Paul Talling, author of Derelict London and London's Lost Rivers, takes a look at some of London's much missed music venues from the post-war period to the present day. His latest books, London's Lost Music Venues vols 1 and 2, features photos, adverts & tickets. This book is a portal to a less homogenised London, taking you back to the city's halcyon days of jazz, blues, folk, rock, punk, indie and more. The books have received features in The Observer, The Guardian, Financial Times, Daily Star, Londonist and Mojo plus great reviews in Vive Le Rock, Record Collector, Classic Rock, Louder Than War and Shindig!
The walks sell out rapidly. Join the mailing list (see bottom of this page) to be informed of tickets for new dates.
The walks sell out rapidly. Join the mailing list (see bottom of this page) to be informed of tickets for new dates.
London's Lost Music Venues of Soho Guided Walking Tour with Author Paul Talling
This guided walking tour in and around the Soho area with Paul Talling, author of London's Lost Music Venues visits the sites of many of the much missed lost venues covered in his latest book dating from the post-war period to the present day. The tour takes you back to Soho's halcyon days of jazz. blues, folk, rock, punk, indie and more. Some of the venue sites include The 2i’s Coffee Bar, Bag O’Nails, Happening 44, the old Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, The Scene, The Establishment, The Flamingo, Wag Club, Gossips, Gargoyle Club, Le Beat Route, The Limelight, Les Cousins, Madame Jojo’s, The Speakeasy, 3 x Marquee Clubs, the Freight Train Coffee Bar and The Vortex.
In addition, we chat about many other points of interest along the way such as general history of the area, recording studios, infamous water holes, the Kirsty MacColl bench, sites of record sleeve photos plus some more lost venues such as the Roaring 20's Club and the Cats Whisker, covered in the next volume of Paul's book.
The duration of this tour is roughly 4 1/2 hours. There will be a pub stop along the way
In addition, we chat about many other points of interest along the way such as general history of the area, recording studios, infamous water holes, the Kirsty MacColl bench, sites of record sleeve photos plus some more lost venues such as the Roaring 20's Club and the Cats Whisker, covered in the next volume of Paul's book.
The duration of this tour is roughly 4 1/2 hours. There will be a pub stop along the way
London's Lost Music Venues of the Covent Garden area Guided Walking Tour with Author Paul Talling
This guided walking tour in and around the Covent Garden area with Paul Talling, author of London's Lost Music Venues visits the sites of many of the much missed lost live music venues covered in his latest book plus a few from the forthcoming second volume.
The tour takes you from the Strand to High Holborn and topics include the Lyceum, Middle Earth, Africa Centre, Bunjies, Saville Theatre, Rock Garden, 12 Bar Club, Gyre & Gimble, The End, Studio 51,The Roxy, the Blitz Club and the last site of the Marquee Club. In addition, we chat about many other points of interest along the way such as a watergate from the days when the Thames was much wider, a street lamp powered by sewer gas, lost ditches, various murders, former drug dens, the location of Bob Dylan's promo for Subterranean Homesick Blues and the exteriors of a tramway subway closed in 1952.
We meet for the tour at York Watergate which is a historical landmark situated at the back of the Victoria Embankment Gardens. It can be accessed by walking into the Gardens or via Watergate Walk which is at the side of Gordon's Wine Bar. The duration of this tour is roughly 3 1/2 hours and ends near Holborn Station.
The tour takes you from the Strand to High Holborn and topics include the Lyceum, Middle Earth, Africa Centre, Bunjies, Saville Theatre, Rock Garden, 12 Bar Club, Gyre & Gimble, The End, Studio 51,The Roxy, the Blitz Club and the last site of the Marquee Club. In addition, we chat about many other points of interest along the way such as a watergate from the days when the Thames was much wider, a street lamp powered by sewer gas, lost ditches, various murders, former drug dens, the location of Bob Dylan's promo for Subterranean Homesick Blues and the exteriors of a tramway subway closed in 1952.
We meet for the tour at York Watergate which is a historical landmark situated at the back of the Victoria Embankment Gardens. It can be accessed by walking into the Gardens or via Watergate Walk which is at the side of Gordon's Wine Bar. The duration of this tour is roughly 3 1/2 hours and ends near Holborn Station.
