Venue Spotlight: The Camden Assembly, London
This week, we find out more about The Camden Assembly, London.
We spoke to the Head of Promotions and Events, James Anniballi, who tells us all about life in the heart of London, and their Emergence Series (taking place this week), in aid of War Child UK.
See full listings for The Camden Assembly here.
Venue details:
- The Camden Assembly, 49 Chalk Farm Road, Camden, London, NW1 8AN
- Established: 2016 (before that, it was known as The Barfly)
- Capacity: 470
Tell us a little about the venue and your role there.
I'm the Head of Promotions and events for the venue, which has a capacity of 420 over two floors, plus 70 in the private playroom.
Has the venue gone through any major changes since it opened (location, renovation, style of music etc)?
Total renovation as of 2016 with new interior, facilities, kitchen and sound systems throughout.
How many gigs or club nights a week do you host?
Seven gigs a week and three club nights.
Which band that's played your venue has gone on to be the best known?
Too many to choose from, but famously Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, and more recently Iamddb, Pale Waves and Mahalia.
Which band that played your venue deserved/deserves to be better known than they are?
Isaac Waddington, Joel Culpepper, Lloyd Llewellyn, Nia Wyn, Tiana Major9.
Do you host events besides gigs and club nights?
We have private parties in the playroom, and after show parties for huge acts that are performing at The Roundhouse. Recently we had BICEP play until the small hours.
If you could change one thing about the live music industry, what would it be?
There's more limelight on emerging acts than there has been, so hopefully that continues.
What's been your proudest moment working at your venue?
Week-in, week-out, seeing fans queuing to see their favourite bands and artists.
Has the venue ever been threatened with closure? If so, what could have been done to prevent it/support you?
Thankfully we haven't, we're a stalwart on the UK live music scene, and we're very grateful for that.
What's the best show you've put on recently?
We had a superb shows with Jerome Thomas (11/07/18) and The Howl & The Hum (17/07/18) which were both epic.
Are there any interesting facts/stories about the venue that people might not know, but should?!
The venue as Barfly appeared in Simon Pegg's Spaced series back in the early noughties. Oh, and we've recently launched our new Patty Supreme burgers. Some customers have mentioned they're the best in London...just saying!
The Camden Assembly have teamed up with Ticketmaster to present The Emergence Series in aid of War Child UK, the charity for children affected by conflict. So be sure to check out the remaining gigs that are taking place this week - showcasing a raft of rising talent. Click here for the full listings and tickets >>
Track The Camden Assembly, London here to keep up to date with all forthcoming events. You can also catch them on their official website, Facebook page, Twitter, and Instagram accounts.