The Lexington is apub andmusic venue onPentonville Road inIslington, London, that opened in 2008. The bar specialises inbourbon, as well as Americancraft beer.[1][2] The building it is in was built over 1875 to 1876 and was originally known as The Belvidere Tavern.[3]
The building now housing The Lexington was erected in 1875–1976. It was then known asThe Belvidere, and was a new construction for the earlier tavern of that name on the same site, which had been there since about 1780.[4] It was designed by the architect W. E. Williams and built by Robert Marr.[3] Writing about the older tavern in 1882 inNotes and Queries, Edward Spencer refers to a discussion society "held there weekly, and some of our greatest ornaments of the bar and legal profession have there tested their oratorical skill" and that "in the parlour of an evening were once seen many of the authors, painters, artists, and literary men of the period."[5]
In the mid-2000s it was a bar calledClockwork that hosteddrum and bass DJ nights, and the occasional rock gig.[10][11]
The Lexington opened as apub andmusic venue in 2008. The bar specialises inbourbon, as well as Americancraft beer.[1][2] The venue area is upstairs, with a raised back section by the bar. The front of this has bench seating, but facing away from the stage.[1]
The Lexington was particularly badly hit by a reform of Londonbusiness rates in 2017, with a proposed increase of more than 200 percent (the average for London music venues being about 38 per cent). The venue challenged this and managed to get somewhat of a reduction to an increase of 118 percent.[13][14]
The venue's existence has been threatened further by theCOVID-19 pandemic. The Lexington were among the beneficiaries of theCultural Recovery Fund administered byArts Council England, announced on October 12, 2020. The venue stated that those funds "will go some way in mitigating the financial damage and debt accumulated over the last seven months of closure" but that they are "still in serious peril" as they were only awarded 40% of the funding they applied for.[15] In November theMusic Venue Trust announced a campaign which highlighted the 30 UK music venues deemed still in crisis, one of which is The Lexington. The venue had a crowdfunder to raise what was still needed.[16]
The current manager is Delia Sparrow ofMambo Taxi,Ye Nuns and Phantom Pregnancies.[17]
In 2011 British soul singer-songwriterJodie Marie released an EP of songs recorded during her gig at The Lexington in 2011 titledLive At The Lexington E.P which comprised three songs from her then upcoming debut studio album "Mountain Echo": "Single Blank Canvas", "Greeney-Blue" and "Dandelion Wishes". The EP was a digital only release.[19]
In 2012 British-Irish soul musicianMaverick Sabre released an EP of songs recorded during his gig at The Lexington in November 2011 titledLive At The Lexington which comprised three songs from his then upcoming debut studio album "Lonely Are the Brave": "I Used To Have It All", "I Need" and "Let Me Go". The EP was a digital only release.[20]
In 2014 Britishalternative rock bandthe House of Love released an LP of songs recorded during their gig at The Lexington in November 2013 titledLive at the Lexington 13:11:13 which comprised 14 songs: "Destroy the Heart", "Hope", "Christine", "Se Dest", "Road", "The Beatles and the Stones", "Purple Killer Rose", "Phone", "She Paints Words in Red", "Shine On", "Lost in the Blues", "A Baby Got Back on Its Feet", "I Don't Know Why I Love You" and "Touch Me".[21]
In 2021 Britishindie rock bandDoe released an album of songs recorded during their final gig as a band, which was at The Lexington in 2019, titledSincerely, Doe: Live at The Lexington. It comprised the full sixteen song set performed that night. A live video of it can be watched onYouTube.[22][23]
In 2021Owen, the indie rock project of American musicianMike Kinsella, released an album of songs recorded at The Lexington in 2019 titledLive at The Lexington - The Complete Collection. A limited run7-inch single of select songs was also released.[24][25]
In 2024 British and Danishrock and roll duo His Lordship released a limited runLP record of songs recorded at The Lexington in 2022 titledLive At The Lexington.[26]
^Wroth, Warwick William; Wroth, Arthur Edgar (1896). "The Belvidere Tea Gardens, Pentonville Road".The London Pleasure Gardens of the Eighteenth Century. New York: Macmillan. p. 146.
^Spencer, Edward (6 September 1882). "Memorable Residents at Islington, Barnsbury, and Pentonville".Notes and Queries.6: 181.
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