No Sleep 'til Hammersmith... London's Lost Music Venues Walking Tour With Author Paul Talling
This 4 hour tour takes you around Hammersmith and parts of Fulham & Shepherds Bush looking at numerous lost music venues and readings from Paul's latest book, various TV locations for The Sweeney & Denis Waterman era Minder and touching on the 3 lost rivers of the area (Parr's Ditch, Counters Creek and the Stamford Brook).
Just a few of the places covered include the sites of the opening & closing credits for Minder, one of Arthur's lockups, Terry Mcann's flat, the former HQ of Euston films, opening credits of The Sweeney, the site of the pub where the cast enjoyed pre- / post-filming drinks plus bits and pieces including Rik Mayall's Bench in Bottom & the cemetery used for Grandad's funeral in Only Fools and Horses. Plus of course loads of other points of interest from Margot Fonteyn to Aleister Crowley to The Professionals to Joseph Bazalgette.
We pass Opera on the Green where Paul put on an early Manic Street Preachers gig and look at other lost music venues including The Greyhound, The Bottom Line, Hammersmith Palais, Ginglik, Gaumont, the Clarendon/Klubfoot & the Red Cow.
Just a few of the places covered include the sites of the opening & closing credits for Minder, one of Arthur's lockups, Terry Mcann's flat, the former HQ of Euston films, opening credits of The Sweeney, the site of the pub where the cast enjoyed pre- / post-filming drinks plus bits and pieces including Rik Mayall's Bench in Bottom & the cemetery used for Grandad's funeral in Only Fools and Horses. Plus of course loads of other points of interest from Margot Fonteyn to Aleister Crowley to The Professionals to Joseph Bazalgette.
We pass Opera on the Green where Paul put on an early Manic Street Preachers gig and look at other lost music venues including The Greyhound, The Bottom Line, Hammersmith Palais, Ginglik, Gaumont, the Clarendon/Klubfoot & the Red Cow.
London's Lost Music Venues of Camden and Kentish Town Guided Walking Tour with Author Paul Talling
This guided walking tour in and around the Camden area visits the sites of many of the much missed lost live music venues covered in both of his London's Lost Music Venues books. However, the tour is not wholly about music and throughout this 5-hour+ relaxing walk Paul gives a continuous commentary of the area's rich social and industrial past interspersed with his own personal accounts of drinking here over the last 35+ years.
The tour covers the Bull & Gate, The Verge, Black Horse, Tally Ho!, The Falcon, The Laurel Tree, The Enterprise and more whilst we also look at some still promoting gigs including the Roundhouse, Fiddlers Elbow, Dingwalls/Powerhaus, The Forum, Koko/Camden Palace/Music Machine and of course the Dublin Castle. In addition, we chat about many other points of interest along the way such as the middle section of the now subterranean River Fleet, the infilled Cumberland Arm of the Regents Canal, a railway goods yard, several horrific murder stories and former factories that made pianos, microscopes, ginger beer and one that was the largest false-teeth factory in Europe. Plus sites of interest associated with Adam Ant, Taylor Swift, Madness, Withnail and I, HG Wells, Dylan Thomas, Monty Python, Horatio Nelson, Oasis, Charles Dickens and the filming location of the Winchester Club in Minder.
The tour covers the Bull & Gate, The Verge, Black Horse, Tally Ho!, The Falcon, The Laurel Tree, The Enterprise and more whilst we also look at some still promoting gigs including the Roundhouse, Fiddlers Elbow, Dingwalls/Powerhaus, The Forum, Koko/Camden Palace/Music Machine and of course the Dublin Castle. In addition, we chat about many other points of interest along the way such as the middle section of the now subterranean River Fleet, the infilled Cumberland Arm of the Regents Canal, a railway goods yard, several horrific murder stories and former factories that made pianos, microscopes, ginger beer and one that was the largest false-teeth factory in Europe. Plus sites of interest associated with Adam Ant, Taylor Swift, Madness, Withnail and I, HG Wells, Dylan Thomas, Monty Python, Horatio Nelson, Oasis, Charles Dickens and the filming location of the Winchester Club in Minder.
London's Lost Music Venues of Croydon Guided Walking Tour with Author Paul Talling
"Croydon represented everything I didn't want in my life, everything I wanted to get away from" David Bowie (1999)
Croydon has been awarded by the Mayor of London as the London Borough of Culture in 2023. Not that we need any politicians to guide us on this one, Croydon has a rich musical history with many acts associated with the area plus numerous music venues now mainly defunct, many of which are included in both volumes of London's Lost Music Venues.
