can now accommodate an audience up to 200 people.[5]
Madness first attempted to secure a gig at the venue in late 1978, when they were still known as the Camden Invaders. They first performed at the venue on 16 January 1979.[6] According to singer Suggs, the group had to pretend they were a jazz band to get a booking.[7] Landlord Alo Conlon invited the group back for a residency at the venue, and helped to establish their reputation.[8]
Conlon hand picked bands to play in the pub that he thought would attract an audience, and word of mouth spread so that A&R scouts would visit the pub to see what up and coming acts were available.[8] The pub was an important venue for Britpop acts in the 1990s, as it was often the first major London gig for bands that later found commercial success, including Blur.[5] Amy Winehouse performed regularly at the venue and occasionally helped to serve drinks to customers.[9]
In 2008, Conlon received a lifetime achievement award for his services to the pub industry in Camden. He died in January 2009 aged 73. A street party was held on Parkway, with Suggs in attendance.[8]
References
Citations
- ↑ "Dublin Castle, 18 Park Street, Camden Town". UK pub history and historical Street directory. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
- ↑ "A-Z of Camden Culture". Time Out. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
- ↑ Reed 2011, p. 80.
- ↑ Reed 2011, pp. 11–12.
- 1 2 "London". Billboard: 65. 6 November 1999. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
- ↑ Reed 2011, p. 81.
- ↑ "Camden Town is the place to be for up-and-comers". Billboard: 76. 29 November 1997. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
- 1 2 3 Ferrier, Morwenna (27 January 2009). "Alo Conlon: A tribute to a rock'n'roll pub landlord". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
- ↑ "The Dublin Castle – rockabilly night". Amy Winehouse Foundation. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
Sources
- Reed, John (2011). House of Fun: The Story of Madness. Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-857-12715-0.
