The Sir George Robey (formerly the Clarence)

Comment by Antoinette on February 13, 2015 at 9:32

What is happening with the poor old George Robey...it looks so sad these days...more like the George Ropey

Comment by Arkady on February 13, 2015 at 10:53

Thanks to Eric Pickles overriding Islington Council, it will shortly be demolished.

Comment by Antoinette on February 13, 2015 at 11:09

Another part of my personal history dies an unhappy death... I had my a memorable first date there in the 1990s...

Comment by Granny P on February 13, 2015 at 11:39

My first London gig - I came up from Portsmouth to see the Brilliant Corners. I also proposed to my partner there at a Wedding Present gig. Sad day indeed.

Comment by Julia Richards-Davies on February 13, 2015 at 12:51

Another sad loss for old music venues :(

Comment by Madeline on February 13, 2015 at 13:23

I thought that lower front part was 'protected' from demolition? Most of the back upper floors are gone and it's just a shell there now.

Comment by Mike C on February 13, 2015 at 14:07

I worked there in the mid-nineties when it was gutted of its dilapidated gin palace interior and air of patchouli and reopened as the Powerhaus by Mean Fiddler Group. It didn't work as the area had little identity and their nearby venue The Garage was better established, and it closed permanently after a relatively short life. No-one there seemed too bothered (admittedly, the 90s music industry had easy cash and believed its own hype) and I wondered who owned the freehold on the land and what their intentions were. It surprised me a few years later that the roof of the perfectly serviceable flat above was coming off and some girders went in, but less so when works stalled and the rain came pouring in wrecking the internal structure - It's what property developers call an unfortunate sequence of events, I think.

Comment by Ed Butler on February 13, 2015 at 15:10

http://www.derelictlondon.com/music-history-landmarks.html

Comment by Mike C on February 13, 2015 at 16:24

Thanks for posting that Ed, I hadn't seen those pictures of the failed second rebuild. "Suffered a fire"!

Comment by Ed Butler on February 14, 2015 at 11:39

Glad to hear you found it of interest, Mike - I worked and lived in at the Robey for a few months in '86 as a roof over my head after arriving in London - not an easy place to get a good night's sleep, with trains shaking the building all through the night and a very loud all night reggae club in the "Black Arts Centre" across the road - anyone remember that?   

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