In this tour, lasting around 4 hours in total, we cover the Davis Theatre where Bill Haley, Liberace and Gracie Fields all performed in the 1950s,The Star where Jimi Hendrix and The Yardbirds played in the 1960s, The ABC that held a concert by The Beatles and a PJ Proby gig where he famously split his trousers, The Greyhound who hosted acts such as Queen, ELO, Genesis, The Jam and Buzzcocks in the 1970s and The Underground in the 1980s which held gigs by Sigue Sigue Sputnik, The Bangles and the Stone Roses. More lost performance spaces covered include The Empire Theatre of Varieties/Eros, The Grand Theatre, Theatre Royal (aka The Croydon Hippodrome), the Cartoon, Cinatras/Top Rank and The Gun. As usual, there will be plenty of tangents with a few places covered on the Derelict London website, local celebs, lost record shops, pub stories plus some TV locations from Terry & June, Peepshow and The Bill.
Croydon has been awarded by the Mayor of London as the London Borough of Culture in 2023. Not that we need any politicians to guide us on this one, Croydon has a rich musical history with many acts associated with the area plus numerous music venues now mainly defunct, many of which are included in both volumes of London's Lost Music Venues.
In this tour, lasting around 4 hours in total, we cover the Davis Theatre where Bill Haley, Liberace and Gracie Fields all performed in the 1950s,The Star where Jimi Hendrix and The Yardbirds played in the 1960s, The ABC that held a concert by The Beatles and a PJ Proby gig where he famously split his trousers, The Greyhound who hosted acts such as Queen, ELO, Genesis, The Jam and Buzzcocks in the 1970s and The Underground in the 1980s which held gigs by Sigue Sigue Sputnik, The Bangles and the Stone Roses. More lost performance spaces covered include The Empire Theatre of Varieties/Eros, The Grand Theatre, Theatre Royal (aka The Croydon Hippodrome), the Cartoon, Cinatras/Top Rank and The Gun. As usual, there will be plenty of tangents with a few places covered on the Derelict London website, local celebs, lost record shops, pub stories plus some TV locations from Terry & June, Peepshow and The Bill.
London's Lost Music Venues of Fitzrovia Guided Walking Tour with Author Paul Talling
Fitzrovia has a rich history and a character all its own. This area, known for its literary and artistic heritage, is nestled between the bustling streets of Soho, Marylebone, and Bloomsbury. We shall be walking these streets lined with elegant Georgian and Victorian buildings with Paul giving a general history of the area and reading from his London's Lost Music Venues books as we discuss the bands that played at the UFO club, Embassy Rooms, Polytechnic of Central London, The Green Man/Portlands and Regent Street Polytechnic. Other musical references to include the Roebuck where the Jesus and Mary Chain played their 1st London gig, the Adams Arms where the first Creation Records LP was recorded, CBS Studios where The Clash, Iggy and The Stooges & Madonna recorded albums and Langham Studios, now a hotel, once home to many a BBC recording session for the likes of Bob Marley, The Cure and ELO. Other highlights along the way include pubs associated with Dylan Thomas, Anthony Burgess and George Orwell, lost record shops of Hanway Street, the site of Boy George's squat, the location of the former Middlesex Hospital featured in the first Derelict London book, the spot where Britain's largest postwar robbery took place in 1952 and a workhouse that inspired Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist. Plus a classic location featured in the closing credits of Minder and also used for photoshoots for The Stranglers and The Clash. Many more tangents along the way can be expected.
We stop off for a drink at the King & Queen, where Bob Dylan played when he first visited London back in 1962, The walk finishes near Oxford Circus tube. The duration is roughly 4 hours. For those that fancy a drink at the end of the walk, we visit the Horse & Groom, where the Manic Street Preachers played their first London gig. Then, for the hardcore, we shall continue on to Bradleys Spanish Bar to feed the 7-inch vinyl jukebox.
We stop off for a drink at the King & Queen, where Bob Dylan played when he first visited London back in 1962, The walk finishes near Oxford Circus tube. The duration is roughly 4 hours. For those that fancy a drink at the end of the walk, we visit the Horse & Groom, where the Manic Street Preachers played their first London gig. Then, for the hardcore, we shall continue on to Bradleys Spanish Bar to feed the 7-inch vinyl jukebox.
Below are a selection of press features on Paul's books:
