I have posted previously about the Venue in New Cross Road, closed since Covid but in the early 1990s one of the top live music places in London, particularly for up and coming indie bands. This selection of references from Sounds music paper from January to March 1991 shows just how busy it was. There were gigs every Friday and Saturday and sometimes on other nights in the week. Bands finished by 11 pm but there was a club afterwards until 2 am (known on Saturday night as Awesome), with coaches back to Trafalgar Square afterwards, from where you could get a night bus to most parts of London.
Sounds 5 January 1991:
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| The Levellers reviewed- 'It seems that the tribes of the rainbow have gathered here tonight. Every shape, style, colour and form of youthful life'. Just don't call them Crusty. |
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| Chumbawamba, Thatcher on Acid |
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| Subhumans, Long Tall Texans, The Hinnies, The Cropdusters, Chumba |
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| Anarcho-punk band The Subhumans played two consecutive nights at the Venue - reunion gigs which Sounds in 1991 described as a 'nostalgia trip... might be your last chance to get down to timeless classics'. Not quite - I saw them twice at the New Cross Inn in 2024! |
Sounds 19 January 1991:
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| Melvins, Steel Pole Bath Tub, Ocean Colour Scene, Fieldmice, Heavenly, The Orchids, Easy, Close Lobsters, Afgan Wigs. |
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| Ocean Colour Scene |
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| Dr Phibes and the House of Wax Equations |
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| The Fieldmice, Heavenly, The Orchids - I might have been at that one, definitely saw Heavenly there at least once |
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| American bands The Melvins make their UK debut at the Venue in 1991, supported by Steel Pole Bath Tub |
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Chumba's gig on 12 Jan 1991 reviewed- 'The entire Venue is bathed in a sea of punks dancing'. 'Outside the roads are clogged with the prospective audience'. I think I went to this one, I remember the queue stretching down to New Cross station.
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| Easy, Close Lobsters |
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| Carter USM and Billy Bragg to play 'Stop the War in the Gulf' CND Benefit |
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| Leatherface, Sleep, Working with Tomatoes |
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| Bleach, Basti, Suncarriage |
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| Perfect Disaster, Bleach, The Darkside, Catherine Wheel, Chapter House |
This issue Sounds featured a chart of the most requested records at the Venue - Carter USM, Nirvana, Cud, Throwing Muses, Orange Juice etc.
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| Half Man Half Biscuit supported by 'Levellers 5' (not to be confused with The Levellers, a different band who had to change their name as the latter went massive) |
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| East Village, Jesse Garron and the Desperados, Shack, Guana Batz, Long Tall Texans, Rattlers, Green on Red (great American 'paisley underground' band). |
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| 'Despite its out of the way location, the Venue in New Cross has proved itself a welcome addition to the London gig circuit and has become a comfortable, popular place to frequent - as proved by the full house for tonight's first birthday celebrations'. Headliners 'Lush are the brightest stars of the future'. Support bands are Moose and another who tread 'their well worn 60s groove'. Whatever did become of Blur? The following year Lush were supported by Pulp at the Venue. |
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| Front Line Assembly, Solar Enemy, Ganz Heit |
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