Thursday, April 14, 2011

The Rainbow


The Rainbow in Finsbury Park N4. Large venue, originally a cinema in 1931, that had seen just about every major act play there fom Jimi Hendrix to the Who. Infamous for the Clash riot where seats were torn up.

The Stranglers regularly played here and the Ramones had their New year Eve concert immortalised on vinyl with the double It Alive. In 1977/1978 Jock McDonald would rent out the top and put on gigs, meaning you could have Thin Lizzy playing below while the Spotty Dogs cranked it out upstairs.

Sadly residents complaints about noise and people shut it down in the Eighties. Now some god-awful gospel revival bollocks. Fantastic ceiling of star and palm trees....but no Rainbow.

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