The Roundhouse

The Roundhouse was an arts venue at Chalk Farm (near Camden Town), in London, England, although it started life differently (connected with the railways).

On 15 October, 1966 the Roundhouse hosted a concert by Syd Barrett’s Pink Floyd to launch the underground press paper International Times. At the time The Roundhouse was a complete fire trap and had not been used since before World War II. Although it appeared to be a locomotive-turning shed it had never been used for that purpose. Its original purpose was to house the winding gear to pull the trains up hill from Euston Station and once steam power was strong enough, it became redundant. By 1966, it was grimy, derelict and (certainly in October at the time of the IT launch gig), very, very cold. In the late 1960s and into the 1970s, after the success of this initial gig (concert) the Roundhouse became an important venue for UK Underground and music events. The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and The Doors played at the Roundhouse (it was their only UK gig The Doors). It also hosted Punk gigs in the latter part of the 1970s, closing in 1983. In 1998, the Roundhouse Trust was set up to lead its redevelopment. It is currently (as of 2004) still closed, though the Trust hope to reopen the Roundhouse again in 2005 to return it to London's cultural life.

"The redeveloped Roundhouse will house up to 3300 people standing or up to 1700 seated. It will provide a highly flexible and adaptable performance space that will give artists and audiences opportunities and experiences they cannot find elsewhere. And it will accommodate a programme of work that reflects the excitement and diversity of 21st century culture. It will include a wide range of the performing arts including music, theatre, dance, circus and digital media and will include the Roundhouse Youth Arts ." [1].

The Roundhouse briefly hosted the UFO Club after its original venue was closed down due to police pressure and the imprisonment of founder John Hopkins.

Roundhouse was also the title of an American improvisational comedy television series featuring teen actors which was produced in 1992.

References

• The Roundhouse Official Site Retrieved Aug. 8, 2004